Kevin Williamson

Kevin Williamson, the founding editor in 2004 of the conservative leaning Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, writes an article in the current National Review entitled "The Sad Philadelphia Story."  Williamson, who left the Bulletin in 2006, starts his sad story like this: "Philadelphia is famous for two things: cheesesteaks and murder."  [No link is available, NRO requires an online subscription.]

Williamson goes on for three magazine pages listing the problems of "A failed city government" and "a culture of chaos."  To make his point, he brings up the May murder of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, who was gunned down with an SKS semiautomatic rifle while trying to stop a bank robbery.  Williamson complains that the Daily News later ran a graphic about the SKS with the headline: "Should this gun be legal?"  To hear Williamson tell it, nobody here bothered to question why the alleged bank robbers were on the streets despite long criminal histories.

"It's a question that needs asking, but Philadelphia's news media, clergy, and civic leaders won't start that conversation," writes Williamson, who must have missed this during his research.  Or this.  And this.  Oh and this, this, this and this.