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Capitol of the World
Portland Maine: The
Desecration Capitol of the World
By Paul O'Neill, June 23, 2000
The
“off-leash dog park” that is known as the Western Cemetery and
was treated with the dignity and respect due a cemetery in a more
civilized and respectful time has over the years been subjected
to severe neglect and vandalism. Unfortunately this is the case with many older
cemeteries. The Western Cemetery is Portland Maine’s second oldest
cemetery and was Portland’s primary burial ground, from 1829 until
about 1852 and was active until 1910. There has been a burial
as recently as 1987.
Many
of the Irish people who had to immigrate during the “Great Hunger”
in Ireland in the mid 1800’s are buried in the Catholic Ground
of the Western Cemetery. On Sunday August 15, 1999 Division 1
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Portland dedicated a stone
marking the Catholic Ground on one side and remembering the Famine
Irish on the other side. There are still some people who respect
cemeteries.
What
makes the Western Cemetery case so indefensible is the fact it
has not just simply been neglected, it is being deliberately,
actively, systematically and relentlessly desecrated with the
city’s blessing. The City of Portland has designated the Western
Cemetery not a park but an “off-leash dog park”. This means that
instead of spending a few dollars to fence in an appropriate area
for dog walking and running, dog-owners are invited to and encouraged
to bring their dogs into the Western Cemetery to romp all over
and relieve themselves on people’s graves.
The
dog-owners that make up Portland Maine’s infamous “Doggy Brigade”
file into the cemetery starting at the crack of dawn to launch
their daily assault on the graves. Grave desecration is wrong
and it is a pity that the city can find so many depraved people
willing to stoop so low as to put their pets, their dogs in a
situation where they can’t help taking part in this disgusting
activity. Portland Maine being the extremely progressive city,
it is has scored a noteworthy first that puts it far ahead of
it’s time. The city of Portland is the first city in the United
States and perhaps the world to adopt grave desecration as city
policy. If you visit Portland’s web site you will see in the dog
regulations that the Western Cemetery is one of those places where
you can let your dog loose. Dogs are a wonderful pet and they
should not be put into a situation where they will be desecrating
graves. Dogs don’t belong in a cemetery!
The
State of Maine recently passed a law that requires every town
and city to decorate veteran’s graves with a flag on Memorial
Day. If the Western Cemetery remains the dog toilet that it is
now this will add flag desecration to the city’s wonderful list
of policies making Portland, Maine truly the desecration capital
of the world!
Portland
has a city government that sorely needs to be informed or reminded
that even in “this day and age” cemeteries are sacred and should
be treated with dignity and respect and that grave desecration
and flag desecration are wrong and are not an appropriate city
policy. To subject a cemetery to grave desecration is heinous
enough but to also use it as a place where our nation’s flag will
annually be desecrated is just outragous.
Please
help to bring the Portland City government back to their senses.
Write a letter today!
For the Portland City Hall, send your
letters to:
City of Portland
City Hall
389 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
If you would prefer to write a “Letter to the
Editor”. Send it to The Portland Press Herald (Portland’s Daily).
The maximum length is 250 words and you should send it to:
Voice of the People
Portland Press Herald
P.O. Box 1460
Portland, ME 04104-5009
Paul is the President of Division 1 of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians in Portland Maine, and is leading a campaign to
return dignity and respect to the Western Cemetery. Contact
Paul at: Galway376@cs.com
Update!
December 12, 2000: Paul O'Neil has written an update regarding
the situation with Western Cemetery. Click
here to read on!
The
“off-leash dog park” that is known as the Western Cemetery and
was treated with the dignity and respect due a cemetery in a more
civilized and respectful time has over the years been subjected
to severe neglect and vandalism. 
Many
of the Irish people who had to immigrate during the “Great Hunger”
in Ireland in the mid 1800’s are buried in the Catholic Ground
of the Western Cemetery. On Sunday August 15, 1999 Division 1
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Portland dedicated a stone
marking the Catholic Ground on one side and remembering the Famine
Irish on the other side. There are still some people who respect
cemeteries.
The
dog-owners that make up Portland Maine’s infamous “Doggy Brigade”
file into the cemetery starting at the crack of dawn to launch
their daily assault on the graves. Grave desecration is wrong
and it is a pity that the city can find so many depraved people
willing to stoop so low as to put their pets, their dogs in a
situation where they can’t help taking part in this disgusting
activity. Portland Maine being the extremely progressive city,
it is has scored a noteworthy first that puts it far ahead of
it’s time. The city of Portland is the first city in the United
States and perhaps the world to adopt grave desecration as city
policy. If you visit Portland’s web site you will see in the dog
regulations that the Western Cemetery is one of those places where
you can let your dog loose. Dogs are a wonderful pet and they
should not be put into a situation where they will be desecrating
graves. Dogs don’t belong in a cemetery!
The
State of Maine recently passed a law that requires every town
and city to decorate veteran’s graves with a flag on Memorial
Day. If the Western Cemetery remains the dog toilet that it is
now this will add flag desecration to the city’s wonderful list
of policies making Portland, Maine truly the desecration capital
of the world!
Please
help to bring the Portland City government back to their senses.
Write a letter today!