The Crap We Are Up Against

** Before reading the rest of this page, I'd ask that you click on the link provided below to view the Article in that became the inspiration for this rant **

Sacred Ground

The reason I have been so outraged by this article, is because they have put a link to this site at the bottom. The link the you'll see there, (mywebpages.comcast.net/parainvestigator/Reports/hauntedCem.html) goes directly to my personal reports on what I have experienced at this particular cemetery. This article not only promotes an extremely biased attitude towards paranormal researchers, it implies that we are to blame for the trouble, vandalism and over-all condition of the cemetery.

Now that you have read the article, I want clear up some things. When reading this article, you would get the impression that paranormal investigators, ghost hunters or even the mildly curious were responsible for the extremely poor shape of the cemetery. The second paragraph of the article says it pretty clear "But they also hope their gathering will halt ghost-chasers and nighttime revelers who are ruining what's left of this sacred burial ground." Without a chance to set the record straight, without a "do not judge others" attitude...we (all of us who explore the world of the paranormal) are grouped together with "nighttime revelers" a.k.a. the local kids who drink themselves stupid.

After paraphrasing several things from paranormal sites (including this one), A Mr. Frank Raynock is quoted as saying "That's all ridiculous. It's a fable. That's all it is". This sounds like someone who simply makes decision based on, well...just because he says so. He obviously has never tried to confirm or debunk the claims that the place could be haunted. It is simply easier to call it ridiculous, rather then give it another thought.

According to the article, Mr. Raynock and 14 other Knights of Columbus clean up the place every year in the warmer months. I've seen what I believe is their handy work. Unfortunately, it seems that only the newer graves were ever taken care of. Now, they may indeed clean up the entire place, but I can only write what I have seen. Each time I have visited the cemetery, the newer section has been cleaned up and the grass was cut. As for the older section, it hasn't been cared for in years.

The church that had been on the cemetery property, burned down in 1966. But there were many reports of vadalism before that. Yet, somehow, the people who investigate ghosts and hauntngs get to share the blame. The article states "The Internet is helping to spread local lore about the cemetery, which pops up on at least three Internet sites as a hotbed of "ghostly" activity". Hmmm, well I guess the article, the Times Leader and Jennifer Learn-Andes (the author) are doing this as well. You'll note at the bottom of the article (which tells of ghostly happenings and such), just under the title "IF YOU GO" that the exact location is given. Yup, spreading the local lore with the rest of us! Nice job.

What is actually funny is the line that states "Some say cemetery stones serve as large private residential garden flagstones here and there". Hmmm, so I guess the ghost hunters and the local youth had an overwhelming desire to go out and steal headstones from this cemetery so we could all have flagstones in our gardens. Is it me, or does that sound like the "Some say" people are covering up their own crimes...or hitting the bottle a little too early.

Let me make this clear to all of you who share an interest in the paranormal or are just here because you read that B.S. article. The members of PIRA, as well as the teams we work with (BLPA, PRSNA, PVPS, WeHaveGhosts, and others) DO NOT, AND NEVER WILL participate in any form of vadalism. I have visited this cemetery several times, and have always taken the time to clean up. I've removed beer cans & bottles, trash, broken tree branches, car tires, beer cases and even potato chip bags. I've done my best to lift up some of the stones and at least lean the back up against where they once stood.

To have my site connected to this story of vadalism in a cemetery I frequent is probably the most insulting thing I've dealt with in all the years of doing this. I was never contacted to get my side of the "story", if you can even call it that. I want to assure you that professional investigative groups like PIRA and the others mentioned above simply do not take part in such nonsense. We take the time to clean up and restore, not destroy and damage.

To visit Kenny's website please go to PIRA