Spring Break
Philadelphia bans psychics: Awesome!
Aaron Sakulich
Issue date: 5/11/07 Section: Ed-Op
People who believe in the supernatural generally think that since there's no proof to the contrary, ghosts, UFOs, and mind-readers must surely exist. Following their train of logic, since there is no proof otherwise, I am going to take credit for the fact that Philadelphia, my home city, has recently begun shutting down psychics. There's no proof otherwise, so why not?
Apparently, a week or two ago someone in the police department brought an old law to the attention of prosecutors: reading tarot cards, gazing into crystal balls, or pretending to be able to read people's thoughts "for gain or lucre" is a 3rd degree misdemeanor. This law was passed sometime in the 1960s, but everyone had forgotten about it. Happily, it has returned out of obscurity to shut down no fewer than 16 "psychic" businesses. No arrests were made, but the psychics were firmly instructed to find a new line of work, and if they don't, it's off to the pokey with them.
Deputy License and Inspections Commissioner Dominic E. Verdi put it best when he said that most of the "psychics" in our fair city are not elderly gypsy ladies, but rather, cunning con artists that swindle inordinate sums of money out of the gullible and vulnerable.
An owner of a psychic shop bitterly lamented in a newspaper interview, "what we do is entertainment." Since the same argument could be made for both drug dealers and transsexual prostitutes, I'm not impressed. However, I was just as surprised as the psychic was when L&I shut down my ring of drug dealing transsexual prostitutes. I guess "we entertain people" just isn't a sufficient justification for milking away some damn fool's life savings.
You may think I'm overplaying the danger that psychics pose to modern society. I'm sure that there are some of them out there that genuinely want only to entertain people. I can imagine someone coming to Philadelphia as a tourist, stopping by a psychic's den, and leaving with a little less money and a couple of funny stories. Hell, pound for pound, it's probably cheaper than a movie. But these are surely far in the minority, since psychics are like tobacco companies: they thrive on repeat business.
Apparently, a week or two ago someone in the police department brought an old law to the attention of prosecutors: reading tarot cards, gazing into crystal balls, or pretending to be able to read people's thoughts "for gain or lucre" is a 3rd degree misdemeanor. This law was passed sometime in the 1960s, but everyone had forgotten about it. Happily, it has returned out of obscurity to shut down no fewer than 16 "psychic" businesses. No arrests were made, but the psychics were firmly instructed to find a new line of work, and if they don't, it's off to the pokey with them.
Deputy License and Inspections Commissioner Dominic E. Verdi put it best when he said that most of the "psychics" in our fair city are not elderly gypsy ladies, but rather, cunning con artists that swindle inordinate sums of money out of the gullible and vulnerable.
An owner of a psychic shop bitterly lamented in a newspaper interview, "what we do is entertainment." Since the same argument could be made for both drug dealers and transsexual prostitutes, I'm not impressed. However, I was just as surprised as the psychic was when L&I shut down my ring of drug dealing transsexual prostitutes. I guess "we entertain people" just isn't a sufficient justification for milking away some damn fool's life savings.
You may think I'm overplaying the danger that psychics pose to modern society. I'm sure that there are some of them out there that genuinely want only to entertain people. I can imagine someone coming to Philadelphia as a tourist, stopping by a psychic's den, and leaving with a little less money and a couple of funny stories. Hell, pound for pound, it's probably cheaper than a movie. But these are surely far in the minority, since psychics are like tobacco companies: they thrive on repeat business.
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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