Roaches

            In the movie The Apartment Jack Lemon uses bug spray in his apartment to disperse cockroaches and is promptly chastised by his neighbors for disturbing the status quo. “Now you’ve got them all upset and they’re running all over the place,” a neighbor complains.  “Leave them alone.  We co-exist.”  It’s hard to co-exist with roaches.

            In the movie Death Wish IV Charles Bronson looks out an apartment window at thugs and criminals running freely through the streets in a lawless neighborhood and exclaims, “They’re like roaches. They’re everywhere.” Left alone roaches will indeed turn up everywhere.

            In real life criminals, murderers, robbers, muggers, rapists, home invaders, drug dealers are like roaches.  Left alone they multiply like crazy and take over houses, blocks, cities.  So in the wake of news that Camden, New Jersey has been deemed the second-most dangerous city in America, the city fathers and mothers have announced they are laying off 135 police officers, about half of the police force. This is being sanctioned by the State of New Jersey which has declined to step forward and bail Camden out financially.

And so now the roaches will run freely through Camden’s streets separated from Philadelphia only by the Delaware River and a few bridges.  But roaches are resourceful.  They are hearty travelers. Left alone they will spread.  Philadelphia, you’d better get your cans of Raid ready.