I'm sorry, but just more of the shameful S.O.S. from the PC broke woke folk hellbent to erase history, cancel culture, and destroy nation by applying current legal, political, and cultural standards to judge and convict in "an imaginary time machine of history" those mostly exemplary (and law abiding) military leaders and statesmen of a society 160 years ago who by all accounts of their society at the time "did the right thing". The national culture throughout all states (Northern as well as Southern) in 1860 was "a nation of states" (a residual legacy holdover from the pre-Constitution era Articles of Confederation) with one's first allegiance to his/her state authorities (governor, law enforcement, judicial) notwithstanding the magnificent achievement of the U.S. Constitution. Hence, most law abiding Southerners did not own slaves but followed their conscience and allegiance as their state leaders called thrir citizens to arms to defend their "homeland" against perceived aggression (both physical and political) by a distant national government controlled by meddling Northerners. Thankfully (yes, I can say that, even as a southerner whose gr-gr-grandfather fought from the outbreak in 1861 to his personal surrender at Appomattox, and his 2 brothers killed at Seven Days and Gettysburg Battles), yes, thankfully the South lost the war and President Lincoln almost singlehandedly saved the Union. But... these great Confederate leaders and southern statesmen we are so quick to unjustly villify today for "doing the right thing" in their day, at their time, are exactly the type of role models we so desperately need in our woefully despicable military and federal and state governments today instead of the nefarious Swamp Creatures and inept incompetent cartoon clowns we currently see in the White House, Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill, governor mansions, and local government offices today. Be careful how you judge those who came before you - your name too might be erased at some future date from a street, building, school, college, town, or even state!
I am inclined to agree with your general intent of this. In my hometown, everyone jumped on the woke bandwagon and erased "Louis Agassiz school and Woodrow Wilson School." Funny that both of these schools were named 80 or so years ago and no one said anything and yet all of a sudden a year ago, we have to rename things. If we apply the same criteria for cancelling someone's name to one entity, then we have to apply that criteria to ALL. For example, fine - get rid of Robert E. Lee names but also slaveholders such as George Washington. Abraham Lincoln was known to use the "n" word. Get rid of him and while you are at it, take their images off coins and dollar bills and replace them with someone else.
In my home state of ND, we took the noncontroversial way out and named our air force bases after the cities they were located in. Grand Forks AFB and Minot AFB.
When you begin a comment with pejorative terms such as “woke, PC and cancel culture,” you signal your intention to merely be provocative. That is pure emotion.
If you want to discuss something objectively (without unnecessary emotions) let’s deal in facts we can all understand rather than subjectively which is pure opinion. There are other, more appropriate places to engage in those types of discussions. You will feel better as well as many others here.
While the names put forth are admirable, changing the name of these bases is not going to change history. Some of these bases are history themselves. Fort Bragg and Fort Hood for instance. The new names will undoubtedly have other people upset but that will be ignored because history is being wiped clean in some peoples eyes. Not every soldier fought in the war for slavery, they fought for their state and the right of that state to govern itself over the federal government. History is written by the winners as they say, and it is true. But why do t we look into the northern bases and who they were named after, and delve Into their lives and see if they are squeaky clean? How many children molesters, wife beaters? Who cheated on their wives, taxes or constituents? Only time will tell. But political climate or the next set of names will be found to have flaws as humans do. No one is perfect, so let's see how long it takes to find something in the new names history that is so socially unacceptable that it causes people to pull down public property and not be arrested for it because it will pass off the wrong people and cause a riot.. Hell let's name one after a several times arrested drug addict that was killed in police custody that rhey now build statues of and idolize because it is popular and "everyone is doing it so it must be right" kind of society. What a bunch of mindless, lazy followers
You cannot change history but you can do your best to right a wrong by removing honor from someone under serving and bestowing it upon someone deserving of our admiration and respect.
And st that time those people that named the bases did think those people that the bases were named for DID deserve our admiration and respect. They named military bases after military leaders. Although some better than others. What will history find out about those new people? Different times have different standards.
“The bases, all in former Confederate states, were named with input from locals in the Jim Crow era. The Army courted their buy-in because it needed large swaths of land to build sprawling bases in the early 20th century up through World War II.
The GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment for the Pentagon to strip the names from the installations within three years, CNN reported Thursday.“
I don't think the intent is to change the history of the base but to provide an update & honor to those who have now been chosen for the namesake. I'd prefer the names be chosen & changed appropriately by thoughtful people vs. the rights to the name sold to the highest bidder.
I don’t care about the names, but Eisenhower is a good choice for Ft Gordon. Eisenhower came to Augusta often while president. I once saw him walking across a street and into church. He played the National several times while he was president and had a house on the course.
The south succeeded from the union in defiance of the law. When an individual does this it is called an act of treason. It wasn’t an act of congress; it was no different than if Texas or California wanted to succeed without approval from congress today.
Anyone who was in the confederate military committed a treasonous act and was a traitor to our country, an insurrectionist and should not be honored with a statue or having any government facility named after them.
It is refreshing to hear true American heros finally being given the honor they earned and truly deserved.
As another Southerner, I could not agree more! I’m sick and tired of today’s apologists who can’t make room in their brain boxes for something updated and long overdue for any number of reasons.
I am a huge Ike fan and glad to see a base named after him. No one and I mean NO ONE would dispute naming a base after him. I remember "I like Ike" I am just finishing up a book called "How Ike Led" by his granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower. Highly recommended for all of you.
It will take exactly 2 seconds before Fort Barfoot is called Fort Barefoot because it'll be easier to get past the spell check on modern electronics.
Fort Eisenhower makes sense. President Eisenhower practically lived at Augusta National golf course later on in life. So much he has a tree there named for him.
Fort Liberty? I was worried about this one. But I am all in on the choice. It fits. Delta Force and Green Berets go out into the world from here. Won't be long before the Army PR machine has fun with this one.
Fort AP Hill? I think they should have left this one alone. The name fit the place. Besides, short of me and anyone who served there, I don't think very many people even know where Fort AP Hill is located.
I used to be in transportation and delivered All Things That Go Boom And Make Big Smoking Holes In The Ground to all these bases and more. I have fond memories of each one.
Btw, if you're upset, mad, cheesed, or basically pissed the hell off because of a name change, get over yourself. Those bases were named once, it's not going to hurt anyone to change them. We are a vastly different country now, you need to keep up with the rest of us. This is what has been decided, any crying and whining on your part now will put you in the same class as petulant 4 year olds at Disney World. You need a time out and a nap.
Not. My. Opinion. Reread what it says. "We as a country..." Not "Me, as Queen, do hereby decree that you peasants..." That would be harsh and dismissive.
We, as a country. In other words, get in the boat and row for the common good or get in the water with the sharks and swim. Your choice, but we ain't circling back to pick up your sorry self when you get chomped on.
I am never harsh, but I am a teller of unpopular truths. Dismissive? Only when manners call for one to take such a position. Then I turn into The Ice Queen.
So are we now going to change names of buildings, bases, streets and schools every 5 years as political, social, cultural, and moral trends change? Just because a specific individual so honored is no longer trendy or in fashion? Really??? Google Maps is going to blow a gasket (sigh).
Somebody commented: "We named the bases once, we can just rename them again." Why rename? Preferences and opinions go in and out of favor. Name it once, keep the name.
No, you are mising the point. Read my first post. This was an era about 75 years after the Constitution. A nation of states where, to most citizens, states loyalty and priority of allegiance held sway over the new nation. When a Southern state seceded from the Union due to perceived unconstitutional aggression, then its citizens loyally followed their leaders. That is not treason.
In the case of say, Fort Bragg, it wasn't "we" who came up with the name of the base—meaning Americans, or Congress or even the Army. Instead, it was apparently the Fayetteville chamber of commerce in about 1917.
The army said sure, no problem if that's the price for quickly building a massive base here during wartime; I don't think they expected the bases even to last more than a few years back then.
As a side note, I realized this afternoon that 2 paragraphs got cut from today's newsletter due to a technical error, one of them addresses this. The other had to do with my lament that Harriet Tubman and Audie Murphy — two of the toughest Americans ever — aren't getting honored, at least so far.
Wow! The vitriol of these comments are one reason I usually never read comments. While I disagree with much of the wokeness that is being imposed on our society I appreciated the backstory behind each individual after whom these bases are being renamed. I also appreciated reading the stories of the names listed at the end of your article and the heart wrenching tribute of the Dtr to her mother. Take off Monday… you deserve it and recharge your soul for more inspiring columns/newsletters like this one.
