¶ … Hurricane Katrina hit the United States in 2005, there were many individuals whose lives were destroyed. The resulting flooding in New Orleans also left many without homes, food, water, and employment. Even those in positions of authority were left without means of communication, and in some cases, these individuals committed acts completely against their codes of ethics. This paper will discuss one set of individuals in power exclusively, those of the police officers of New Orleans, and will focus on the ethical dilemmas that stemmed from the acts of looting which occurred at the hands of some of those officers.
To fully understand the situation in New Orleans, one must first understand the issues underlying ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas can stem from a variety of sources, including a conflict between personal and professional values, between two principles, between two actions, each with strong positive aspects as well as strong negative aspects, and between ones' perceived values and one's personal values (Walters, 41).
Additionally, it is important to distinguish between three types of "looting": those acts done for personal gain, those done for necessity in the line of duty, and those in between. In one incident, police officers were seen breaking into a car dealership, and taking eight to ten vehicles without permission. As New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley noted in the CNN report "New Orleans cops investigated for allegedly stealing cars," if those vehicles were used in place of stalled patrol cars due to flooding, that act would not be considered looting, since the act would be to obtain a means of transportation in the line of duty (CNN, online).
Brown did not contact Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary, to activate emergency response workers until five hours after Hurricane Katrina made landfall (Mayer et al. 2008). Furthermore, Brown did not use any urgent language about how devastating Hurricane Katrina's effects might be along the Gulf Coast, a response which many have found to be sadly inadequate. Since the Katrina disaster, FEMA has been essentially stripped of its emergency powers, and
Time for Accountability There is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible -- local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin (Williams, 2005). The primary responsibility
The research stated that Because disasters tend to accelerate existing economic, social, and political trends, the large losses in housing, population, and employment after Katrina are likely to persist and, at best, only partly recover. However, the possibility of breaking free of this gloomy trajectory is feasible and has some historical precedent Post-Katrina, there is much that can be done to help not only the city's renewal and revitalization from a
S. is imported through or fished out of the Gulf. Katrina struck right at the peak of harvesting season. At the same time, Louisiana is the nation's top oyster producer, and wholesalers are waiting in fear to see if the beds have been damaged" ("Katrina's Impact"). Therefore, food and agriculture may also show signs of economic fallout for years to come. Much of this remains to be seen, as all
Hurricane Katrina - Emergency Management All discussions regarding the Hurricane Katrina need to acknowledge the fact that the primary reason for Katrina having a great impact was task scope and size, rather than human failure. While effective management is capable of modifying disasters, one cannot expect it to eliminate them. Still, it is evident that an increased sense of urgency, enhanced coordination among responder groups, and more efficient management of communication
Hurricane Katrina and Economic Implications Hurricane Katrina and the Economic Implications The events of the incident and the economic backlash The 2005 Hurricane Katrina that ended up encompassing the cities of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana can be termed as one of the most deadly hurricanes to hit the United States of America and left millions of people in absolutely despair along with serious economic implications for the entire country to cope up with.
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