Katrina

This is easily the worst story I've seen in years. I'm getting the same sort of news fatigue that I had round about this time four years ago.

This story is as bad as 9/11. It's just taking longer to play out. The undiluted awfulness of this story is just that overwhelming.

Recriminations started flying yesterday (RFK Jr. blaming Governor Barbour? Really? How is that helpful?).

But you know what the most troubling part of the recovery process has been thus far? The looters.

I'm not talking about the few folks who bust into the local Walgreens to grab some baby formula and bottled water. I'm talking about these leeches who went into the store and grabbed ten pairs of jeans and a television, then told television cameras that he was taking that stuff because society owed him that stuff for keeping him down. Then there are the assholes who steal gasoline out of someone else's car, another storm victim who took the time, sat through six hour gas lines and was rewarded by having some scum siphon the gas out of their car.

Fuck that.

But the worst, the absolute worst are these animals (and I'm denegrating the animal community by calling them that), these slime, who are shooting police officers, National Guard soldiers, rescue helicopters, fellow refugees for no discernable reason. There is no excuse in the world that can justify shooting anyone, of raping anyone (there have been at least two in the Superdome), of stealing from anyone in this situation (or indeed, any situation, but especially this one). There is no excusing the anarchy, the random violence, the heedlessness. I'm all for compassion, but when you actively work against your fellow man or anyone trying to provide you comfort, you go to the back of the line. And that's the best case for you. Worst case, you lose your ride to Houston. Pissed off about your situation? Then wait for the people who are there trying to help you to do just that. Commit a violent crime right now and you are shit out of luck.

There is one very important way in which this story differs from 9/11 for me. On 9/12, I felt a renewed faith in humanity. On 9/1/05, I'm very tempted to just say leave the animals to their own.