* I am still unable to read through these highly emotional comments on the Tsarnaev burial controversy even three months later. You can do mayif you wish.

My Family Plot
in the
Mount Carmel Burying Ground,
Hamden, Connecticut

Also nearby, the author who celebrated "window-breaking ideas." The Anti-Yale  ·  Comments  ›  Awaiting moderation At least there is still some people out there who can look past the sins of another and do the right thing. As far as Im concerned, it doesnt teach anyone anything to continue the violence that we ourselves are trying to prevent. Well done Sir.. well done. on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden Publish | Delete | Spam		on 5/9/13
	Thank you for offering a plot for the burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body. I am sure that it means a lot to his family, and it was certainly a kind and courageous offer to make. on * New Haven Register Editorial 5/7/13	tadpoledrain	on 5/9/13
	I'm writing (via comment) to you again because I want to reiterate my message of support. The seething hatred I've seen for the Tsarnaev brothers, the wishes of torture for them - it makes me so angry. The outrage against you for offering a plot to the elder Tsarnaev makes me angry also. In a way the anger is good, for it helps me to understand "the haters". This whole event has got me in a tizzy about a large percentage of this country. I'm trying to turn it into a positive - a way to become inspired to do good in this world. Seeing compassion like yours changes my vibration from anger to admiration. And that feels much better. So thank you. on * Stabat mater dolorosa: A letter to my Mother, Mother's Day, 2013	Lisa Wright	on 5/9/13
	The Govt provides burial benefits for its soldiers. Here is the link prooving this. http://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/ Not once has any "fallen soldier"NOT been able to have a proper burial. I see no need in donating a plot to someone who is guarenteed a spot in any if the 100+ VA cemataries. I will say, kudos to your Christian charity. Your proof that Sunday School really works on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden	Christian Pentecostal	on 5/9/13
	Well Done, Faithful Servant! on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Newob	on 5/9/13
	Thank you for doing what Jesus taught on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Josh and Jen	on 5/9/13
	Thank you for your human decency. This is the only way to break the cycles that result in such insane actions in the first place. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Kenneth	on 5/8/13
	I had to give your offer quite a bit of thought before I understood the kindness behind your gift. No doubt your mother would be proud, along with a myriad of others in the world. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Colleen from Michigan	on 5/8/13
	Good for you to show us all what compassion really means. I applaud you and your convictions and your faith in your mother on this Mothers Day weekend. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Sassy Beth	on 5/8/13
	Aren't all veterans eligible for burial in a national cemetery? Bravo for your offer to the Tsarnaev family. I don't understand how refusing burial for this man is supposed to exact some kind of justice. It only reinforces the kind of hatred that led to the bombing in the first place. on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden	Donna	on 5/8/13
	Glory be to God forever! Bravo to you Mr. Keane! Living the compassion of the Gospel is not an easy thing to do under normal circumstances. I'm sure you're getting hate mail about your offer of the grave to bury the body of Tamerlan. I wanted to be sure that you receive at least one message of support and encouragement. May God bless you, always. +Dominic Martin Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Saint Titus on * New Haven Register Editorial 5/7/13	Bishop Dominic	on 5/8/13
	I think it is great that he would extend a helping hand to the family of the terrorist...I mean, that is who he is helping. The terrorist is not benefiting from the plot, his family is. The donor should not be shunned for his act of kindness. on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden	Gothgirl	on 5/8/13
	I think that to "let his remains lie in obscurity" is to completely miss Mr Keane's point. And perhaps this rural location can be kept secret but at the same time it will be less protected from vandalism and desecration. It's sad that we are unable to take Mr Keane's gift and lesson to heart. on * New Haven Register Editorial 5/7/13	Anne	on 5/8/13
	I think what you've offered is a very kind sentiment. Of course what that young man did is despicable, and I am so very sad for the three who died and the scores who were injured. But when I think about how people are so outraged by your offer because of this man's actions it leads me to John 8:7 "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." We are all guilty of something. This young man will bow before God someday, the same as the rest of us. We've not denied burials for thousands upon thousands of murderers in this country, let us not begin now. Thank you for your kindness. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	CommonSensory	on 5/8/13
	Thank you for being a good example. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	leeanndunton	on 5/8/13
	Any US serviceman who dies while on active duty, or any veteran who dies for that matter, is entitled to be buried for free in just about any national cemetery in the country. Only Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, due to space, has some extra requirements---that the person has died in combat, was a Medal of Honor recipient, was a retired officer or by other special exception on a case by case basis. on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden	Alan Tindell	on 5/8/13
	Paul, I have to commend you for your foresight in making this offer to bury Tameralan in your family plot. I am a 2010 graduate of YDS and Pastor of First Congregational Church in Danbury. It has haunted me from the beginning of this tragedy that we "Christians" forget about the template in our own scripture that deals directly with what a righteous man does when there is nowhere to bury a convicted criminal. Joseph of Arimethea was just such a righteous man, taking the body of a convicted "criminal" from his impoverished family, and placing it in his own tomb, in a never-used grave. I am so pleased that you have had the fortitude to step forward in this role. I'll be preaching about this very soon. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	kristalinkwell	on 5/8/13
	While I understand the sentiment, my home faces this cemetery. Please consider the kinds of people who may flood my otherwise peaceful neighborhood and what kinds of vitriol to which my young children (ages 5 and 6) would be subjected. There is a community surrounding this area which would be unfairly affected by your decision. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Allison	on 5/8/13
