Montclair Pitches In

According to Baristanet, two firefighters from Montclair are going to New Orleans to participate in the relief effort. Apparently Mayor Remsen intends to send two truckloads of supplies with them.

I hope that the supplies and extra labor will be constructive. However, in recent articles, I can't help but feel that New Orleans law enforcement has been using its resources in the wrong way, namely in concentrating it's efforts on looters, rather than the refugees who actually need help.

Looting is a bi-product of mass disaster, and although it's unfortunate, in the case of Katrina, it's the least of the problems. In fact, considering the conditions that many of the refugees are in, looting is necessary for survival. Although Barista went on to say that she was disappointed to hear Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson excuse the opportunistic thieves, one needs to remember that many of these looters are people who haven't eaten or changed clothes in days. The last thing that city needs are policemen shooting at a mother who swims to an abandoned store to get food for her kids.