Well I guess if the Washington Monument is now in jeopardy and Ben Franklin is a person of "concern", we shouldn't be too concerned with keeping the Colonials name. SMDH

Well done Gwmayhem!

Gwmayhem wrote:

Last week, I jokingly remarked that the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial were ripe for new naming rights deals.   I was kidding.

Time to put some cards on the table.  What do you think is more important to black and brown Americans: a) to be treated civilly and with respect.  To not be harshly or unfairly judged due to nothing more than the color of their skin.  Or b) to rename everything associated with any slave owner, regardless of the individual's overall legacy and contributions to this country?  Sure some would absolutely want both a) and b) but if only one could be obtained, wouldn't practically everyone cast their vote with a)?

Here's a sad conclusion that we as a society have either arrived at or are getting closer to every day:  Perhaps this country really isn't capable of a).  Perhaps there will always be bad cops and ugly racists no matter how determined our efforts are to rid ourselves of these repugnant individuals.  And because of this, the answer seems to be to resort to b).  Simply because b), unlike a), CAN be done.   

Gwmayhem, thank you for the question. I'm sitting here thinking that maybe this is some kind of trick, because you can't have "a" without also having "b". What I am trying to say is that it's an insult and disrespectful every time a black person has to cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, or go into the Marvin Center, and so on and so on.   So many states have glorified racists by naming streets, buildings, schools and what not.  Putting that little idea aside, I'd say "a" would be better. I feel you're right about it not be possible. And while "b" can be done, it will never happen because most of white America doesn't give a damn about black people. After listening to the conversation in this country over the past year, I am more convinced than ever that most of white America including almost all white Republicans and many white democrats feel it's in their best interest to make sure black people are always at least a rung below them.  I pray I'm wrong, but I mostly hear only three things from white america which is hatred, rationalizaton, or empty words.  

Last edited by 22ndandF (9/02/2020 8:27 pm)

This is a great conversation.  A precise example of the type of civil discourse that this country desperately needs.

22nd&F, I obviously do not know your skin color and please do not feel inclined to reveal this unless you would like to.  If you are in fact a black or brown American, I am curious as to whether you truly feel offended when walking into the Marvin Center or witnessing the glorified legacies of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.  You wrote that we can't have a) without b) and I'm left to wonder if that really is true.  I know for a fact that a) is bigoted and personally offensive.  As for b), I just don't know how personally offensive this is.  It may very well be; as a white person, I just haven't seen this from afar.

DrMike, thank you for the compliment.  Am a fan of your posts as well.  I'll add to 22nd&F's most recent post by saying that referring to a "U.S. decline" prior to the arrival of Trump is too strong in my opinion.  What has gone on in this country prior to Trump's arrival is a divisive rhetoric that has become far too acceptable and which has contributed to major problems with our two-party political system.  I would trace this back to the Clinton administration, the rise of political talk radio with Rush Limbaugh leading the charge, and the subsequent advent of unabashedly biased cable news networks like Fox News and MSNBC.  Somewhere along the line, the object of the game moved away from the evidence or support that was backing up what people said and more towards the volume and frequency in which things were being said.  Our president has undoubtedly taken this to never before seen or heard extremes.  Accountability is out the window.  Being questioned or challenged can easily be solved by quickly moving on to the next subject.  It doesn't help matters when rather than making even the slightest attempt at uniting the country, the president repeatedly refers to his opposing party as "losers" and worse.  No matter what your feelings were towards any prior president, it's safe to assume that no president certainly in our lifetimes has ever sought to divide the country quite like Trump has.

Should Biden win the election, here's my prediction: he's going to go out of his way to compromise/appease Republicans on at least a few issues.  (Of course, control of the Senate may have much to do with this.)  Having seen how divisive his predecessor was, he will make sure not to govern in nearly as one-sided a manner.  Will this make a dent in attempting to fix our two-party system?  Will Americans understand/be appreciative of such an effort?  Even if these answers are "hardly at all", it will be a step in the right direction. 

The Dudelusional still does not seem to understand that unlike the old board, there are measures in place on this site to prevent any individual from posting under multiple names.  Or, let's put this another way.  If it's so easy for me to post under multiple names (which I am not), why are so many of his former names still in retirement? 

Dr Mike, I'd still trust most of the non-political appointees in government.  Trump appointees - not one iota, though even I liberal that I am, find it incredible that Trump could find so many lost souls to appoint.

Details to follow ....

https://moniker.gwu.edu/

Three thoughts ....

1. Money we don't have for basketball will now be spent on re-branding a name which is not offensive by its plain meaning.
2. God, I hope it's not the Hippos or some other absurd name.
3. The name of the University is now squarely in the cross-hairs. 

Last edited by GWRising (6/15/2022 10:48 am)

To quote one of my GW friends who thinks very differently than I do politically (he is very left-leaning) ... "Really? Our side pushes some dumb stuff sometimes." I agreed with him on everything except his use of the word "sometimes"