City Gives State The Middle Finger

Yesterday, City Council passed a long-delayed series of bills aimed at addressing gun violence. Philadelphia isn’t allowed to make its own gun laws because the rest of the state’s economy is approximately 100 percent based on hunting and every citizen owns 50 or 60 guns and buys 30 a day, just to melt them down for whatever the hell guns are made out of.

Some have said the move is a way to gain votes — duh, it is — but that doesn’t mean City Council isn’t sincere. And it doesn’t mean it’s wrong to tell the state to fuck off every once in a while.

Actually, no matter your stance on gun laws, the citizens of Philadelphia should praise this new law. For too long Pennsylvania has… uh… well, I dunno what it’s done. But, c’mon! This is pissing off the rest of the state. That’s something all Philadelphians can agree is a good thing to do.

Plus, while the government in Harrisburg is figuring out a way to challenge these Philly laws, they can’t do any damage anywhere else.

City Council sets up showdown with state [Metro]

Lawmaker For Gun Control To Begin Carrying AK-47

State Rep. Jewell Williams, who’s from Philly, is a co-sponsor of an Angel Cruz bill that has no chance at passing but is a way to get attention for his gun control arguments. (The bill’s about gun control, too, obviously; it’s just not going to pass.)

Anyway, this morning some idiot from Allentown wrote him an email saying something to the effect of “you should be shot” for supporting his fellow democrat Cruz. Way to do your part to make gun owners look like responsible human beings, buddy!

Williams is taking the threat seriously, which is certainly his prerogative and not something you can really criticize. But, ah, could we do it so everyone’s reaction to the story isn’t “guh-wha”?

A Philadelphia lawmaker who supports tougher gun-control laws said Thursday he will likely start wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying his gun more often after receiving a threatening e-mail.

I think the equivalent of this move is protesting abortion by opening up a Planned Parenthood.

Lawmaker who got e-mail threat says he’ll wear bulletproof vest [AP/Philly.com]

Ironic Philly Crime Spree Continues

I’m always a little wary of using the word irony, since I don’t really quite have any idea what the hell it means. I mean, I do, but anytime somebody anywhere ever seems to say something is ironic, someone says that’s not really irony. Wary of looking even stupider than I usually do, I try to avoid using irony unless it’s something like Oedipus Rex, where smart teachers have told me there is irony when he has sex with his mom or whatever.

But now that this has happened twice, I think it’s time to call this a full-blown ironic crime spree, even if there’s a chance irony only refers to old plays English teachers have told you are ironic. Last week, a peace rally in West Philadelphia turned violent.

And last night, another anti-violence rally had a shooting outside it, this time in Nicetown.

Philadelphia police at a community meeting Wednesday evening on Germantown Avenue, suddenly found themselves on the scene of a shootout just outside the building in Nicetown.

The captain was working an evening shift as part of the commissioner’s response to violent crime in the city.

It was just after 6:30 when shots rang out outside the meeting hall. Some attendees fell to the floor. But Captain John McCloskey and officer Vince Laspina rushed outside, virtually into the middle of the gun battle on a busy Germantown Avenue.

Next time somebody asks me how I’m doing my part to stem the tide of violence in this city, I’ll just answer honestly: By not organizing any anti-violence rallies.

Peace Rally Turns Violent in West Philadelphia [KYW 1060]
Shootout Erupts Outside Anti-Violence Meeting in Germantown [KYW 1060]
[Photo via Wikipedia page for Irony, by pschemp]

‘Phillymag’ Guns Down A National Mag Award Nom

Looks like Phillymag’s publicity stunt of putting a gun on the cover paid off! The posh local monthly is up for a 2007 National Magazine Award for general excellence in the 100,000 - 250,000 circulation category. (To be fair, Wired’s Chris Andersen is up for an article about effing Second Life.)

Joking aside, the mag is up for its September, November and December issues, and November was the gun one. Phillymag is up against Foreign Policy, lefty mag Mother Jones, a magazine called Seed and, of course, Salt Water Sportsman. The magazine’s last nom for general excellence was in 1998 under Eliot Kaplan.

