The Larry Kane Report

It was really an exciting Sunday in Philadelphia. Even the early autumn rain couldn’t dampen the spirit of sports fans, who watched the victorious Eagles and Phlllies. The annual Puerto Rican parade was a success, as usual. Just another Sunday in Philadelphia.

Not quite.

Shortly after 11 a.m., a mother was driving her children near 28th and Huntingdon in the Strawberry Mansion section of the city. The mother, Alishia Crowley, would later tell police that she heard a volley of gunfire, but kept on driving. A few blocks later she realized that her five year old daughter, riding in the back seat, was seriously wounded. She died within the hour.

Neighbors say gunshots had been fired for the last several days in the neighborhood. Whether the shooters were looking for someone else or just firing at random are questions that are still not answered. But the episode has put the spotlight again on the fact that Philadelphia is now number one in the nation , among the ten largest cities, in crimes of violence.

The quiet argument in this community for a long time is that most of the fatal victims of crime are people who know each other, partners in crime, or drug dealers. That argument is not valid.

Mrs. Crowley’s daughter is not the first child whose life was snuffed out in the crossfire.

As I thought about this latest case of Philadelphia death, I thought again about the failure of the Pa. Legislature to pass special gun laws for Philadelphia, laws that would make it harder to get weapons and maybe ease the violence. The special gun legislation has been opposed by suburban and rural legislators for fear of incensing voters who believe in the Constititional right to bear arms. Tomorrow the Pa. House begins a special session on crime fighting, and no doubt, special gun curbs for Philadelphia will come up again.
I don’t blame these politicians in central and western Pennsylvania for a little girl’s death. There is plenty of blame to go around, including a community of local politicians who just don’t prioritize the need for people’s safety.

But the death should be viewed by these lawmakers as another wake up call. Until someone can clarify the difference between a person’s right to self defense and a person’s right to hunt with a child’s right to live without fear of death, then these legislators will be viewed with shame.

The special session on crime also comes as a march against crime , organized by concerned parents, is descending on Harrisburg.
A bill to scrutinize gun sales in Philadelphia will not stop people from hunting wild game in the state. Failure to pass this legislation will once again expose these rural legislators for what they are - a bunch of failed political turkeys.

Comments(8)

Reports are buzzing all weekend that Osama Bin Laden may be dead or seriously ill. So far we have no word to confirm these reports, but at this point in time, the man is just a symbol, and whether he is alive or not, our terror crisis is a bigger issue than the symbolism of one very psychotic and evil man.

A KYW Newsradio survey shows that a majority of respondents believe that Bin Laden’s possible death will haved little effect on the war on terror. Just as Zarqawi’s death barely impacted on the Iran insurgency, an actual confirmed death of Bin Laden will only send him into terror martyrdom.

Of course, a capture and trial would be different. There, we would be able to expose he weak underbelly of a man who dedicated his life to the brute cold-blooded killing of thousands of people, all in the name of his own twisted view of a religion that millions of others live with in peace and tranquility every day.

The plain truth: Al Qaeda lives whether Bin Laden lives or dies. It is an organization that will thrive as long as sympathetic governments look the other way, and as long as followers believe that a pointed gun can change history.

In a way, the true test of the impact of Bin Laden and his murderous allies rests with us. How we react to terror, and how firm our resolve to kill it before it spreads is the real story of how long the terrorist age will last.

American elections, free and outspoken, can sometimes give terrorists and warmongers the wrong idea. If the Republicans lose some seats this year, it would be very unwise for the terrorists chiefs to misinterpret our goals. The fact is that one factor unites Americans: the determined will to fight terror tactics on a united front.
No one party, Democrat or Republican, has the right to declare that it has the only talent and willingness to beat back violence.

Recently I’ve read some writings of the extreme left and right. The lefties see no connection to terrorism and the Iraqi war. The righties say if you don’t support the war in Iraq then you are soft on terrorism.

Both sides are wrong. Iraq is a quagmire. Pulling out now would be a nightmare. Equating our continued presence as vital to the battle against Al Qaeda is a stretch.

Somewhere in the middle is the truth: a careful consideration of our Iraqi mess, without compromising the security of the greater Middle East.

I am tired of this “going to extremes” mentality, which threatens to tear the people of this country apart more than Bin Laden could ever do.

As far as I’m concerned, Bin Laden is already dead as a leader.

His only legacy: causing Americans to unify behind a common goal, defeating terrorism.

It would be a shame if our own politicians, in their quest for votes, divide us in our time of need as they struggle for votes in this nasty campaign of 2006.

Comments(3)

Philadelphia joins the modern age next week.

Mayor John Street’s decision to begin enforcement of the city’s new smoking ban in a few days instead of a few months is a wise move. Restaurant and bar owners will not be happy, but sooner is better than later when it comes to eliminating second-hand smoke from our lives.

it is really a pity that the Mayor’s fued with former Councilman Michael Nutter held up this legislation for so long. But the Mayor seems to be making up for lost time.

In an administration that has seemed slow to react to some city crises, it is heartening to the see the Mayor take decisive action.

By the way, under the new law, some taverns will be able to apply for exemptions from the new smoking ban.

All in all, the smoking ban will make this community a lot healthier.

A bright spot in the usual partisan divide in Washington. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi blasted Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez for demeaning the President before the U.N. Pelosi was actually more emotional than the White House in her criticism of the crackpot from Caracas. Pelosi’s defense of the President and his office was a sign of creeping bipartisanship returning to the Capitol.

