Wednesday in the Age of Reason-Munchausen (1988)

https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/why-the-adulation-for-michael-jackson-or-dan-inouye/?utm_source=Civil%20Beat%20Master%20List&utm_campaign=f4fa8d8f64-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_27_06_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51c2dd3cf3-f4fa8d8f64-401788261&mc_cid=f4fa8d8f64&mc_eid=b4b65c937c

 

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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