	Thanks. :) on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	WICK	on 5/8/13
	Anyone who has served in the military receives a free burial plot. I know this because my 1st husband only served 4 years in the Marine Corp and killed himself a few years ago. He was cremated and buried in a military cemetery in NM. They have them all over the US. Military families do not have to pay for funerals or burials. on * An Offer to the Mayor of Hamden	Paula Olson	on 5/8/13
	Blessings on you, Mr. Keane, for you strong Christian witness. You are demonstrating how the cycle of hate can be broken and must be broken, one small act of loving one's enemy at a time. I applaud your courage and hope that you do not receive too much abuse in return. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Marian L Shatto	on 5/8/13
	Dear Mr Keane, I just read online that you have graciously offered a burial plot for the deceased suspected Boston Marathon bomber, Mr Tsarnaev. It is a joy to see the true message of Jesus Christ affirmed by your offer. On a secular level, Our legal system maintains that you are innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Tsarnaev did not have that chance although he chose to act in a manner that resulted in his death prior to a trial. May G-d continue to bless you for having the compassion and wisdom to make this offer to his family. Sincerely yours, Ken in Jacksonville, FL on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	KeninJacksonville	on 5/8/13
	Dear Mr Keane, I just read online that you have graciously offered a burial plot for the deceased suspected Boston Marathon bomber, Mr Tsarnaev. It is a joy to see the true message of Jesus Christ affirmed by your offer. On a secular level, Our legal system maintains that you are innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Tsarnaev did not have that chance although he chose to act in a manner that resulted in his death prior to a trial. May G-d continue to bless you for having the compassion and wisdom to make this offer to his family. Sincerely yours, Ken in Jacksonville, FL on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	KeninJacksonville	on 5/8/13
	Dear Mr Keane, I just read online that you have graciously offered a burial plot for the deceased suspected Boston Marathon bomber, Mr Tsarnaev. It is a joy to see the true message of Jesus Christ affirmed by your offer. On a secular level, Our legal system maintains that you are innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Tsarnaev did not have that chance although he chose to act in a manner that resulted in his death prior to a trial. May G-d continue to bless you for having the compassion and wisdom to make this offer to his family. Sincerely yours, Ken in Jacksonville, FL on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	91bdb32a-b7eb-11e2-b552-000bcdcb5194	on 5/8/13
	To a fellow Christian and fellow Nutmegger. I applaud your offer. Thank you. :D on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Evening Star	on 5/8/13
	Thanks be to God, who loves each and every one of us, even in our sinfulness - for who among us is without sin? May you be blessed for your kind offer; I hope and pray that this young man finds peace, and that those he hurt learn to forgive, despite their pain - but because God loves. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Susan Wells	on 5/8/13
	You are following exactly what Jesus taught. Your decision to offer the burial plot is counter-cultural and will prove to be painful, but you are truly loving your enemy. I'm certain that your mother is looking down from heaven and applauding you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Laura Eslinger Smith	on 5/8/13
	What an amazing gesture, sir. I admit, I'm not thrilled that we have to keep T.T's body in the US (especially in CT, since I just moved here a couple of months ago from Watertown, MA), but your reason behind offering the plot is truly moving. Your mother did an incredible job and I'm sure she's immensely proud of you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Stephanie W	on 5/8/13
	What an amazing gesture, sir. I admit, I'm not thrilled that we have to keep T.T's body in the US (especially in CT, since I just moved here a couple of months ago from Watertown, MA), but your reason behind offering the plot is truly moving. Your mother did an incredible job and I'm sure she's immensely proud of you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Stephanie W	on 5/8/13
	Very noble sir. Many speak of being Christian, but few demonstrate such grace. God bless you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	John Ryan	on 5/8/13
	Your charitable gesture is admirable, and I hope that it is taken up. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Jeff Green	on 5/8/13
	Paul Douglas Keane, you have slapped the citizens of Connecticut in the face with your offer of a burial plot for the Boston Marathon bomber. Have you no respect for the residents of Connecticut and the families of his victims? Shame on you! on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Tom Dolan	on 5/8/13
	Well done. You are one of my new favorite people. Rev. Mark Sandlin on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Mark S	on 5/8/13
	What would Jesus do? Exactly what you have done. Not only love your enemies but 'love one another as I have loved you'. Unfortunately, I am sure you will receive a lot of grief and negativity for your offer of the burial plot--but as a fellow Christian I think you are a shining example of what a Christian should do. Bless you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Cynthia Coleman	on 5/8/13
	This reminded me of my wonderful mother. My 15 year old brother was shot and killed by my step father.My mother not only forgave him and the "church" that abandoned us but she taught us how to forgive. That was 18 years ago and I love and respect her for that, even though I was angry and couldnt understand it then. I am sadden by what the young man did, but you are right, he should be buried. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Jewell Gordon	on 5/7/13
	Mr. Keane, I admire your offer to Tsarnaev's family and your reasons for it. I also made an offer to donate my VA entitlement to a burial plot with hopes that it would allow this young man's remains to be put to rest. His actions were those of an enemy of the state, however it is not up to us to judge, that is up to our maker. He is being judged by HIM, by G-D. His family deserves closure as do the families of his victims. I hope your kind and generous offer is accepted. You do your mother's memory proud and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Julie Frein on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	0f9fcc28-b789-11e2-bded-000bcdcb5194	on 5/7/13
	This is awesome! Way more effective for Christ than picketing or protesting. Blessings! on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Joshua Blanchard	on 5/7/13
	Love it and love you brother! This is the way of Christ. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Joshua Blanchard	on 5/7/13
