Forgive and Forget? Not in this small New Hampshire town where residents have threatened to burn down the Pastor's house (Raymond: 2009, condo)

[Onni]

New England pastor houses child killer, riles town - Boston.com

CHICHESTER, N.H.—A pastor in this quiet, picturesque New England town thought he was doing the Christian thing when he took in a convicted child killer who had served his time but had nowhere to go.


But some neighbors of the Rev. David Pinckney vehemently disagree, one even threatening to burn his house down after officials could find no one else willing to take 60-year-old Raymond Guay.
More than 200 town residents on Tuesday packed a selectmen's meeting, the first since news of Guay's arrival broke over the weekend. Most called for Guay's removal, claiming repeatedly that their children couldn't sleep and were afraid to play outside.

I hope you folks in NH are less uncivil and evil then this article portrays. Of course i know most of you are but wow I thought you guys knew better.

[sgthoskins]

One person threated to burn down his house. Yeah sounds like a pretty good population sample.

That being said we really don't like murderers here.

[maestramommy]

I read about this in our town paper over the weekend. Tough situation. I mean, as a parent of small children I can imagine people being afraid. But the pastor is doing everything he can to communicate the situation, which I understand to be temporary anyway. And it looks like he keeps a pretty tight rein on the man. Which is probably more than one could say if he was released to a halfway house.

[nicolem]

Interesting first post to the NH forum. Uncivil? Evil? Aside from an alleged threat of burning the pastors house down-what else is uncivil? Nothing is wrong with parents not wanting a child killer living near them. So if parents don't want a child killer in their town then they are evil? The residents of Chichester have a right to voice their opinions about the situation.

If you feel so strongly about how the people of NH are treating this child killer, then perhaps you should invite him to come live with you. I am sure the residents of Chichester would appreciate it.

[OCCASparky]

Nice broad brush you paint with there, thinking that because the reporter found one clown that said something stupid, somehow we're all the same way.

That being said, 35 years for what he did wasn't nearly enough.

[jakiedoodle]

I can see all sides of the story....as a parent of a young child and as someone who provides care for other children, I can understand the resident's point of view. I would be afraid too! Also being a victim of abuse as a child, I would feel very strongly if a convicted murderer were moving into my neighborhood!!! I can understand someone feeling strongly enough to say something like that. Doing it on the other hand would be a totally different story! And it does NOT mean that all of us NH residents would feel the same.
I can also understand the Pastor's point of view. He was expressing his views as a Pastor, trying to live and be an example of the virtues that he preaches about including forgiveness. Taking this man into his home who has "served his time" (in the eyes of the law anyway) was what he considered to be the "Christian" thing to do.
I myself would not have taken the man into my home but the Pastor had his reasons.
One person's comment (or maybe more than one, who REALLY knows except the person/s that said it) should not reflect negatively on all residents. Someone said something out of fear and anger and that was their opinion, not everyone's.

[NH2008]

Right, clearly the evil-doers in this story are the townspeople, not the man who has repeatedly been convicted of violent crimes. (eye roll.) I am not a fan of lynch mobs but this news bit tells me more about the failures of our justice system than about anything wrong with our small towns. The guy assaulted and murdered a young boy. That alone, in my mind, should have put him away for life. Instead, after abducting another couple, stabbing an inmate and who knows what else (he already had a criminal record for something else) he's out on parole. Brutal! How sad for him to be so persecuted. I'm sure the pastor means well, and I respect that he's willing to live his faith by putting his family at risk. And yes, I'm sure the guy is better supervised there than he would be at a halfway house - at least I hope so, since he's now living with a 13 year old boy. However, I cannot imagine any circumstance that would convince me this guy deserves to be out on the streets. I'm not condoning threats to burn down the house, since everything the pastor and even the murderer are doing is perfectly legal - but to call townspeople "uncivil" and "evil" for being upset because a repeat offender has been given safe harbor in their neighborhood seems a bit ridiculous. Would YOU like your kids growing up next door to him?

[seamusnh]

I volunteer to pick up Raymond Guay on Saturday and drop him off to live next door to "Onni". Guay can sit in the back seat between the dog and my friend Big Ed. Unfortunately, Onni's neighbors won't be informed of Guay being in town as despite his crimes, Guay does not have to register as a sex offender. So, just post your address here Onni, and I'll make the arrangements...

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by Onni

New England pastor houses child killer, riles town - Boston.com

I hope you folks in NH are less uncivil and evil then this article portrays. Of course i know most of you are but wow I thought you guys knew better.

And I thought people should know better than to make sweeping generalizations about an entire group of people. .So when are you taking this nice fellow into your home? Be sure to let your neighbors know about his unique situation -- and please report back on how your neighbors welcomed a child murderer in YOUR neighborhood!

[FiveHorses]

Originally Posted by NH2008

However, I cannot imagine any circumstance that would convince me this guy deserves to be out on the streets.

Thank you for a sane post.

There are "debts to society" that are simply incalculable.