Putting a gun on the cover wasn’t really all that shocking or courageous — Oh! A gun! On the cover a magazine ostensibly about a city with lots of homicides! Gasp! Let’s write some articles about it! — and the magazine clearly has bad taste in blogs — a B+ for Philadelphia Will Do earlier this year? (Grade Inflation at its finest.) Now, we all know that Phillymag is no Salt Water Sportsman, but the mag has gotten better in recent months under current editor Larry Platt.

Can it beat out gay-porn (well, you tell me what it is, then) mag Seed? I guess only time will tell. But I think we know one thing: Next year’s national mag awards will surely give a nomination to Joey Sweeney and Ruth Carpenter in the “Reviews and Criticism” category.

National Magazine Awards: Finalists [Magazine.org]
Why we put a gun on our cover [Phillymag]
Feb. 26, 2007: Hipsters Now Popular Enough To Shill $30K Cars

Throwing A Slowdown On This ‘Speed’ Reference

Yesterday, a man was running for a the 33 bus in North Philadelphia. When the bus driver noticed him, the bus slowed down and the man was able to make it on the bus.

Unfortunately for him, a man was on the bus waiting for him. Immediately after the 45-year-old man got on the bus, a 50- to 60-year-old-man leaped at him, asked him where his money was, then shot him twice in the head.

Now, check out the Daily News story by David Gambacorta and Wendy Ruderman about the incident:

As in the movie “Speed,” no one was killed in this real-life violent-action scene, although a man was shot in the head, and a 12-year-old girl was trampled in the ensuing panic.

Uhh, what? Clearly, this lead was written by somebody who has never seen the movie Speed. (Which is a shame, because it’s Dennis Hopper’s best performance besides his role as King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.) Even if you only count the bus part of the movie, it’s still incorrect. Plot summary from Wikipedia:

The police commandeer a large flatbed truck to try to unload the passengers. Jack warns his superior that the attempt would be seen by the bomber (since television news helicopters are filming overhead) and the passengers killed. However, the young cop convinces Payne to allow the bus driver off the bus. Seeing the injured man taken off safely, a woman named Helen attempts to get off too. Payne, who is indeed watching, detonates a small charge below the floor of the bus near the door; Helen falls through the floor, and is run over and killed.

Geeze. You try to write a story that finally doesn’t contain the words thug or punk and you end up messing up a really stretched movie reference. Either that, or maybe this was a nice, comforting way of telling us that the 12-year-old girl trampled in the aftermath died.

Man scrambles to catch bus, only to catch bullets to the head [Daily News via 14th Windiest State]
Speed (film) [Wikipedia]

Camden Very Slowly Catching Up To Philadelphia

In recent months, much attention has been lavished on Philadelphia’s fine neighbor to the east, Camden. 20/20 profiled the city in an unflattering light, there was a brawl at Camden High School and the city still ranks among the nation’s most dangerous.

And, yet, Thursday, March 8, was the date of Camden’s first homicide of the year. (It was, naturally, a double.) Philadelphia has (at least) 71 at this point.

The two men killed were originally thought to have died in a car accident, until investigators realized both men had been shot and killed before the car crashed. The 67-day homicide-free streak to start the year was the longest since at least 1980.

So what’s the deal? Camden is much smaller than Philly, but that disparity is pretty large. Maybe Philadelphia has better marksmen. Or maybe even Camden knows how to stop homicides while on this side of the river everyone twiddles their thumbs and waits for the new mayor to be elected.

Camden has first 2 homicides of year [Camden Courier-Post]
Waiting on the World to Change [ABCNews.com]

The Cos Is Back In Town To Lecture Us All

Hey, people of Philadelphia! Get excited! Bill Cosby’s back in town!

Yes, the Cos (inset, with his Dandie Dinmont Terrier) himself will be speaking tonight at a forum organized by Men United for a Better Philadelphia.

Cosby was, of course, at one time a great comedian. The problem is, the only time he’s funny anymore is when he’s being sincere about attempting to stop gun violence and goes off about kids shooting each other over a piece of pound cake and it just seems like another bit. (For example, this doesn’t seem too far from the truth.)

But, man, remember that Penn Relays episode of The Cosby Show? Now that was awesome. I guess we all still love him.

