Looters

 

Are these looters?

You could say they're praising God, hands uplifted and all, but no, they're not.  They're getting things from a supermarket after a massive earthquake... looks like maybe toilet paper or something.  They're not happy, they're concerned, they're pretty desperate.

They're not trying to get a new TV.  You don't see them with new stereo equipment, or trying to get anything other than what's at a local, and likely closed/devastated supermarket.

A looter isn't someone who is simply trying to survive after a massively destructive or catastrophic event, it's someone taking advantage of the event for personal gain beyond trying to adapt or cope with the event.  So, calling these people looters is absurd.  Put yourself in their shoes.

Out of nowhere, an earthquake changes everything.  You suddenly find yourself needing things like, batteries, water, more toilet paper... etc. so you go to the supermarket.  Unfortunately, most businesses are closed since most people are trying to cope with the new reality.  But, you can't wait, you need food, you need to survive, people depend on you.  And the supermarket is closed and is in sad shape itself, broken windows, items all over the place... not likely to open anytime soon, and neither is any other supermarket.  You have the money, you'd be willing to pay, but there's nobody to take your money.  And if you leave the money there, you know someone will just take it.

So yeah, of course you take what you need.  Maybe you can leave a note saying what you took and that you'll pay for it when they're up and running again.  Or maybe you don't leave a note, but will tell them when you next see them after they're up an running again.  Provided, of course, that you live, which is why you're there in the first place.

No, these people are not looters.  That's simply ridiculous and it's shameful how quickly reporters are to label these people as such.  Looters are people that do things after the OJ verdict.  They were smashing into businesses and taking electronic goods, beer, etc.  Taking advantage of a situation that got out of control for personal excess. 

I'll never forget the prime example of what a looter is, from a helicopter camera during the post-OJ verdict debacle, the video of a black guy in tattered clothing lugging a big, brand new TV, and then the image of a bunch of black people breaking an electronic store's windows and then masses of them going in and taking anything they could get their grubby hands on.  Convenience store owners having to take the law into their own hands to prevent from losing everything in their store, firing their guns to let the would-be looters at bay.  THAT, was looting.

These people I've been seeing called looters in Chile, are nothing of the sort.  I'm sure there may be some looting going on, but it makes me sick to see desperate people trying to survive being called looters, especially when compared to actual looters.