I can’t figure right-wingers out. They think the ideal man is John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, but they have no problem admitting to a national audience that they’re terrified to walk around Independence Hall in downtown Philadelphia at six or seven o’clock in the evening. I can hardly think of a less terrifying part of the city. For those of you who don’t know, Independence Hall is a National Park with real Park Rangers. It also has a heavy police presence. It borders Society Hill, which is a very affluent part of town. It is possible to get mugged in the area. A good friend of mine and a regular commenter here was mugged in Queen Village (a neighborhood further south) at 8 o’clock in the morning. It happens. But the area around Independence Hall has almost no gun violence and there are much more dangerous neighborhoods in Philly.
You may remember that back in 2005, one of my neighbors was killed by Mexican gangsters while sitting on her front porch. At the end of that year, I moved to a much rougher neighborhood closer to Rittenhouse Square but still south of South Street. I walked around that neighborhood at all times of night and rarely felt threatened. You had to know the people and use a little common sense (basically avoiding certain situations) but it was a perfectly livable neighborhood near the heart of the city.
I read stuff like this, and I just have contempt for Beck’s lack of testicles.
“You know the killing streets right there in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia?” Beck told his producer. “You know how Philadelphia is not a place you want to be?” he added. “I’ll put you on a hidden cam and put you downtown at 6, 7 o’clock at night.” He could not believe his producer would be brave enough to walk around Center City at night. “Philly sucks,” Beck then said.
These clowns get deferments rather than fight. They act all tough but they’re so scared it’s ridiculous. They’re a bunch of bedwetters who want us to think they’re the party of the military. Anyone who thinks a soldier should favor the Republicans is confused. The Republicans don’t fight; they hire the people they fear to fight for them.
