Looting and my Grandpa

pwd72s · 08-31-2005, 03:50 PM

My Grandpa, James J. O'Rourke died some time ago...most of his life was spent as a mail carrier in Petaluma, California. If anybody lives there, is there still a "Jesse Lane" North side of town? That's my Grandma, mother's side. Enough background. My Grandpa was in the military at the time of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He was sent into San Francisco with orders to shoot looters. Not those searching for drink or food in the shambles, that was survival. But those going for the loot? Shoot to kill were the orders. I asked why there were such severe measures. Grandpa James responded that during insane times order must be preserved in order to keep things remotely sane. Thus, martial law was imposed and administrated.
Reading of the looting in New Orleans, I'm thinking maybe we should return to that....it made sense in 1906, it makes sense to me in 2005.
Your thoughts welcome...

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

"But, those poor people have been through a lot. They should have a new plasma tv...."

I agree.

Joeaksa · 08-31-2005, 03:55 PM

Totally agree but you will not see the same thing coming from the liberals. That would be shooting their supporters and we could not have that.

Joe A

emcon5 · emcon5's Garage

pwd72s · 04:06 PM

Thanks...yep, that's my Grandpa's old place...he was at the Corner of Petaluma Blvd. and Jesse Ln., South side. I forget the size of his acreage there... He was quite a guy...(edit) Jesse Ln. was just a dirt lane the last time I was there. 1965 or so. Certainly no factory village malls about.

rrpjr · 08-31-2005, 04:11 PM

I agree. It is obscene. During the Rodney King riots in LA there was looting all around me -- an entire mini-mall on my block was ransacked, windows shattered, electronic goods pilfered. Police were nowhere. I remember one guy trying to balance a wide-screen TV in a shopping cart rolling down the street. I pointed to him, shouting, "social protest"? It reminds one of the thin line -- thinner in some quarters than others -- between civility and savagery.

Tyson Schmidt · 08-31-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Totally agree but you will not see the same thing coming from the liberals. That would be shooting their supporters and we could not have that.

Joe A

It's statements like that, that make me wonder why politics are allowed on this board.

Joeaksa · 08-31-2005, 04:29 PM

Well, have we seen anyone on the liberal side with any comments against this? The truth may hurt but please prove the statement incorrect.

JoeA

Jims5543 · 08-31-2005, 04:39 PM

I saw shoot them. No doubt about it. If you see a bottom feeder walking out of a store with a TV shoot them. That simple. When marshal law was mandated here we were warned to stay off the streets of else. Of course circumstances were not as dire as NO so I say extreme circumstances require extreme actions.

Before I evacuated for the 2 hurricanes I checked in with my neighbors. The one guy across the street was staying.

I asked him to keep an eye on my house if it made it through. He responded by telling me he just got home with fresh ammo.

If a looter poked his head on my block after the storms he would have been shot.

My son went to school with a boy who lost his house. It lost a couple of walls. On top of that it was looted.

pwd72s · 08-31-2005, 04:39 PM

Joe, Maybe I'm naive, but I don't consider your comment racial...the looting seems to be being committed by all races...the possible exception is Asian. I guess we'll have to send in a pollster and ask the looters who they voted for before they get shot? But I do think the real question here is maintaining order, not political affiliation. FWIW, my Grandpa was as liberal as they came in his time...a staunch Democrat who thought FDR was a hero. I was a Barry Goldwater fan, saddened by his landslide defeat. Boy, did Grandpa & I have some political discussions...

Being a liberal sure didn't keep him from knowing the difference between right & wrong...

tabs · 08-31-2005, 04:46 PM

The concept of Man being Civilized is overated.....it's the Dark side that really is only kept at bay....

A Quiet Boom · A Quiet Boom's Garage

I work with a guy who's father was a sniper in Vietnam, his father favorite saying is "guns don't kill people, I do!". Several years ago while I was at work a strange man came to our BACK door, my wife met him with her 9mm drawn and at the ready and he just ran off. Turns out according to my police friends there had been a string of daytime bugularies in our area. Since then she has "orders" to shoot them after they enter!

Joeaksa · 08-31-2005, 05:12 PM

Paul,

Agreed and I just hate to see it. Papers across the world will print photos of the "poor Americans" looting after the hurricane and this is no where near the average American.

Christian, I trained as a sniper many years ago. Its a job that most do not want and you rarely talk about it. That said, when there is someone that needs dispatching they usually call in the guy who can make the shot. Our motto was "one shot, one kill" and it usually ended up that way.

Glad your wife is trained and ready to protect your household. There are far too many people out there these days who would rather steal something than work for it.

JoeA

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Apparently on TV last night, there was footage of police officers -- in uniform -- looting. Anyone see it?

pwd72s · 08-31-2005, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa

There are far too many people out there these days who would rather steal something than work for it.

JoeA

And there is the problem today....why is this happening? Why, nearly 100 years ago, did we have the sense to issue orders to shoot looters, and today we can't? IMHO, the noose of "political correctness" just got a bit tighter around this nation's neck.

WOODPIE · 08-31-2005, 05:38 PM

The stealing is a terrible thing to see. With everything else going on, though, isn't it sort of minor? Shoot them? Do you mean shoot to kill, or shoot to wound? If you kill them, that's just another d*** body floating around in the toxic soup. If you wound them, you're obligated to remove them for medical assistance.

Does anyone really, really think that, as asserted by JoeA, these looters are actually registered voters, and have historically, or even recently, cast a liberal-leaning vote? Pulleeeeeze....

Ed

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Totally agree but you will not see the same thing coming from the liberals. That would be shooting their supporters and we could not have that.

If the shooting of looters extends to the upper end of the wealth spectrum, I'm on board. But you will not see the same thing coming from the conservatives. That would be shooting their supporters and we could not have that.

emcon5 · emcon5's Garage

I really hope he just took that stuff from a looter, and was walking back in. Since he is walking with his Sgt, my guess is this is the case.

Tom

pwd72s · 08-31-2005, 05:58 PM

Obviously, shoot to kill, with no malice. The jails & hospitals are full of genuine victims of the catastrophe. Why clutter things up?

Carl Bauer · Carl Bauer's Garage

My buddy in the coast guard in Baton Rouge said they are now arming the men and women of the GC after some of them were shot at by looters.