Changing names doesn't change what happened. Keeping names is a reminder of how far we've come as a society. There's more work to do but this is one of many tactics to keep people divided through identity politics
It’s not about burying history; rather, it is about whom we choose to honor. When we choose to honor those that commit treason we tell the world - and our children - that rules and laws do not matter.
As a life-long Virginian who has been to or by all three of the VA bases, it will take a while to learn the new names but, IT IS ABOUT TIME THEY WERE CHANGED. Truly, do we want to be a nation that honors slave holders and mediocre military men (no women in those original names)? The new honorees are of a much higher caliber. It is not about being 'woke' it is about what is right. I am sure the re-naming will come with a bit of PR (definitely here in VA) and it is a wonderful opportunity to teach our younger kids that we have always been a diverse nation with amazing patriots - not all of whom were white men. I hope this opens a broader discussion about the many forgotten heroes that gave so much without recognition, despite the prejudice they most certainly endured.
Most people in Chicago still call Willis Tower (2009) Sears Tower (1974-2009) & always will. Good or bad those original names stick in your mind & heartl (ie: Datsun 280Z, ha).
If "no blemish" is the standard for a person's name of a military base, govt building, school, or road, then nobody's name would pass that high a threshold (none of us are perfect). Singling out one specific action ("slave owner" or "Confederate soldier" - both of which were legal in the person's state at that time in history) reveals a lot about those who want to impose and inflict their opinions, preferences, and perspectives in hindsight about the culture and society of 150 years ago on the rest of us.
I opened a can of worms ... maybe snakes? with this one! I think there's a difference between naming things for normal, flawed human beings (as we all are) vs naming U.S. military bases for generals who fought against the Union army. Anyway, I disagree with you but thanks for commenting and being a part of this... it would be kind of boring if everyone agreed with everyone else.
Just my opinion. I would have liked to have seen Ft. Lee left alone. Nevertheless, I think that the naming commission did an 0UTSTANDING job with this list of people to be commemorated!
Bill, I would like to mention a couple of names as well
- Harold Scott - my Dad, who was in the Navy in WWII. He ended the war in Okinawa, Japan as the Japanese surrendered.
- Paul “Buddy” Bucha - Buddy was West Point, Stanford, All-American swimmer and Congressional Medal of Honor. He was 101st Airborne in Vietnam Nam. I have known him and his sister Sandra since HS.
- Jackson Panice - good friend of my son. West Point, Army Ranger in 82nd Airborne. He is completing his second tour (he has been in Iraq, Nicaragua, Germany and some other “unknown” places. Jackson is starting a position with Lockheed Martin.
I have mixed views on the name changes. All admirable people who are getting the first names. At the same time, making name changes does not erase history. We learn more from history about what NOT to do and now to avoid previous mistakes.
I agree with everything you said - except - I cannot agree that honoring treason help us understand and remember history. Rename the bases and put the statues in an appropriate museum.
My opinion. I would have liked Fort Lee to be left as is - a bit of that history should be remembered with General Lee. Having said that I think the naming commission did an OUTSTANDING job with this final list of people to be commemorated. It's clear that we all have our own druthers for different reasons. As I said yesterday, Change is constant.
How interesting...and not in a bad way, just to be clear on the matter. I love the name Fort Liberty for our own--I'm from NC-- former Fort Bragg. My dad served there in WWII right after he and Mama got married. Both worked on base--he, in the military and Mama as a civilian. I always thought that was a good thing and pretty cool.
It is interesting to note how passionate some can become about the renaming of our military bases. Renaming is not necessarily a "bad" thing, it happens pretty much all the time when names are changed to reflect the changing times. There are those who complain that it is changing history. History, by definition, is open to change when new findings contradict old "facts" that were commonly accepted before the new findings. This is part of history, and why research is a never ending process.
However, as with all things, there will be supporters and non-supporters of any change. One thing that should be kept in mind however, is using today's yardstick to measure yesterdays behavior may not be beneficial. Using yesterdays standards, the behaviors of the people who lived and behaved at that time, were probably fairly acceptable, considering the time and situation, while today, those same behaviors are seen as inappropriate and unacceptable. It is always easy to look back and denigrate those whose behavior we don't agree with, hindsight is often 20/20. However, it is rather inappropriate to assess someone of yesteryear based on todays standards, the times and situations are completely different. Today we have the advantage of being able to look back and see why some of those behaviors were inappropriate, however, the people back then, didn't have that option, so what they did was acceptable at that time.