Update, 4:20 p.m.: The Cos talked and told people to stay away from violence. However, I must take umbrage — can you do anything with umbrage but take it? — at his one statement:

“Gone is a potential president of Community College. Gone is a potential doctor of medicine. Gone is a potential great father, gone is a potential honest human being.”

I agree with everything except that last one. I don’t think such a thing exists.

Wow, that was depressing, wasn’t it? Uhh, I mean, “Hey hey hey!”

Cosby Back In Philly To Discuss Gun Violence [CBS 3]
Comic Bill Cosby Tells Phila. Teens to Eschew Violence [KYW 1060]
Archives: Bill Cosby
Related: Philadelphia Will Do at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Four Dead In Navy Yard Shooting

It was like the City of Philadelphia woke up and said, “Hey, we haven’t had a murder in a while. Let’s make this next one really memorable!”

Last night at the old Navy Yard, three people were killed and a fourth critically injured before the gunman committed suicide, allegedly after a dispute over money at a board meeting.

The papers have conflicting reports about what business it actually was; the Daily News reports “much of the bizarre mayhem took place inside the second-story offices of Zigzag.net, a prominent black-owned advertising and marketing firm based in a business center near the banks of the Delaware River,” while the Inquirer says “the shootings occurred about 8:30 p.m. during a meeting of the board of directors of a company called Watson International.” So, ah, the biz is Watson International but the shootings took place at Zigzag.net. Of course.

It’s the worst killing in the city since the Lex Street Massacre in 2001 where seven people died and three were injured. Apparently the conference room scene was “utter chaos.” More on this as more information comes out.

Gunman kills 3, then himself at Navy Yard [Inquirer]
4 ARE SLAIN IN S. PHILA. [Daily News]

Iraqi Kids Shoot Each Other, Too

As Philadelphians continue to be killed at a rate of more than one per day, people — especially the politicians in charge — are looking for answers. They’re looking for something to blame, something to change that would fix the problem (hopefully without having to do much work or lose any political capital, of course).

And, of course, our city’s fine mayor is simply continuing to find out how he can make everyone know it’s not his fault. Oh, things are bad everywhere, he says. Oh, I’ve seen other cities and it’s not just Philadelphia, blah blah blah. No shit, Mr. Mayor. But, as the person in charge of this city, it doesn’t matter what’s happening in other cities, since that’s not his problem.

But Street will continue to try to find excuses rather than answers, and his latest event to blame is, of course, the Iraq War.

Let’s say this again: Yesterday, John Street blamed the city’s rising murder rate on the Iraq War. “I believe the fact that we are a country at war has something to do with the attitude of people in the streets,” he said. “Let me tell you, it’s not just this city. I have seen it everywhere and I’ve talked to people a lot about it.” (Street is correct, of course. It’s not just this city. Things are bad in Baghdad, too.)

Street’s point is, I guess: We in America — on Earth? — celebrate violence. We love violence. We hate sex and swear words, but holy fuck do we love violence. (And reality singing competitions, for some reason.) All of this leads to more violence in real life, since we love watching representations of it. I guess?

Anyway, while I’m trying to figure out how Iraqi suicide bombers are making it more likely for teenagers to get shot in drug gang wars, Street will actually be coming up with some sort of attempt at an answer. His plan this year is to train 1,000 clergy members in conflict resolution and get them talking to people. And while they are telling kids not to kill each other, they can also tell them the boys if they kiss another man, God hates them and they’re going to hell.

Might want to invest in a flak jacket.

Blame Philly gun violence partly on Iraq, mayor says [Daily News]

If Only We Could Make The City One Big Church

It’s been a tough year, violence-wise, for Philadelphia. 400-odd murders and such will do that.

But it hasn’t been all bad, according to State Rep. Curt Thomas. While proposing new legislation to restrict guns and make offenders work in prison, etc., he also points out there is one place where there hasn’t been any murders. He tells KYW 1060’s Steve Tawa:

While there have been more than 400 homicides this year in Philadelphia, State Representative Curt Thomas says there has not been one act of violence inside a house of worship: ”Our places of worship have remained sacred ground.”

And the Spectrum. Nobody’s been killed at the Spectrum.

Legislator Wants Faith-Based Help to Make ‘07 Year of Peace [KYW 1060]