Ordinarily, I wouldn't think about stealing either. And looters stealing goods that they expect to sell later, Rolexes for example, or to keep for their own enjoyment, such as big-screen TVs, really are no better than burglars.

But people stealing survival items from stores in a lawless area after a catastrophic disaster are just trying to live. They are "looters" only under the most ruthless definition. No American jury would convict them.

I agree with SRS on this.