Pigeons Purloined For Pennsylvania Shootists

New York City’s unofficial birds, pigeons (AKA “flying rats”) are being illegally netted by thieves and sold to brokers for a few dollars each. These brokers often resell them to Pennsylvania gun clubs for up to $9.00 apiece. Pigeon shoots are illegal in New York but remain legal in some rural Pennsylvania counties. Bird-blasting shooting contests can last for days. Contestants may number in the hundreds; dead NYC birds in the thousands. Something tells me that solving crimes of this type is not high on the NYPD's agenda. Local statues in the city remain mum on the issue, although smiles have reportedly appeared on their stone and bronze faces.

Stairway From Heaven?

It's known as the "Survivor's Staircase." Whether kept intact by miracle from up above, or an escape route that may have saved 100’s, perhaps 1,000’s from death on September 11th, nobody can say for sure. The 37-step staircase that survived the destruction of the Towers in Manhattan will now be permanently embedded at the main entrance to the future WTC Memorial. In a transient world such as ours, tangible reminders of things that need to be remembered can be of great importance. This staircase is that powerful kind of mental poke. We all must be reminded from time to time what happened on 9/11 ... at the World Trade Center, and at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field. Lord knows that New Yorkers and those who stand as our allies don't need to wake up to another morning like that. However, this staircase should serve as a visible reminder that we must all remain awake and on guard now. The world we knew nearly seven years ago is gone. The steps we take now must be deliberate. The steps we take now must be forward and upward as well.