Posted on 11/06/2009 11:20:19 PM PST by Saije
Old Ironsides’ upscale Charlestown neighbors are trying to pull off what British, French and Barbary pirate guns failed to accomplish in more than two centuries - silencing the cannons of the nation’s oldest commissioned naval vessel.
Miffed residents of a posh condo complex have invited the commanding officer of the USS Constitution over for a glass of wine so he can hear for himself that the frigate’s twice-daily cannon blasts - a tradition dating to 1798 - are “more disruptive to the neighborhood than you might have imagined.”
Commanding Officer Timothy Cooper received the most recent complaint two weeks ago from neighbors suggesting naval officers assigned to the historic vessel eliminate the morning and evening blasts on weekends, reduce the size of the gunpowder charge and turn down the volume of the national anthem recording played during the daily flag raising and lowering ceremonies.
“The residential population and congestion of this area has (sic) grown significantly and, it seems to us, that the cannon charge/noise is excessive,” the unidentified resident first wrote in an Aug. 26, 2009, letter obtained by the Herald.
High-end condominium developments have sprung up across from the Charlestown Navy Yard over the past decade, transforming the once hardscrabble waterfront into a toney enclave.
“Over the summer, we have entertained several times, and we have had guests sit up in shock when the cannon goes off,” the resident wrote. “It has also awakened them at 8 a.m. while they are vacationing and then blasted them again at sunset.”
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
Not to worry, perhaps soon they can complain about the muezzin’s call to prayer five times a day rather than two.
Uhmm... F.U., shove it up your nether regions sideways and howl at the moon.
I live on the other side of the bay from these people and have never--ever--EVER heard this "disruption."
When I say other side, btw, I don't mean Southie, I mean the North End.
Bull.
Tell ‘em to stuff cotton in their ears. Old Ironsides’ cannons were there long before their damned condo existed.
Double the charge, put a ball in the canon and aim it at condo.
How do they not know this when they buy or rent in that area?
Time to give the whiners a whiff of grapeshot!
My reply would be to pull along side the condo building and let loose with a broadside of grapeshot.Twice a day until they strike their colors.Probably a good reason why I am not in command but I cant think of it.
Maybe the good Captian should start puting hot shot into the guns, eh:-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
They are democrat voters who are polluting the neighborhood.
Maybe a daily 21 gun salute will drive the vermin away!
Blow their white wine-sipping yuppie asses into Medford.
The cannons were around before you. You don’t like it. Move.
Yep.
Seems like a good fix to the situation, (in my best pirate's voice) Haaarrr!
Of course, that ONE person is going to bring the lawsuit - Obama is going to cave (Kerry will surrender even faster!) - and we will lose our heritage.
We have a local shooting range. From time to time people who move into the mansions within ear shot of the range try to get it closed down. Thus far, they have failed.
My grandma used to say “if you don’t want to get splashed stay away from the pool.” That seems relevent here.
I'd send my kids to TP his house random nights. Leave mean spirited conservative messages on his wind shield. Make a point of being a nosy neighbor that came over regularly just to annoy. Refer him to the Jehovah's Witnesses every month and the Mormons every other month. Make an anonymous call that his car is a polluter (especially if he had any environmentalist sticker on his car).
Basically be a general pain until he chose to move to a different neighborhood.
Did they buy their condos knowing that the ship was there? If so, QUIT WHINNING!!!!
Considering what that city and state have become, frankly I’d rather see the Constitution relocated. Hell, Havana would be a more respectful place for her.
Really, the Constitution belongs in a Red State, not with the low lifes of Boston.
Charleston, Biloxi, Mobile, or Houston would welcome this magnificent ship.
The brochures for “toney” condos in the area probably advertised “beautiful historic location” as one of its selling points.
Now they don’t like the history?
We must have there relatives living down here in Florida they move near the race track and airports live on the water of lakes and complain because of the noise. Gee I hear 2 owls screeching outside my woods surrounded house this morning who do I complain to?
friggin’ ingrates.....STFU you whiny good-fer-nuthin B!T@#ES!!!
God forbid twice a day you be reminded of the incredible blessing of living in the greatest country in the history of humanity, and what it took to achieve this!
“Over the summer, we have entertained several times, and we have had guests sit up in shock when the cannon goes off,” the resident wrote. “It has also awakened them at 8 a.m. while they are vacationing and then blasted them again at sunset.”
No not that! You had guests sit up in shock over the cannons, and they were awakened from their stupor at 8 AM
while they were sponging off you on a weekend! How dreadful!! (;-)
By Federal law, USS Constitution is prohibited from leaving Boston. Back in 1997, when they put her under unassisted sail for her 200th birthday/anniversary of her launching (and for the first time in over 100 years) there was an enormous amount of opposition to even taking her up to Marblehead for the night.
There was also a desire to bring her down to NYC and have her, under sail, lead the Parade of Tall Ships past the Statue of Liberty for the 2000 millennial celebrations. That was quashed, allegedly because her hull couldn’t handle the stresses of an open-water voyage. Her then-Commanding Officer (who would be expected to really know what his ship could handle) supported the plan, and openly advocated for it. There were rumors that MA politicians (including Teddy Kennedy) stepped in to kill it. Didn’t want to lose a local tourist attraction for a few weeks ...
Exactly my thoughts but I have more!
By my count, there are 15 canons per side and probably more and a second side, too.
One of my proudest moments was to visit the magnificent ship in the early 1990's for the first time. What history, what tradition! Screw the condo brie and chardonnay folks - period!
It is like building a house next to a train track then complaining about the trains. Give it a break!
Here's the old beauty under partial sail:
I think it would be more considerate if the captain used a computer generated graphic to imitate muzzle blast and leave those poor condo owners alone. Whaa flippin whaa. Big babies.
I suggest they move.
I would be thrilled to have the honor of hearing the Constitution’s guns twice a day.
Probably the same kind of people who would want a nearby shooting range closed because of the noise.
Here, here!! Throw in a few canister rounds for good measure as well.
Same here. The Club has been here for over a century.
One of the scum called the police to report bullets hitting his roof.
The police recovered UNFIRED, intact rounds from the gutters.
They did not arrest the yuppie for filing a false report. Too bad. In a prior era he could have fallen downstairs a few times.
OLD IRONSIDES
By Oliver Wendell Holmes
September 16, 1830
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon’s roar;
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.
Her deck, once red with heroes’ blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o’er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor’s tread,
Or know the conquered knee;
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!
Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!
The ship was there 1st. If the clowns did not like the cannon, they should not of moved into the neighborhood.
With any luck, those nattering nabobs of negativism are also suicidal.
What’s the matter with Boston?
Uh....uh...Waaaaaaaaaaah!
.
.
/whining crybaby mode
32 24-pounder long guns
20 32-pounder carronades
two 24-pounder bow chasers.
Carronades are especially brutal as antipersonnel weapons at short range. I would recommend they be used to beat the condo association into submission.
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=100&ct=4
Fixed it.
Technically, she's under "battle sail".
tanknetter, I give you my "first" thing learned today. I totally love days when I add to the things to the old brain.
It makes perfect since, too, given the type of fighting and need for maneuvering required in close in battle of the day.
Still a beauty and a memorable visit for this writer.
You're my number two on this posting.
Personally, I hope she floating, sailing and firing for another uncounted number of hundred year cycles, and long after the "neighbors" are dead and gone.
If they were there before Old Ironsides, they have a legitimate gripe; otherwise, they can STFU!
Be sure to give his name and aderess to a different military recruiter every month, as well.
Many Yacht clubs do the same. People love it! (Except for the commies.)
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