Renaming

Slave owners did some good things. Slavery was certainly not among the good. As I have already stated, wrongdoing should not be enough to erase the good. This includes atrocious acts such as owning slaves.

Whenever race is in the news, people seem to go after historical figures. They remove statues. They try to change the names of anything named after a slave owner. If you read the title of this post, you know that I want to focus on renaming.

I don't care for decisions clouded by anger. I do not support erasing history because you're mad. That does not mean that I oppose renaming. It means that I want it done the right way.

If previous generations gave something a name that is offensive or simply a bad fit, that should not ensure that the name persists throughout the end of time. For example, I have been openly supportive of efforts to rename Mt. Rainier. Peter Rainier was a British admiral who fought against the United States during the Revolutionary War. He has nothing to do with our area, and I would much rather restore a native American name for our mountain.

I certainly wouldn't want to see any buildings named after Adolf Hitler. For similar reasons, I have no problems with the idea of renaming buildings carrying the names of Confederate leaders. While we're at it, we can remove the horrific Horace Mann's name from schools.

Again, changing names needs to be done the right way. We should periodically look at names in use. If a name seems inappropriate or misrepresentative, we can look for a better name. Once a more suitable name is found and approved of, we can make the changes.

The removal of statues is similar. I'm open to removing statues as long as it's done the right way. I don't want rioters to tear down statues. It is not up to them to make decisions on behalf of their communities. They can take up the issue with the property and/or statue owner. In some cases, these statues are at parks, meaning that the government can be addressed. If you can make the case against a statue, you will likely be able to remove it properly.