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We have repeatedly given the warning, but it seems like a mute point, and we feel a little redundant in making this statement: People are going to do what they want to do, and as responsible adults or young adults, that's their own decision to deal with. No matter where people get their information from, ultimately the blame will come back to Weird NJ, regardless of the numerous "No Trespassing" signs these people have to read and walk past, or whatever website tells them it's OK to go there. There is nothing much more to state in the magazine that we haven't impressed since the beginning. That's about all there is to say.

Dear Dad, and everyone else concerned:
It seems that the only time our WNJ magazine gets a bad rap for promoting trespassing and illegal behavior is when THEIR child gets in trouble for breaking the law. But the fault lies neither with the magazine, parental guidance or moral values.

As you stated "this is something I probably would have done when I was a kid. Who am I kidding? I've done a lot worse." It is human nature to be curious about our surroundings, especially being young and wanting to explore that which we shouldn't. That isn't going to change--it hasn't for thousands of years, and using censorship and controling information is, in my opinion, fruitless. The exchange of ideas and opinions is much more educating for young (and old) minds alike. That is how people make their own choices.

I will try and answer your questions here as honestly as I can.


What does bother me is WNJ's stance that they are not responsible in any way. Sure you have a disclaimer but it's just words.

Yes, words are all we have. And we have morals also, which is why we say that if you trespass, you are breaking the law. And we state it in every issue. And we will continue to say that we are not responsible for those who choose to ignore those rules. Should we also say that if you read an article in WNJ that has to deal with murder, we should have a disclaimer that says we are not responsible if you commit murder after reading this article?



How successful would your magazine be if no one went to these places?

We document these places and events as part of NJ's local culture, legend and folklore. Some sites don't even exist anymore. We prefer people just to know that these places are real, and NOT go there. But as I said, people will always be curious about their surroundings.



How would you know of these places if no one went there? It seems to me that your magazine relies on this activity to survive. Am I wrong?

Yes, you are. We have dozens of stories we would like to get around to publish that we've written, but we open most of the magazine up to the readers who want to share information and their own stories--and we feel that makes the magazine a unique entity. We know of no other magazine that interacts with its audience in that manner.



Perhaps it should be WNJ's policy not to publish any stories about sites that are on private property. I realize you cannot control what people do with the information that you furnish but you can control the information. Take a little responsibility please.

Out of all the content in our magazine, we devote very little space to actual sites that are off limits, as WNJ is not a magazine of just urban exploration and abandoned buildings. Most of that content that we feature is in the form of photo essays by very talented artists and photographers. The articles are about people's experiences at these sites--some haven't existed for years, others are about to be destroyed. We try to preserve these memories and moments in the magazine. That is what we do. Should we put an "Adults Only-18 and over" tag on the cover for that? What a disappointment that would be for people thinking a magazine entitled "Weird NJ" with an 18 or over slug on the cover is nothing but a bunch of of dilapidated buildings.

In response to your daughter's court appearance, and after accusing us of having no morals, we have to say that we do have compassion--and we do hope everything works out in your favor. I'm sure in the end, the judge will issue a fine and a 50 minute lecture. And I'm sure you'll hear the phrase "take a little responsibility, please," somewhere in there.

On another note, on the positive side of what we do to get kids involved with local history, folklore and pop culture, what follows is a recent letter. We receive many more of these letters than ones that say we are responsible for getting their kids in trouble with the law.

Dear Weird NJ,
This letter is way overdue. I am a teacher in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV. I keep meaning to write & tell you how you saved my professional "life" when I first moved out here.

At the time I taught 8th grade Rreading. The only reason these kids were in 8th grade Reading was because they were such bad readers. No other 8th grader got a Reading class unless they were low in Reading. So these kids came in thinking they were a bunch of losers & why bother trying. To make matters worse, I had no materials to teach with. I bought a few books at the teaching store but they weren't going to last the whole year. What would I do. Then I went back to NJ, where I'd moved from, for a family funeral. My son, who was 20, handed me your magazine & said, "You've got to read this!" Not only did I read and enjoy it, I took it back to Las Vegas with me and began to share the stories with my class. The students loved it! They kept begging for more and were eager to do all the activities that I proposed to go with it. Kids who were late to class were on time, kids who could never remember to bring a pencil, brought in their pencils and the work they did. They got so much out of using your magazine & learned how to be such better readers in the bargain. Thank you so very much for writing such a fascinating magazine. KD

No, that's not true at all. Reading has nothing to do with parents being responsible for their child's behavoir. Instilling values and common sense in what's right and what's wrong is the real issue.