New Names on the Landscape for UNC Building Names and Campus Spaces

[bluetoe]

I agree to an extent. I mean... every step is part of the process.

I don't understand the need to judge people who are dead by the standards of those of us who are still around, and the conditions and circumstances we are experiencing. People who are alive now, that feel shame and guilt through the actions of other people. I guess that is the definition of empathy, but those people are long gone. Don't mimic that aspect of their legacy. And, as far as the buildings... did they ask to have the buildings named for them? If not, then it's kind of a hollow gesture anyway. Stop naming things for people who might die. Stop glorifying people, or honoring them, or whatever, if there's a chance that something ELSE they did is going to be questionable behavior in the future. That pretty much accounts for everyone. So, no more statues, streets, highways, buildings, libraries, parks, park benches, chewing gum, etc., named for anyone from now on.

This "cancel culture" is also just part of the process. I'm sure that, some point later on, it will be seen as either drastic, or absurd, or maybe necessary. I don't know.

I don't know where the extent of your agreement ends, but the civilizations that stepping-stoned us to the present relied heavily on slavery, or some practice that amounted to slavery, in order to advance knowledge and enlightenment. The more the population grew, and the more people rubbed shoulders with those from other civs and cultures, the more enlightened the world population became...yet slavery and enforced servitude persisted. It was only when machinery and fossil fuel power was developed that allowed less reliance on manual labor, that slavery and enforced servitude began to universally...and conveniently...be viewed as a societal evil. Yet even though treating humans as animals against their will became unacceptable, seeing certain people as inferior based on their own history and cultures has never ceased and it never will. We would not be here talking about this if that was not so, and the land we occupy would be inhabited by indigenous peoples.

Human nature doesn't change. We will continue to rationalize doing what we have to in order to get what we want. America isn't perfect and it never will be. The beauty of it though, is that it is structured to allow every citizen to fight for as big a slice of the pie as he desires, or as little as he cares to struggle for. All we really have to do is continue to strive to see that every citizen is treated equally under our laws. Time and only time will allow us to mature into the vision most of us have.

The current reactionary mentality would consider my POV to be racist, but I believe you have to want to see evil in order to perceive evil in a frigging statue or a name on a building (unless it's a statue of George Washington ripping the heads off baby kittens). That's a choice, and not one that has to be made. Otherwise, they can be and should be reminders of exactly what they are and only what they are...waypoints on the way to here.

 

[strummingram]

I don't know where the extent of your agreement ends, but the civilizations that stepping-stoned us to the present relied heavily on slavery, or some practice that amounted to slavery, in order to advance knowledge and enlightenment. The more the population grew, and the more people rubbed shoulders with those from other civs and cultures, the more enlightened the world population became...yet slavery and enforced servitude persisted. It was only when machinery and fossil fuel power was developed that allowed less reliance on manual labor, that slavery and enforced servitude began to universally...and conveniently...be viewed as a societal evil. Yet even though treating humans as animals against their will became unacceptable, seeing certain people as inferior based on their own history and cultures has never ceased and it never will. We would not be here talking about this if that was not so, and the land we occupy would be inhabited by indigenous peoples.

Human nature doesn't change. We will continue to rationalize doing what we have to in order to get what we want. America isn't perfect and it never will be. The beauty of it though, is that it is structured to allow every citizen to fight for as big a slice of the pie as he desires, or as little as he cares to struggle for. All we really have to do is continue to strive to see that every citizen is treated equally under our laws. Time and only time will allow us to mature into the vision most of us have.

The current reactionary mentality would consider my POV to be racist, but I believe you have to want to see evil in order to perceive evil in a frigging statue or a name on a building (unless it's a statue of George Washington ripping the heads off baby kittens). That's a choice, and not one that has to be made. Otherwise, they can be and should be reminders of exactly what they are and only what they are...waypoints on the way to here.

Good place to drop this:



It's about 50 minutes, but it was awesome to me. It's a lecture about her book: "White Trash: The 400-Year History of Class in America". The book is INCREDIBLE! It really gives some insight on American cultural views- past and present. Race is there, but CLASS is much more dominant.

 

[bluetoe]

Good place to drop this:

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It's about 50 minutes, but it was awesome to me. It's a lecture about her book: "White Trash: The 400-Year History of Class in America". The book is INCREDIBLE! It really gives some insight on American cultural views- past and present. Race is there, but CLASS is much more dominant.

my speakers are on the blink. I'll send it to my computer at the office and try to find time to see it tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think.

 

[DF1972]

The men behind UNC building names
While the racist and white supremacist namesakes of areas on UNC's campus have been discussed for decades, the debate has gained momentum in recent years. On July 10, the University Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward recommended that the names of four white supremacists with particularly shameful histories be removed from campus. (UNC.edu)

 

[DF1972]

UNC Board of Trustees approves policy for renaming campus buildings
The University Board of Trustees followed up on its June 17 decision to lift the moratorium on changing building names by approving a new name removal process. Trustees voted 12-1 to approve guidelines for removing names, so the University can ensure each decision ensures that the names on campus "reflect the highest ideals of our University.” (UNC.edu)