It Just Gets Worse and Worse

More on the moral relativism of looting.

When civilians do it, it's looting:

That allowed a steady stream of looters, many wheeling shopping carts, to stock up, primarily with food, candy, any soft drink or water or alcohol, and cigarettes.

When authorities do it, it's commandeering:

Before boarding up again, the officers took some essential supplies for themselves: socks, T-shirts and Power Bars.

Call me picky, but I think the police-support infrastructure is a bit more likely to be able to provide for its officers at the moment than the civilian-relief arrangements are for the displaced. I'm not saying the officers did anything wrong — I am saying that neither did the "looters," and shame on the writers who call them that. In these circumstances, taking boutique clothes is looting. Taking food, even cigarettes and alcohol, is not.