Another thing we often fail to do is ask, why did they do what they did? Instead we often just assume that since we don't like it, the why isn't important. However, things rarely happen in a vacuum. Sometimes, by asking why something was done, we discover that there were very solid reasons for what was done. If we understand the reasoning behind the why things were done, we often reconsider our own position. It doesn't mean that things shouldn't be changed, there are numerous reasons for change, but at least understanding the why behind it, may keep us from jumping to conclusions and acting on impulse when impulsive actions of often fraught with problems that may come up later because of our impulses.
Even though it's strayed a bit from the renaming of bases, thinking through the process, and the reasoning behind the renaming, may help us understand the changes. Not that we necessarily agree with the renaming, but understanding the reasoning, may make it a bit more palatable. Also, as some have said, as times change, it is incumbent on us to change with the times. That's not a "whitewashing" of history, but simply a realization that times have changed and we look at things differently today than they did in times past.
Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, though it is often difficult to accept. Yet, it is inevitable and nothing we can do keeps change from occurring. We can fight it all we want, but change will come.
This is something we can all agree on. We all die, everybody gets a turn.
But then they return #reincarnation
I'm sorry, but just more of the shameful S.O.S. from the PC broke woke folk hellbent to erase history, cancel culture, and destroy nation by applying current legal, political, and cultural standards to judge and convict in "an imaginary time machine of history" those mostly exemplary (and law abiding) military leaders and statesmen of a society 160 years ago who by all accounts of their society at the time "did the right thing". The national culture throughout all states (Northern as well as Southern) in 1860 was "a nation of states" (a residual legacy holdover from the pre-Constitution era Articles of Confederation) with one's first allegiance to his/her state authorities (governor, law enforcement, judicial) notwithstanding the magnificent achievement of the U.S. Constitution. Hence, most law abiding Southerners did not own slaves but followed their conscience and allegiance as their state leaders called thrir citizens to arms to defend their "homeland" against perceived aggression (both physical and political) by a distant national government controlled by meddling Northerners. Thankfully (yes, I can say that, even as a southerner whose gr-gr-grandfather fought from the outbreak in 1861 to his personal surrender at Appomattox, and his 2 brothers killed at Seven Days and Gettysburg Battles), yes, thankfully the South lost the war and President Lincoln almost singlehandedly saved the Union. But... these great Confederate leaders and southern statesmen we are so quick to unjustly villify today for "doing the right thing" in their day, at their time, are exactly the type of role models we so desperately need in our woefully despicable military and federal and state governments today instead of the nefarious Swamp Creatures and inept incompetent cartoon clowns we currently see in the White House, Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill, governor mansions, and local government offices today. Be careful how you judge those who came before you - your name too might be erased at some future date from a street, building, school, college, town, or even state!
I am inclined to agree with your general intent of this. In my hometown, everyone jumped on the woke bandwagon and erased "Louis Agassiz school and Woodrow Wilson School." Funny that both of these schools were named 80 or so years ago and no one said anything and yet all of a sudden a year ago, we have to rename things. If we apply the same criteria for cancelling someone's name to one entity, then we have to apply that criteria to ALL. For example, fine - get rid of Robert E. Lee names but also slaveholders such as George Washington. Abraham Lincoln was known to use the "n" word. Get rid of him and while you are at it, take their images off coins and dollar bills and replace them with someone else.
In my home state of ND, we took the noncontroversial way out and named our air force bases after the cities they were located in. Grand Forks AFB and Minot AFB.
When you begin a comment with pejorative terms such as “woke, PC and cancel culture,” you signal your intention to merely be provocative. That is pure emotion.
If you want to discuss something objectively (without unnecessary emotions) let’s deal in facts we can all understand rather than subjectively which is pure opinion. There are other, more appropriate places to engage in those types of discussions. You will feel better as well as many others here.
"C'mon, man" - just the facts. Truth. Unadulterated, unvarnished, unpoliticized. Just the facts. Sorry for those who can't handle the truth.
