_Helena

Hi! I've been a Salem resident for over 6 years. This city is beautiful and I feel so lucky that I get a chance to live and work here. I understand that October is a very important time for our city, but I cannot help but feel like many of our visitors do not treat the city of Salem with respect. I've seen tourists eating their fast food on headstones in our cemeteries and while others have drawn pentagrams on some of our historical landmarks. I've also seen so many sporting the "I got stoned in Salem" T-shirts which honestly should not even be sold because they are really disturbing considering the fact that a man got pressed to death during the Witch trials. I feel that many that visit see Salem as some sort of Halloween Disneyland, but it is not. I know you cannot control the actions of others that visit, but maybe there could be someway of stressing the fact that if tourists want to come visit that they need to respect Salem and treat it like their own hometown.

As a Salem tour guide I have gotten that questions so many times. I've also been told that people have asked whether the land across the water (Marblehead) was England. I guess a bus group from Kentucky asked that one. Still makes me laugh thinking about it.

Spenny, do you cry at night because you have a mangina?

Agreed. The ergot theory drives me crazy. It seems like every other day theres a new "TIL (today I learned) that the Salem Witch Trials was caused by ergot. " No. just no.

I've followed that story for awhile as well...didn't know they just got their license renewed? Um..wtf