Regarding the recent editorial and letter about changing geographic names: My natural inclination is always to keep things as they are, but even I must admit there are some changes that would not be a bad idea. However, well-meaning people can get carried away with this sort of thing, so to help us proceed in an orderly manner, I suggest the following considerations to guide our deliberations. The names I use here are those documented as place names.
1. If the name includes the notorious N-word, or the word “Squaw,” it should be changed. No questions asked.
2. Some words, though not disrespectful, are jarring to hear. “Negro” comes to mind. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. used it. Malcolm X did not. It has an actual meaning. This word, and words like it, should be respectfully discontinued as a place name, and relegated to sociology textbooks, where they have usefulness.
3. Some words, like ‘Redman” and “coon” are not patently offensive in themselves. If you have to explain how they are offensive, then I would not change them.
4. (The Golden Rule) If the name is a word you would not feel comfortable saying in public, then you might want to get rid of it.
Charles DeBruler
Everett
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