While the names put forth are admirable, changing the name of these bases is not going to change history. Some of these bases are history themselves. Fort Bragg and Fort Hood for instance. The new names will undoubtedly have other people upset but that will be ignored because history is being wiped clean in some peoples eyes. Not every soldier fought in the war for slavery, they fought for their state and the right of that state to govern itself over the federal government. History is written by the winners as they say, and it is true. But why do t we look into the northern bases and who they were named after, and delve Into their lives and see if they are squeaky clean? How many children molesters, wife beaters? Who cheated on their wives, taxes or constituents? Only time will tell. But political climate or the next set of names will be found to have flaws as humans do. No one is perfect, so let's see how long it takes to find something in the new names history that is so socially unacceptable that it causes people to pull down public property and not be arrested for it because it will pass off the wrong people and cause a riot.. Hell let's name one after a several times arrested drug addict that was killed in police custody that rhey now build statues of and idolize because it is popular and "everyone is doing it so it must be right" kind of society. What a bunch of mindless, lazy followers
You cannot change history but you can do your best to right a wrong by removing honor from someone under serving and bestowing it upon someone deserving of our admiration and respect.
And st that time those people that named the bases did think those people that the bases were named for DID deserve our admiration and respect. They named military bases after military leaders. Although some better than others. What will history find out about those new people? Different times have different standards.
You mean the disgruntled losers
From a 6/11/2020 WaPo article:
“The bases, all in former Confederate states, were named with input from locals in the Jim Crow era. The Army courted their buy-in because it needed large swaths of land to build sprawling bases in the early 20th century up through World War II.
The GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment for the Pentagon to strip the names from the installations within three years, CNN reported Thursday.“
Right, this doesn’t have to be direct either.
Positive change can happen behind closed doors, behind closed eyes *brain*
Universally, if you’re doing the work then you’ll reap the benefits
However if you act KNOWING that...it becomes selfish again
Vicious cycle, fine line
I agree.
I don't think the intent is to change the history of the base but to provide an update & honor to those who have now been chosen for the namesake. I'd prefer the names be chosen & changed appropriately by thoughtful people vs. the rights to the name sold to the highest bidder.
I don’t care about the names, but Eisenhower is a good choice for Ft Gordon. Eisenhower came to Augusta often while president. I once saw him walking across a street and into church. He played the National several times while he was president and had a house on the course.
I am a southerner.
The south succeeded from the union in defiance of the law. When an individual does this it is called an act of treason. It wasn’t an act of congress; it was no different than if Texas or California wanted to succeed without approval from congress today.
Anyone who was in the confederate military committed a treasonous act and was a traitor to our country, an insurrectionist and should not be honored with a statue or having any government facility named after them.
It is refreshing to hear true American heros finally being given the honor they earned and truly deserved.
As another Southerner, I could not agree more! I’m sick and tired of today’s apologists who can’t make room in their brain boxes for something updated and long overdue for any number of reasons.
I am a huge Ike fan and glad to see a base named after him. No one and I mean NO ONE would dispute naming a base after him. I remember "I like Ike" I am just finishing up a book called "How Ike Led" by his granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower. Highly recommended for all of you.
It will take exactly 2 seconds before Fort Barfoot is called Fort Barefoot because it'll be easier to get past the spell check on modern electronics.
Fort Eisenhower makes sense. President Eisenhower practically lived at Augusta National golf course later on in life. So much he has a tree there named for him.
Fort Liberty? I was worried about this one. But I am all in on the choice. It fits. Delta Force and Green Berets go out into the world from here. Won't be long before the Army PR machine has fun with this one.
Fort AP Hill? I think they should have left this one alone. The name fit the place. Besides, short of me and anyone who served there, I don't think very many people even know where Fort AP Hill is located.
I used to be in transportation and delivered All Things That Go Boom And Make Big Smoking Holes In The Ground to all these bases and more. I have fond memories of each one.
Btw, if you're upset, mad, cheesed, or basically pissed the hell off because of a name change, get over yourself. Those bases were named once, it's not going to hurt anyone to change them. We are a vastly different country now, you need to keep up with the rest of us. This is what has been decided, any crying and whining on your part now will put you in the same class as petulant 4 year olds at Disney World. You need a time out and a nap.
Your last paragraph is a little harsh and dismissive towards others' opinions. Your opinion is not the only one that counts.
Not. My. Opinion. Reread what it says. "We as a country..." Not "Me, as Queen, do hereby decree that you peasants..." That would be harsh and dismissive.
