Welcome to “Named after sexual predator International Airport” Have a nice day.
March 28, 2019 § Leave a comment
Surely this a sensible recommendation: “Why not name the airport after Mark Takai or Dan Akaka or Patsy Mink, all of whom served us well? Or what about astronaut Ellison Onizuka, a man who gave his life in search of the stars?”
But one way to avoid the problem of post-morten [or pre-mortem for that matter] bubbling to the surface of ugly truths about persons who have done ‘some good’ is to simply not name things after people at all as it avoids the a couple of problems: changing attitudes towards what is ‘admirable’; newly discovered facts; new cogency of previously known facts.
Five generations ago William McKinley presided over the beginning of the US war Philippine independence which may have resulted in the death of 10% of all Filipinos [yes, there is some uncertainty]; seems to have been where the US military first learned the techniques practiced in Abhu Ghraib [and like the abuses in Iraq, were covered up; yet he got a High School named after him in Honolulu. Coming up on twenty generations ago Andrew Jackson ethnically cleansed Native Americans in a manner little different from modern day genocidists.
Honolulu High is a fine name.
Honolulu International Airport is a fine name.
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