[alecqss]

It is hard to loot in a tightly knit community. In a big city it is easier to justify taking from someone you don’t know, but it is pretty hard to take from a neighbor you see at the grocery store, the gas station and at church.

New Orleans 2000 census: 484,674 people
Cedar Rapids 2000 census:120,758 people

Ok, I give it to you that NO has 4 times larger population, but the notion that in 120+K city is "a tightly knit community" is ludicrous.

[dbacks]

[Ok, I give it to you that NO has 4 times larger population, but the notion that in 120+K city is “a tightly knit community” is ludicrous. ]

You obviously are not from the midwest.

When the DC10 crashed in Sioux City, Iowa in 1989, the roads were filled with people trying to help, not loot the airport bar. My niece was a photog for the local rag and managed to get down there. Her pix were seen world wide. She later had her work stolen by the MSM.

A fellow classmate of mine at USD was in the Nat’l Guard there at that airport and had the PLEASURE of video taping the autopsies of the victims. He watched as the med. examiner pealed the body of an infant from the breast of his?her burned to death mother.

He later went insane of at least needed serious counseling. I haven't heard of him in 19 years. Closeknit, YOU BET.

[grellis]

I disagree. My city's pop is 116K, and the drop from under 120K was very recent (last five years). We had two days of strong storms here recently, including a tornado. Lots of folks without power, but nobody without a neighbor to help them out, nobody. Not one incident of looting. Regular citizens took turns watching over blocks without power.

I'm a very regular dame. Over the last ten years, I have kind of kept to myself--not totally out of the social loop, but I keep a lot more time for myself and my family than I used to. Even so, I can probably still walk into any supermarket, mall, bar, church of any denomination, library, union hall, school, you name it--I'll know at least one person by name. Usually more. I'll bet the very same can be said for just about anyone who has lived here for more than two or three years.

It's hard to get away with a crime when the chances are somebody will know you, and that's a pretty big deterrant.