Why are you guys criticising one piece of sample code, and going way off topic?  It's like a finger pointing the way to the moon.  Don't look at the finger, or you'll miss all the heavenly glory! (Bruce Lee)

 

 It's a sample, simplified for presentation purposes.  If you really want to pick on the code, pick on Meteor's code base - not presentation samples -  and fix it while you are at it, the way you say it should be.