[ianc]

RE: shooting looters and the debate over whether it's worth killing someone over a TV or a stereo.

The question of shooting looters has nothing to do with whether their lives are worth a TV or not.

In times of desperation and horror, order MUST be maintained. It is then, more than any other time, when one must have faith in people's ability to abide by the law and help each other. When there is no police presence to enforce the law, then people must be relied upon to police themselves and adhere to a certain basic decency. There is NO excuse for transcending this, apart from getting food, medical supplies, or whatever else is necessary to sustsain life.

Looting is just the start. A kind of testing of the waters, if you will. If no discipline is exercised at this point, what's to stop the looter from taking whatever else he wants: your car, your wife and daughter, etc. Transgressions in times of emergency must be dealt with swiftly and harshly. In normal times, we would try to exercise a more compassionate and lenient justice. In emergencies, there is no time for this. There is no question in my mind that a laxity in dealing with individuals of this type will only cause more serious crimes such as murder and rape to proliferate.

Do what you need to protect you and yours.

ianc