We, as a country. In other words, get in the boat and row for the common good or get in the water with the sharks and swim. Your choice, but we ain't circling back to pick up your sorry self when you get chomped on.
I am never harsh, but I am a teller of unpopular truths. Dismissive? Only when manners call for one to take such a position. Then I turn into The Ice Queen.
Have a nice day.
I agree, either shit or get off the pot!
Thank you for seeing what I saw.
I personally love how you phrased your last paragraph! Lead, follow or get out of the way….
Katherine, what branch of the military did you serve in?
So are we now going to change names of buildings, bases, streets and schools every 5 years as political, social, cultural, and moral trends change? Just because a specific individual so honored is no longer trendy or in fashion? Really??? Google Maps is going to blow a gasket (sigh).
Where did the every five years thing come from? Where did you hear that?
Somebody commented: "We named the bases once, we can just rename them again." Why rename? Preferences and opinions go in and out of favor. Name it once, keep the name.
Are you missing the point that the current names honor those that committed treasonous act?
No, you are mising the point. Read my first post. This was an era about 75 years after the Constitution. A nation of states where, to most citizens, states loyalty and priority of allegiance held sway over the new nation. When a Southern state seceded from the Union due to perceived unconstitutional aggression, then its citizens loyally followed their leaders. That is not treason.
I stand by my position.
I think the key is "we," as in, who is "we?"
In the case of say, Fort Bragg, it wasn't "we" who came up with the name of the base—meaning Americans, or Congress or even the Army. Instead, it was apparently the Fayetteville chamber of commerce in about 1917.
The army said sure, no problem if that's the price for quickly building a massive base here during wartime; I don't think they expected the bases even to last more than a few years back then.
As a side note, I realized this afternoon that 2 paragraphs got cut from today's newsletter due to a technical error, one of them addresses this. The other had to do with my lament that Harriet Tubman and Audie Murphy — two of the toughest Americans ever — aren't getting honored, at least so far.
Here's my source on the naming of Fort Bragg: https://abc11.com/fort-bragg-renaming-braxton-confederate-leaders/6243153/
Wow! The vitriol of these comments are one reason I usually never read comments. While I disagree with much of the wokeness that is being imposed on our society I appreciated the backstory behind each individual after whom these bases are being renamed. I also appreciated reading the stories of the names listed at the end of your article and the heart wrenching tribute of the Dtr to her mother. Take off Monday… you deserve it and recharge your soul for more inspiring columns/newsletters like this one.
Agreeing on your brain needing rest
Woke just means becoming aware. I’m not sure who turned that little word into one of vitriol. Too bad really.
Changing names doesn't change what happened. Keeping names is a reminder of how far we've come as a society. There's more work to do but this is one of many tactics to keep people divided through identity politics
Thank you David. We learn from history NOT to do. Burying history does not change it as you pointed out.
It’s not about burying history; rather, it is about whom we choose to honor. When we choose to honor those that commit treason we tell the world - and our children - that rules and laws do not matter.
If they’ve changed once, they can change again! Change is the only thing that’s constant
As a life-long Virginian who has been to or by all three of the VA bases, it will take a while to learn the new names but, IT IS ABOUT TIME THEY WERE CHANGED. Truly, do we want to be a nation that honors slave holders and mediocre military men (no women in those original names)? The new honorees are of a much higher caliber. It is not about being 'woke' it is about what is right. I am sure the re-naming will come with a bit of PR (definitely here in VA) and it is a wonderful opportunity to teach our younger kids that we have always been a diverse nation with amazing patriots - not all of whom were white men. I hope this opens a broader discussion about the many forgotten heroes that gave so much without recognition, despite the prejudice they most certainly endured.
Most people in Chicago still call Willis Tower (2009) Sears Tower (1974-2009) & always will. Good or bad those original names stick in your mind & heartl (ie: Datsun 280Z, ha).
Venus inner dialogue: “This is relevant but not; I wish my last name was different. My parents values don’t match up with mine..”
I think a lot of my relationships prior to starting my Substack were based on family values ...like literally how I treated everyone
This makes me think of how my mom ‘clutches her pearls’ when we drive through mt. Oliver ......like mom shut the hell up
Just being rude for no reason .....oh wait, the reason is that you don’t know the grass is greener on the other side
If "no blemish" is the standard for a person's name of a military base, govt building, school, or road, then nobody's name would pass that high a threshold (none of us are perfect). Singling out one specific action ("slave owner" or "Confederate soldier" - both of which were legal in the person's state at that time in history) reveals a lot about those who want to impose and inflict their opinions, preferences, and perspectives in hindsight about the culture and society of 150 years ago on the rest of us.
