Mark This Date!

Its very, very, rare that the Trekmedic agrees with a Signe Wilkinson editorial cartoon, but today's was worth it:





Unfortunately, we have the other end of the spectrum and this unbelievably misguided letter:

London safer than Philly? Could be the guns

Having recently returned from spending eight months abroad, I occasionally feel as if I'm seeing my home with an entirely new set of eyes.

I've gained a new appreciation for things I took for granted, and discovered that some things I accepted as commonplace are rather strange local or national quirks.

For example: I spent six months in London, relying entirely on public transportation, and never once felt remotely unsafe while traveling by subway or bus. Any time I saw someone carrying a weapon, the carrier was a police officer.

After having been home for about a week, I took the Speed Line into Philadelphia with a friend for a night out.

On our way home, the passenger sitting in front of us rose to leave the train as it approached a station, and proceeded to drop a handgun, which landed directly beneath my seat.

If one wanted to read a bit into this moment of reverse culture shock and gain some context for it, one could consult statistics on violent crime.

London is by leaps and bounds safer than Philadelphia, and it is nearly impossible to have a handgun there. One must explain why such a weapon is necessary.

Charlotte Gunn-Golkin

Cherry Hill

The TrekMedic ponders:

The TrekMedic guesses Ms. Golkin never heard of the term "Nanny State" before! Anywhere can be "safe," so long as you're willing to give your privacy and personal rights over to the government. They, in turn, watch your every move and make decisions about your lifestyle for you.

Some source material for you:

MI-5 (a/k/a "Spooks")

1984 (book and movie)