Chavez has really had a free ride with his nasty rhetoric against our country. He has a lot of oil, a military control of his population, and like the butcher of Havana, Fidel Castro, will not hesitate to kill or stifle his opponents.

A friend of mine has a favorite description of people who fall in love with the politics of characters like Chavez and Castro. He calls them “limousine liberals.” I detest extremes of the right and left in this country. But even more than that I look on in horror as the extreme left apologizes for maniacs like Chavez.

The issue of whether you support the President is a separate matter from the reality that enemies of the nation, troublemakers like Chavez and the President of Iran, must be viewed with unity and determination for the clear and present danger that they represent.

Comments(3)

Some good vibes in the news today.

First of all, proper outrage over a Philadelphia crisis. Thanks for the thoughtful notes on my disgust over how the new Philadelphia crime wave is causing us grief and embarrassment. I’ll stay on top of this. City Hall must pay as much attention to the cost of crime as it does to zoning for new construction.

A refreshing change in Iraq. We got candor from the commanding General, George Casey. General Casey says the entire war has changed from a battle against the U.S. and the coalition to an internal struggle for control. He also emphasized that the situation on the ground is worsening. It appears that he is ready and willing , without using the words, to declare that this is a civil conflict. And he wasn’t afraid to confirm that the government in power in Iraq is failing. Is this a critical battle in the war against terror? We didn’t get that message from General Casey.

In Virginia, Senator George Allen confirmed that he has a Jewish heritage, after trying to dance around the subject in a debate the other night. His “dance’ made it look like he was afraid to admit it, as if Virginia voters would punish him for the fact that his parents were once Jews threatened by fascism in Italy. Turns out that he knew all along that he had Jewish roots. At least that campaign controversy is over. He should have taken a cue from General Casey. Candor always beats cow chips.

Even more decent news out of Washington where the President has reached a compromise with rebels in his own party over a bill on interrogation methods. This is a good thing. The President wanted to vary from the Geneva Conventions in allowing tough questioning of suspected terrorists, bordering on torture. This is a big victory for Senator John McCain, a former P.O.W. who understands what torture is all about, and feared what might happen to our troops if the so called ‘torture bill” passed.

All kinds of polls surfaced in the Casey Santorum race. Two polls had Casey up by 12 to 20 points. Terry Madonna, of Franklin and Marshall College, and a personal favorite of mine, had Casey up anywhere from 5 to 7 percent. All three polls had Governor Ed Rendell with a huge lead over Lynn Swann, the football legend. The polls I am eagerly waiting for are on the three Congressional districts in the Pa. suburbs where Republicans Curt Weldon, Mike Fitzpatrick and Jim Gerlach are getting stiff challenges from Democrats. Whatever the polls say now, the Santorum-Casey battle will be loaded with suspense right down to the wire.

Gas prices are down, again. This is always good news.

And finally, somewhat of a Mideast miracle. Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas says his Hamas-led government will recognize Israel. That’s a start, but a false one. Hours later, the Hamas faction in Gaza said it would not recognize Israel. Still, there is a bit of hope.
And you thought all reporters were pessimists.

Comments(0)

I am so disgusted with the denial that exists in Philadelphia about violent crime. There is no way to rationalize the soaring murder rate and the just released FBI crime stats which show Philadelphia as the most violent of the nation’s ten largest cities. Granted: cities like Detroit with a lower population have higher crime rates, but among the largest, Philadelphia is the worst for violent crime. A small consolation — Philadelphia is 5th in non violent crime.

Now get these figures. Violent crime was up in America by 1.3 percent last year. In Philadelphia, crimes of violence were up 3 point 4 percent. Murder was up 13 percent. This year shootings are up 13 percent.

Dr. Lawrence Sherman, quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer, says the numbers may be deceiving because other big cities are now safer. Dr. Sherman is correct. New York is the safest big city in all crime and number 6 in violent crime.

The fact that New York City is safer than Philadelphia is a shock to my system, considering that a decade ago Philadelphia was the safest of the ten largest.

Rationales aside, and despite having one of the greatest police departments in the world, why is Philadelphia in such bad shape. Dr. Sherman attributes it to a poor population, but I think it is a lot more than that.

Just as town watch groups and concerned parents march on Harrisburg to campaign for an end to gun violence, municipal officials must stop the excuses and take steps to end the violence. They include:

Convincing the irresponsible suburban and western state lawmakers in the State Legislature to finally pass special gun control laws for Philadelphia.

Further engaging the business community. Business has the know-how and expertise to give City Hall much needed help.

Getting more cops on the streets. The Department is stretched thin due to budget compromises made by its leadership.

Forcing safe streets as a key issue in the 2007 Mayor’s race.

Increasing the budget for community oriented police work.

Stop blaming the people. Most Philadelphians in all neighborhoods know that the number of police are down from highs of years ago. They want safe streets. City leaders must want safe streets as much as they want luxury high rises changing the Philadelphia skyline. Encourage construction in the neighborhoods, not just the posh streets of Center City. Take a cue from the builders in Brewerytown and other neighborhoods who are successfully enhancing neighborhoods.
And listen to the Fraternal Order of Police. The Police union has great expertise in its ranks. Don’t waste the talent.
Finally, SAFE STREETS need to be priority number one!

So there you have it: More police. Better gun control. Using your resources well. And declaring all out war on crime.

Time is not on the side of City Hall. Crime fighting has to be the number one mission and NOW!.

Comments(4)