I opened a can of worms ... maybe snakes? with this one! I think there's a difference between naming things for normal, flawed human beings (as we all are) vs naming U.S. military bases for generals who fought against the Union army. Anyway, I disagree with you but thanks for commenting and being a part of this... it would be kind of boring if everyone agreed with everyone else.
Just my opinion. I would have liked to have seen Ft. Lee left alone. Nevertheless, I think that the naming commission did an 0UTSTANDING job with this list of people to be commemorated!
Bill, I would like to mention a couple of names as well
- Harold Scott - my Dad, who was in the Navy in WWII. He ended the war in Okinawa, Japan as the Japanese surrendered.
- Paul “Buddy” Bucha - Buddy was West Point, Stanford, All-American swimmer and Congressional Medal of Honor. He was 101st Airborne in Vietnam Nam. I have known him and his sister Sandra since HS.
- Jackson Panice - good friend of my son. West Point, Army Ranger in 82nd Airborne. He is completing his second tour (he has been in Iraq, Nicaragua, Germany and some other “unknown” places. Jackson is starting a position with Lockheed Martin.
I have mixed views on the name changes. All admirable people who are getting the first names. At the same time, making name changes does not erase history. We learn more from history about what NOT to do and now to avoid previous mistakes.
I agree with everything you said - except - I cannot agree that honoring treason help us understand and remember history. Rename the bases and put the statues in an appropriate museum.
My opinion. I would have liked Fort Lee to be left as is - a bit of that history should be remembered with General Lee. Having said that I think the naming commission did an OUTSTANDING job with this final list of people to be commemorated. It's clear that we all have our own druthers for different reasons. As I said yesterday, Change is constant.
How interesting...and not in a bad way, just to be clear on the matter. I love the name Fort Liberty for our own--I'm from NC-- former Fort Bragg. My dad served there in WWII right after he and Mama got married. Both worked on base--he, in the military and Mama as a civilian. I always thought that was a good thing and pretty cool.
It is interesting to note how passionate some can become about the renaming of our military bases. Renaming is not necessarily a "bad" thing, it happens pretty much all the time when names are changed to reflect the changing times. There are those who complain that it is changing history. History, by definition, is open to change when new findings contradict old "facts" that were commonly accepted before the new findings. This is part of history, and why research is a never ending process.
However, as with all things, there will be supporters and non-supporters of any change. One thing that should be kept in mind however, is using today's yardstick to measure yesterdays behavior may not be beneficial. Using yesterdays standards, the behaviors of the people who lived and behaved at that time, were probably fairly acceptable, considering the time and situation, while today, those same behaviors are seen as inappropriate and unacceptable. It is always easy to look back and denigrate those whose behavior we don't agree with, hindsight is often 20/20. However, it is rather inappropriate to assess someone of yesteryear based on todays standards, the times and situations are completely different. Today we have the advantage of being able to look back and see why some of those behaviors were inappropriate, however, the people back then, didn't have that option, so what they did was acceptable at that time.
Another thing we often fail to do is ask, why did they do what they did? Instead we often just assume that since we don't like it, the why isn't important. However, things rarely happen in a vacuum. Sometimes, by asking why something was done, we discover that there were very solid reasons for what was done. If we understand the reasoning behind the why things were done, we often reconsider our own position. It doesn't mean that things shouldn't be changed, there are numerous reasons for change, but at least understanding the why behind it, may keep us from jumping to conclusions and acting on impulse when impulsive actions of often fraught with problems that may come up later because of our impulses.
Even though it's strayed a bit from the renaming of bases, thinking through the process, and the reasoning behind the renaming, may help us understand the changes. Not that we necessarily agree with the renaming, but understanding the reasoning, may make it a bit more palatable. Also, as some have said, as times change, it is incumbent on us to change with the times. That's not a "whitewashing" of history, but simply a realization that times have changed and we look at things differently today than they did in times past.
Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, though it is often difficult to accept. Yet, it is inevitable and nothing we can do keeps change from occurring. We can fight it all we want, but change will come.