	Heard about your offer on the News Times. I think it is awesome that you would do this. I can understand people's anger against the Tsarnaevs (of course!) but the eerie bloodlust and hate-fueled speech is too much for me. Thank you for reminding me there are some people out there who remember that we are all human, and so we will all err. But to forgive? Divine. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Lisa Wright	on 5/7/13
	Heard about your offer on the News Times. I think it is awesome that you would do this. I can understand people's anger against the Tsarnaevs (of course!) but the eerie bloodlust and hate-fueled speech is too much for me. Thank you for reminding me there are some people out there who remember that we are all human, and so we will all err. But to forgive? Divine. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Lisa Wright	on 5/7/13
	Your Mother must have been a Saint. She was obviously a magnificent teacher and Mother. I know she is looking down on you with a loving smile. In my (Jewish) cultural jargon, you're a mentsch. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	DonQ	on 5/7/13
	Please don't do this. Your decision comes from a good place but it will cause a lot of people pain and unrest. Please consider the families, your fellow country men, and the fact that because there are so many people against this it could cause a security headache for the cemetary. This terrorist should go back to Russia and would probably not rest in peace if buried in American soil, the country he despised so much that he brutally murdered innocent people and maimed so many. Remember your mother in a different manner that doesn't hurt others. Thank you for reading this. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Sharon Rieger	on 5/7/13
	I live in Naugatuck, and go to school in Hamden. As a Christian, I give you the absolute and fullest credit for imitating Christ, despite the "anti-foreigner" mentality our nation, state, and town is plagued with. Love thine enemy? Your mother taught you right. Tsarnaev is dead. He is no longer our enemy. This close-minded attitude that has led to protests are severely limited in nature. Do those same people protest when a child molester, rapist, or murderer is buried in their town? Anyhow, long story short. I commend you, stranger. You and the memory of your mother has been in my prayers since the news broke last night. Thank you, while your decision isn't the popular one, it sure is Christ-like. May God have pity on all those protestors who claim they are Christians, for their actions prove otherwise. John Monaco Albertus Magnus College, 2014 on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	John Monaco	on 5/7/13
	Sir, you are my hero. Your offer has given me faith there is at least one Christian on the planet who actually is one. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	EyeRytStuf	on 5/7/13
	Thank you! on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	holyfoolishness	on 5/7/13
	Here is another Christian idea. Why not offer the plot that you have to the remains of a homeless america vet that has fought for us, so that he/she may have a place to rest in peace. There are to many that have lost their lives in one way or another because of their service to our Country. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	maria rush phillips	on 5/7/13
	In case my email didn't show up on the comment, it's liammpmidgley@gmail.com (I'd prefer this comment not to be posted) on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family	Liam	on 5/7/13
	Hi Paul, I want to thank you for your compassion and kindness toward the Tsarnaev family. It takes a lot of courage to make such an offer when cemetery after cemetery had denied the Tsarnaevs the right to bury their son. Along with that courage, you poses an unusual sense compassion and forgiveness -- a pairing I don't see often these days. Especially when it comes to those who have wronged us. I'm so thankful for this, we need more people like you who can forgive and be kind to fellow human beings. I hope that people will learn from you, and refrain from spewing hate over the burial of Tamerlan. If the Tsarnaev family does reach out to you and accepts your offer, I would love to help in any way I could. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family PublishDeleteSpam 50 51-58 of 58 2 You piece of shit!  My dad, a WWII  veteran is buried in there and that low-life doesn't  deserve to be anywhere near  my dad! Do you  realize how devasted you  have made families of those buried in  that cemetery. Forgive, my ass! on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family Publish | Delete | Spam da2605dc-b736-11e2-86cf-000bcdcb5194 on 5/7/13 Bless you! On  * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family Yarn Princess on 5/7/13 What an amazing,  honorable thing to do. You have my utmost  respect. It's good to know there are people like you in  the world who place forgiveness and love above hate and anger.  on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family Heather on 5/7/13 Thank you. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family Caleb Wilde on 5/7/13 God bless you, sir. And shame on any  "Christians" who protest your action. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family JWN+ on 5/7/13 I, personally, think that  what you are doing is a  true show  of Christianity. I think  your mother would be proud of you  for doing this, especially knowing that there are  many who wouldn't think favorably of you. Kudos, fellow blogger. on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family The Momisodes on 5/7/13 Your mother must have  been an exceptional, wonderful woman. I worry that the  grave will be a magnet for haters, but I suspect that wouldn't be an issue to  have bothered your mother at all. (hmm , a little iffy on the  tenses I used in  that sentence!).  on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family Duet Publishing on 5/7/13 No. Just, no. Look, it's  wonderful that you want  to turn  the other cheek. But  "Thou shalt not kill" is  one of the BIG ones, one of the  Commandments that  GOD wrote  down as being  unforgivable. If God  won't forgive this man, I cannot. Even as a gay Catholic, I cannot . As a Mount Carmel resident,  I find it disgusting that this person should be buried in my town, near my  mother's  house (how you  could offer this person  a place next to  your own mother  astounds  me), on the street where my  best friends live... You've no right. You've no right to  'incite controversy". You've no right to use  this to try to force people to question their faith and the validity thereof. This  further fragmenting of our already bruised and  battered culture is unnecessary and, to me, as evil as  what this person did.  Jesus also said to "offer alms in silence". Should you  have wanted to really  "do the right thing", as a "good Christian", you  would have offered up your plot to this person in privacy; for  on * An Offer to the Tsarnaev Family

