A Few Thoughts on Looting

I work with a woman who was appalled by the looting that went on in New Orleans during Katrina. She swept about the office in a fit of rage, blathering about how awful looters were and how they deserved to be shot. Oh! The horror! Oh! The NERVE of those people, how DARE they take advantage of a desparate situation by taking things that did not belong to them and that they weren't entitled to!

Fast forward three weeks, with Hurricane Rita bearing down on Houston. In the aftermath, many Houston counties were declared disaster areas, entitling the residents to FEMA and Red Cross aid. The only damage this woman suffered was a power outage and a few downed trees. She recently blew through the office bragging about how much money she received from FEMA. Meanwhile, people like my grandmother who have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING left, receive the same amount in disaster aid. The television is constantly flashing pictures of people who have NO homes, NO clothes, NO belongings.

So, who's worse?
If you're going to judge, you'd better prepare to be judged yourself.