Spring Break
Philadelphia bans psychics: Awesome!
Aaron Sakulich
Issue date: 5/11/07 Section: Ed-Op
Much less of a laughing matter is when people are genuinely sick, and are convinced to put their trust in psychics and mumbo-jumbo new age remedies. There, the psychic industry resembles the tobacco industry even more, because not only do they thrive on repeat business, but eventually they kill that business
I've occasionally written about psychics in the past: con artists like Uri Geller and Sylvia Browne who made their living by fake mind-reading and fortune-telling. And they didn't just make a living: they each currently live in a solid gold palace, perched high atop a cloud, dining on naught but ambrosia and nectar. So you'd think I would greet this blow to the psychic industry in Philadelphia with applause and giddiness. But I don't.
Two weeks ago, Philadelphia hit 128 murders after a blood soaked weekend that left 12 people dead. This is a 17 percent rise over our total from last year, and puts us on track to again meet our 2004 record: of the top ten largest US cities, we had the most murders. Of the top 25 cities, we were third. Looking at all the numbers, if we continue on this trend, in 2012 the population of Philadelphia will be four wounded drug dealers. It's not a city. It's a slaughterhouse.
Suffice it to say that while I consider the dismantling of the various paranormal industries to be fairly important, since they're a tapeworm on the small intestine of society, there are some things that take precedent. Bravo on shutting down the psychic parlors, Philadelphia. I really mean that. But I'm also sort of concerned that every night I fall asleep to a symphony of gunfire.
Be seeing you.
Aaron Sakulich is a graduate student studying engineering and materials science. He can be reached through ed-op@thetriangle.org.
I've occasionally written about psychics in the past: con artists like Uri Geller and Sylvia Browne who made their living by fake mind-reading and fortune-telling. And they didn't just make a living: they each currently live in a solid gold palace, perched high atop a cloud, dining on naught but ambrosia and nectar. So you'd think I would greet this blow to the psychic industry in Philadelphia with applause and giddiness. But I don't.
Two weeks ago, Philadelphia hit 128 murders after a blood soaked weekend that left 12 people dead. This is a 17 percent rise over our total from last year, and puts us on track to again meet our 2004 record: of the top ten largest US cities, we had the most murders. Of the top 25 cities, we were third. Looking at all the numbers, if we continue on this trend, in 2012 the population of Philadelphia will be four wounded drug dealers. It's not a city. It's a slaughterhouse.
Suffice it to say that while I consider the dismantling of the various paranormal industries to be fairly important, since they're a tapeworm on the small intestine of society, there are some things that take precedent. Bravo on shutting down the psychic parlors, Philadelphia. I really mean that. But I'm also sort of concerned that every night I fall asleep to a symphony of gunfire.
Be seeing you.
Aaron Sakulich is a graduate student studying engineering and materials science. He can be reached through ed-op@thetriangle.org.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 11
tarot4games
posted 5/11/07 @ 5:36 AM EST
Bravo!! I am glad to see someone in media challenge the so-called "paranomal" industry. I also have a comment on those tarot cards.
Tarot has no historical connections with astrology or Kabbalah. (Continued…)
Jenson
posted 5/11/07 @ 2:46 PM EST
Its a shame when a few bad apples spoil things for everyone else. There are genuine psychics just as there are genuine faith healers and genuine tarot readers just as there are genuine tele-evangelists but how many times do we hear about so called 'Christian' leaders who live a life of obscene luxury from the proceeds of their poor and vulnerable congregations? Who stops them?
People will always need psychological and spritual help. (Continued…)
tarot4games
posted 5/12/07 @ 1:21 AM EST
oh! Give me a freakin' break! There are "genuine" psychics, faith healers, tarot readers yadda, yadda, yadda. This is utter nonsense! When people need psychiatric help they should turn to a psychiatrist and not to fortune tellers or psychics. (Continued…)
Miguel
posted 5/12/07 @ 3:12 AM EST
Bah... nonsense! the society is full of "spiritual leaders" the lies are other but are mere lies after all... nobody thinks to ban religious churches (I don't want that, eh). (Continued…)
Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
posted 5/12/07 @ 7:25 AM EST
If the incidence of violence and discrimination against transsexuals were not so high, I might have laughed along with you. But I found your reference to transsexual people alongside drug dealers and swindlers to be demeaning and offensive. (Continued…)
Jenson
posted 5/13/07 @ 11:50 AM EST
What a shame that Philadelphia seems to be so paranoid that a few small minded, arrogant individuals will take away everyone elses freedom of choice. Oh its ok to carry a gun, harass transexuals and generally oestracise anyone or anything that doesn't fit neatly into the comfortable mould that the biggotted, oldschool mentality would have us all spring from. (Continued…)
agnostic
posted 5/13/07 @ 12:01 PM EST
Tarot reading runs the gamut from wilfully fraudulent money bilking to very skilled exploration of a person's deep needs and feelings, with the aid of images. (Continued…)
Aaron Sakulich
posted 5/14/07 @ 1:23 PM EST
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm claiming a lot of things in this article, but I'm not by any stretch of the imagination trying to say that all transexuals are drug dealers. (Continued…)
Melody Hewson
posted 6/23/08 @ 6:21 AM EST
I understand well why people are so quick to smile when yet another frauulent psychic is exposed. They do prey on the desperation of others. And the majority of Neon-sign psychics are usually cold-readers without a psychic cell in thier bodies. (Continued…)
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