* That's a mediocre question by a mediocre questioner

* The Strange Fruit of Organized Religion

"If it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments-I submit; so let it be done." 
– John Brown, speaking on November 2, 1859 during his sentencing. John Brown would be hanged.

LINK
http://www.nellaware.com/blog/john-brown-quotes.html

“I don’t think what I did was wrong because it was for the greater cause of helping my Muslim brothers,” he told the military panel.

The three pages of documents were from a 49-page report of a military panel known as a sanity board, which concluded that Major Hasan was fit to stand trial.

 LINK
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/13/us/fort-hood-gunman-told-panel-that-death-would-make-him-a-martyr.html?nl=to

* Post-Post Politico

It astonishes me that in all the chatter I've 

heard about the Post-Post world

these last few days, no one has 

mentioned until today

 (see How the Post Was Lost) 

that it was the defection of two Post

reporters who then created Politico

which signaled the Post's downfall.  

Is this silence simply journalistic etiquette 

(let's not embarrass the Grahams by 

mentioning their poor judgment on 

this issue?) or is it further journalistic

blindness? ---- 

Let's not notice the digital canyon at our 

feet as we walk off its edge.

* Hamden Authors Thornton Wilder, Donald Hall, and the Magical Land of the Quinnipiac

The Hon. Craig Henrici

NOTE:

Thornton Wilder's framed response (below)
 to the Donald Hall poem 
about 
The Sleeping Giant,
(the disappearing mountain)

 now hangs in the Mt. Carmel law office of 
Craig Henrici, 
former Mayor of Hamden, Connecticut,
 as a gift to my lifelong
friend and resident of Mt. Carmel


LINK The Original People

Thornton Wilder, 
playing the Stage Manager in his 
Our Town, 
the most performed play in the American theatre.

Above 

(and typed below): 

Thornton Wilder's response 

to Donald Hall's poem  

The Sleeping Giant: A hill in Hamden, Connecticut.  

