Dealing With von Brunn: Not Getting Mad, Just Being Happy

One of the more unusual letters to the editor that I've seen for awhile is in today's Washington Post, from a Jewish family who bought Holocaust Museum shooter James Von Brunn's house in New Hampshire.

To The Editor:

James W. von Brunn - racist, domestic terrorist and anti-Semite - never knew that when he and his then-wife sold their Lebanon, NH, home in 1982, they sold it to a Jewish family.

The von Brunns had moved to Maryland before we looked at the house and he was incarcerated when we bought it, imprisoned for attempting to hold hostage members of the Federal Reserve Board. When we moved in, we realized we'd bought it from an anti-Semite survivalist because he'd left behind several boxes of anti-Jewish books. We immediately added them to the trash.

Anyway, James W. von Brunn, we want you to know we took great pleasure in living there despite the hate-filled man who occupied it before we did. We celebrated Passover Seders, exchanged Hanukkah gifts and raised two wonderful Jewish children there.

GAIL CHADWICK, June 12 2009

Like living well, happiness is the best revenge.