 |
Paul G's CornerWhere monsters dont hide, heroes dont come easy, and the only way to know the difference is to Think Your Way Through It. Author: PAUL G NEWTON
Where monsters dont hide, heroes dont come easy, and the only way to know the difference is to Think Your Way Through It. paulgnewton.substack.com Language: en Genres: History, True Crime Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
The Day Philadelphia Dropped a Bomb on Itself
Saturday, 27 December, 2025
On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia dropped a bomb from a helicopter onto a residential neighborhood.That sentence is not metaphorical.In this episode of Paul G’s Corner, we examine the MOVE bombing on Osage Avenue. A standoff between the city and a radical communal group escalated step by step until authority, certainty, and momentum converged into fire. Eleven people died, including five children. Sixty-one homes were destroyed. The event unfolded live on television, and then, somehow, slipped out of collective memory.This is not a story about villains in dark rooms.It’s a story about reasonable people, confident plans, procedural logic, and the moment when “under control” quietly started meaning “let it burn.”Episode TitleThe Day Philadelphia Dropped a Bomb on ItselfWhen “under control” meant let it burnTopics CoveredThe MOVE organization and its leader, John AfricaMayor Wilson Goode and the city’s authority dilemmaPolice Commissioner Gregore Sambor and the final decisionThe helicopter drop and the fire that followedAftermath, accountability, and collective forgettingLearn More / Primary SourcesMOVE Bombing Overview (Encyclopedia Britannica):https://www.britannica.com/event/MOVE-bombingPhiladelphia Inquirer archive coverage:https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/move-bombing-philadelphia-history.htmlPBS: Let the Fire Burn documentary background:https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/let-the-fire-burn/City of Philadelphia official apology (2020):https://www.phila.gov/2020-11-13-philadelphia-apologizes-for-1985-move-bombing/Support the ShowIf you enjoy episodes like this, share it. Friends, family, coworkers, strangers on the internet, people you mildly resent. I’m not picky.You can also rate and review the show. Not because I’m chasing validation, but because the internet runs on math and gets weirdly hostile when you don’t.And if you want to support what I’m doing and grab the official swag, head to https://paulgnewton.com. I’ve got shirts and designs that pair nicely with the realization that most disasters don’t start with evil plans. They start with ordinary people, confident decisions, and the assumption that someone else will deal with the consequences.Just make sure you’re not the one expected to live next door to it. Get full access to Paul G's Corner at paulgnewton.substack.com/subscribe