Mr. Wilder and Donald Hall lived in Hamden

(actually, Wilder in Mt. Carmel and Hamden; Hall in Centerville), 

where I was born and raised. 

Apparently I like the poem better 

than Mr. Wilder does!

LINK: 
Poet Donald Hall, 
native of Centerville, Conn.,
 is honored by the Hon. Scott D. Jackson, 
 Mayor of Hamden ,Conn., 2011, 
a town which decades ago gobbled up the villagette Centerville, 
and erased its name.

                     "Better" Poems?

In  1974, when I was thirty, I was sitting in New Haven’s Olde Heidelberg one night, with a friend, and I said,   "They say Thornton Wilder frequents this place, but I’ve never seen him.”

The next moment, as if summoned by a genie, Thornton Wilder, portly septuagenarian,  wearing a trench-coat, with newspaper in hand, bustled through the door and shot toward the circular booth in the corner by the bar immediately under one of the sidewalk windows.  A waitress later told me that Wilder would pace up and down outside that window until that booth was empty and then make a bee-line for it. It was "Thornton Wilder's booth", she declared.

( If you want to read about my encounter and the beginning of a 20-year friendship with his sister, Miss Isabel Wilder,  click here.)  


Suffice it to say, before we knew what had happened we were at Thornton Wilder's table chatting away, a bit awe-struck, while he ate dinner.

My agenda here is not to rehearse that encounter; it is to point out the difference between childhood and adulthood in appreciation of a poem.  


Thornton Wilder lived on Deepwood Drive in Hamden, Connecticut for fifty years, in "the house The Bridge built," the home he built with the profits from his first literary success The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

The Wilder home  Hamden. Conn., 
at
50 Deepwood Drive,
"The house The Bridge built."

 Hamden is the town contiguous with New Haven, connected by Whitney Avenue and leading to villages (or villagettes) Centerville and Mt. Carmel, the latter my birthplace and site of  the Sleeping Giant,


The Sleeping Giant is a mountain which Quinnipiac Indians thought was an actual slumbering titan  who  awakened, arose, and walked about on days when the fog made him disappear from their vantage point on East Rock in New Haven.

I was raised at the foot of the Sleeping Giant, Mt. Carmel, Connecticut.  The poet, Donald Hall was raised in Centerville, one villagette farther away from the Giant, but Hamdenite Thornton Wilder had NOT been raised in the land of the Sleeping Giant at all ------except metaphorically, since he was raised in China for part of his childhood, a formerly fabled economic 'sleeping giant'.

This is my circuitous way of saying that  I sent Mr. Wilder a copy of Donald Hall’s poem entitled The Sleeping Giant after our meeting at the Olde Heidelberg.

He didn’t like it (see above and below).


Sanibel, Fla. Jan. 30, 1975

Dear Mr.Keane:

Thanks for your note 

with Donald Hall's poem.

I met Mr. Hall over 20 

years ago in Cambridge and I 

think I remember his saying

he was brought up in 

Mt. Carmel. He has written

many better poems than

that one.

Thanks again,

Sincerely,

Thornton Wilder

But then, he never grew up in the magical land of the Quinnipiac.

I did.

And, so did Donald Hall, now 83, who wrote of Hamden in his New Yorker article this week "Out My Window" (Jan. 23, 2012, p. 40).

Our Giant walked.

Thornton's didn't.

My  Mount Carmel birthplace, 
43 Norwood Avenue, 
with the magical hills 
leading up to the Giant
 in the background.

_________________________________________________

The Sleeping Giant

      A hill in Hamden, Connecticut

by

Donald Hall

The whole day long under the walking sun

That poised an eye on me from its high floor,

Holding my toy beside the clapboard house

I looked at him, the summer I was four.

I was afraid the waking arm would break

From the loose earth and rub against his eyes

A fist of trees, and the whole country tremble

In the exultant labor of his rise;

Then he with giant steps in the small streets

Would stagger, cutting off the sky, to seize

The roofs from house and home because we had

Covered his shape with dirt and planted trees;

And then kneel down and rip with fingernails

A trench to pour the enemy Atlantic

Into our basin, and the water rush,

With streets full and all the voices frantic.

That was the summer I expected him.

Later the high and watchful sun instead

Waked low behind the house, and school began,

And winter pulled a sheet over his head.

* Another point of view

Christianity, n.: Sending telepathic messages to a Jewish ghost letting him know that you will accept him as your master and to ask him to remove a magical curse that was passed down to you because an old woman that was made from the rib of her partner ate a piece of magical fruit from a magical tree because a talking snake told her to.

http://menwithoutgods.com/

NOTE:  Eve wasn't "old."  PK