The Cold War

Jan 17, 2010 12:32

I am a bit young for memories of what it was like to live during the Cold War. I certainly remember all of the villains in the cartoons being Russian, and that whatever happened to that guy's shoulder in The Russkies looked pretty bad. But that's about it. Being Canadian probably spared me most of the details. A quick note on details: if you haven't seen the movie The Day After, from 1983, you should set aside an afternoon to watch it. I would not recommend watching it alone and don't have big plans afterward. It is available on Youtube in 10 or 12 parts.

Here in Philadelphia I started seeing surprising remnants from the Cold War time. The photo below is of the children's entrance to the Free Library, located kitty-corner to the Franklin Institute.



I would like to draw your attention to the faded yellow and black sign to the right of the door.



I find myself wondering if there is a room in the library stocked with bottles of water and canned beans with faded labels. Are there blankets and stale ampules filled with morphine? Is there a closed door that everyone thinks leads to a broom closet, with the inside untouched and covered in dust? Or is the fallout shelter diligently maintained with modern army rations and blister-packs of antibiotics?

Once I noticed the first one, I started seeing them all over the city. I suppose I should feel safer, knowing that in the event of a nuclear holocaust I might be able to run across the street and be one of the saved. But really I just feel sorry for the people who lived in fear of that possible devastation. I also feel grateful that I have the luxury of looking at those signs as nothing more than campy curios.
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