Ship neighbors’ plea falls on deaf ears
Adding a new chapter to its storied history of vanquished British seamen and Barbary pirates, Old Ironsides has emerged victorious once again - this time vs. snooty neighbors seeking to silence the frigate’s cannons.
The 204-foot USS Constitution will continue its twice-daily blasts along with playing the national anthem - although officials turned the ship around in Boston Harbor on Feb. 18 so the echoing booms are directed away from Charlestown residences.
That sound you heard? That faint noise that sounded suspiciously like a turbine slowing down just a tiny bit? That was Samuel Adams slowing the turning in his grave just a bit for the state of Massachusetts. Or, more precisely, the brave folks that weather the clucking tongues and disapproving stares of yuppies to continue naval tradition. Here's the word from Old Ironsides' CO himself:
“We sent (the neighbors) a letter saying that after reviewing their request, we decided we’re not going to make any changes to the tradition,” said Timothy Cooper, the ship’s commanding officer.
I wonder if there's any truth to the rumor that "Eat it, beeyotches" was scratched out in the margins?
That is all.
7 comments:
I love that ship. Standing on her decks you can actually feel the history.
The captain should have kept the guns pointed at the yuppies and loaded shot.
What Alan said!
The 2nd part have never been to Ma. No desire to.
Grape shot, lots of it!!
Its like the asshole yuppies who find affordable land in Mass because it's near a 100+ year old shooting club. The real estate agent is required by law to tell them verbally and in writing that there is an active shooting range nearby.
Then they complain about the noise.
That reminds me of down in CO, where people from CA move out to the county and then complain about the chicken farm next door. You move next to a farm that's been there since the 1930's, you move next to a ship that that has been there for 100+ years, and then complain? Screw you.
These idiots move into the landing pattern of the air base for the world's largest naval base (Oceana NAS -- which takes all the carrier planes from the Atlantic Fleet when they park at Norfolk).
A couple of years later they claim they were NEVER aware of the jets before they bought the house. Becuase, they ALL apparantly picked the ONE day that year to view the house that the fighters weren't screaming overhead every ten minutes.
Same thing when they move into the landing pattern of the USAF base that not only in Air Combat Command HQ, but is the place ALL the interceptors doing air defence of the East Coast from NYC to FL take off from.
Same thing happens where I live now, only they complain about teh artillery range (one of the few the Army has handy that ain't always booked solid with "resident" units -- so all the Guard arty units use it) or the Naval weapons laboratory (positioned preceisely so they could live fire naval cannon down the river safely). Nope, they NEVER noticed the gunfire, the chainlink fences with the "US Government" everywhere, nor the realtor's mandatory brifeing. . .
A former neighbor once asked me if the rifle fire in my neighborhood, usually around dusk, bothered me.
I responded, "No, why would it? It never impacts near me."
Here's hoping the Constitution's guns fire for a long, long time yet.
Good for Old Ironsides.
Realtors lie too. The yuppies that don't like the noise should go after the agent not the gun range or base.
I was looking for my first apartment here years ago and was standing in the living room facing the end of the airport runway when two F-4's from the local ANG unit thundered over. The agent showing me the apartment told me with a straight face that they didn't do that on the weekends when I'd be around to hear it.
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