Locals react to library plaque

Anonymous Patron writes “A Strange One our of Massachusetts where A woman who said a man cared for her while she received cancer treatment can’t believe library officials have agreed to put the name of his confessed killer on a library plaque. The killer was his live-in lover and fiancÃ© on Feb. 7, and then fled to the woods and shot himself later in the day, according to police and prosecutors.

But city officials say they support Library Director Susan Shelton’s decision to include the name on a plaque honoring hundreds of people who donated money to the new library.”

March 12, 2005 by rochelle Uncategorized 12

shoe says:

March 12, 2005 at 7:49 am

No pun intended

But it’s sort of too bad the library’s caught in the crossfire on this. It could have just as easily been the Boys and Girls Club that was also taking donations in CampoBasso’s name…

It’s one of those situations no one is going to be happy (nor should they be). Two people lost their lives. I see it as a crime with two victims… an innocent victim and a perpetrator who was sick enough to make himself a victim as well.

Mostly, though, you do something like a plaque for the family. And for the community. It’s okay to remember the good in people. And I think that’s what they were trying to do with the plaque. That’s generally why they put gold plaques on walls in libraries…

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GregS* says:

March 12, 2005 at 9:15 am

Re:No pun intended
I disagree, we’re not in the redemption business. Plaques, for the most part, are nothing more than PR vehicles to encourage donations, not meant as lightening rods.

The way I’m reading the article is the family of the murderer wanted this. I think its wrong and hurtful on their part.

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mdoneil says:

March 12, 2005 at 10:53 am

Unconsionable acts
There is no excuse for the unconsionable act of taking the life of another. However, one who kills himself must, at least in my book, be mentally ill. While he killed himself after killing another we can never be certain how or when mental illness began to take hold.

It is sad that Mr. Curtis was killed, it is equally as sad that Mr. CampoBasso killed himself. That one caused the death of another makes the deaths no less permanant, nor no less heart wrenching for the families of these two men.

If all of those complaining about the plaque would put themselves in the shoes of Mr. CampoBasso’s mother and father then perhaps they would be less vocal. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children, both families suffered a great loss. If a tiny bit of good can come from this tragedy, if the library recieves a few dollars from some benefactors then perhaps the pain might be eased in some small way for both families.

Time heals all wounds, the outrage over the plaque will soon fade, but the memory of lost sons will linger a bit longer for the families. The small bit of comfort the donations to the library brought the family outweighs the uproar from the opponents.

If they just took a look at it from the other side they would understand.

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Anonymous Patron says:

March 12, 2005 at 9:25 pm

Re:Unconsionable acts
If they just took a look at it from the other side they would understand.

Hogwash. If they had any class, they would take name off.

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kylere says:

March 12, 2005 at 9:47 pm

Let me see here…
Applying the moron filter to this, the solution seems rather simple. We leave the name on the plaque.

If we go editing things like this, we srtart down the sillpery slope towards the day when we pull that Hemp Grower Washington off the US$1, that racist Jackson off the 20, Jefferson was s slave owner and a slave rapist (a slave cannot give consent), Franklin is known as a dog who would sleep with any woman around etc. Not to mention those monuments, oh yeah and since the Catholic church et al has been responsible for more deaths than any other religion, lets ban them. Ohhh and GM should be banned, more people have died from car wrecks than smoking since 1920.

This is an “ohhh just grow up” issue.

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GregS* says:

March 12, 2005 at 10:26 pm

Re:Let me see here…
The murder/suicide was *one* *month* *ago*. How about a little context?

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Anonymous says:

March 12, 2005 at 10:36 pm

Re:Let me see here…
Damn it, that’s 2 days in a row I’m going to say this, but, Greg’s right.

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GregS* says:

March 13, 2005 at 2:46 am

Re:Let me see here…
If I get a threefer you have to dance a jig before giving your presentation.

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deborah says:

March 13, 2005 at 2:46 am

Re:No pun intended

I’m not saying I agree with the library’s decision — I don’t think I do — but I think it’s honestly one of those sad things which comes from following automatic procedure without thought, not malice. From the article: “People don’t understand, the family didn’t ask for it. People decided to contribute to whatever charity they wanted, and once (donations for the library) reached a certain level, it put (CampoBasso) on a list with hundreds of others. It triggered the ‘in memory of.'”

My feeling on reading the article is being glad I’m not the library decision makers and the people at that library responsible for PR. Whatever happens, they look bad. If they break standard policy for donations — for someone who under American law, died innocent of a crime — that also looks crappy. So while the family may not have asked for the brouhaha, it’s be nice if they asked the library to keep the name off the plaque. Yet I can see why they don’t want to ask.

Better them than me, I say heartlessly, and knocking on wood.

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kylere says:

March 13, 2005 at 2:57 am

Re:Let me see here…
One month, one year, 10 years, it is entirely irrelevant in a historical sense, put it into perspective.

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GregS* says:

March 13, 2005 at 3:05 am

Re:Let me see here…
History be damned. How about a little of that ‘social responsibility’ everyone’s always talking about?

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kylere says:

March 13, 2005 at 10:58 am

Re:Let me see here…
Social Responsibility in this case would be ensuring the criminal involved does not make money via their act of violence.

You are merely taking the wrong side of the Pete Rose v. Hall of Fame argument. I have never seen anyone win from your side, and doubt it will start now, so I will compare you to Hitler to end the commentary.

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