Upholding The Right To Remain Unoffended
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Gary [email protected]
It’s not like it was ever a term of admiration, endearment or honor. I think it always was more of a pejorative expression.
“Warriors” is somewhat less offensive, I suppose. Warriors are generally revered. You know – strong, fearless. So Wawasee probably won’t have to change its nickname, but you never know. “Warrior” could offend somebody, I guess.
I get why some folks in Goshen felt the school should come up with another nickname.
Same with the confederate flag flap.
I get how it could be considered offensive. I get why people would want to remove it from state-owned property. Flying the flag at the state capital would seem to be some type of endorsement of secession and slavery.
But when I think about these things, I often wonder, where does it end?
I saw a story from Connecticut the other day on ctpost.com.
Under pressure from the NAACP, the state Democratic Party there will expunge the names of two presidents from its annual fundraising dinner.
That would be Jefferson and Jackson, of course,
Why? Because of their ties to slavery. So no more Jefferson-Jackson dinners for Democrats in Connecticut.
According to the report:
The decision is believed to be unprecedented and could prompt Democrats in other states with similarly named events to follow suit.
“I see it as the right thing to do,” Nick Balletto, the party’s first-year chairman, told Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday night.
“I wasn’t looking to be a trailblazer or set off a trend that’s going to affect the rest of the country. Hopefully, they’ll follow suit when they see it’s the right thing to do.”
The Democrats cited Jefferson and Jackson’s ownership of slaves as a key factor in the decision. They also noted that Jackson was responsible for the removal of Native Americans from the southwest, an exodus that became known as the Trail of Tears.
The story also said this:
Scot X. Esdaile, the head of Connecticut’s NAACP, said it was high time for Democrats to rebrand the event.
“I would applaud the current leaders in Connecticut in making the symbolic first step and striving to right the wrongs of the past,” Esdaile said.
“You can’t right all the wrongs, but I think it’s a symbolic gesture of our support for their party.”
And this:
“When something offends someone, it’s beyond being politically correct,” Balletto said.
“It just causes a need for change.”
Balletto said Jefferson was a great founding father, but “had some issues.”
“You can’t change history, but you don’t have to honor it,” Balletto said.
So I asked David Kolbe, the chairman of the Democratic Party in Kosciusko County If he’d keep having Jefferson-Jackson dinners.
Here’s what he said:
The Kosciusko County Democratic Party will hold its annual Jefferson Jackson banquet at South Shore banquet facility on Oct. 3.
Historically our party has held what we call the JJ banquet once per year. Presidents Jefferson and Jackson were instrumental leaders in the formation of our current Democratic Party and we honor their contributions.
We are aware that some sister party organizations in the nation have chosen to drop the name or are presently considering that action.
Some of our members have raised the question of whether we should consider a name change and we respect their concerns. We are a broad tent and welcome a wide range of viewpoints.
Before any change of name could or should occur, as party chair, I believe it would need to be openly discussed among precinct committee persons, party officers, and active members, and a consensus decision reached.
While a name change is possible in the future, we look forward to our upcoming banquet under the banner Jefferson/Jackson on Oct. 3 and we invite the public to join us at this important event.
Great answer. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. It’s tough when you have to be politically correct about being politically correct.
Republicans have Lincoln Day dinners. I guess that’s OK, because Lincoln never owned slaves and was against slavery his whole life.
But wait!
Lincoln did marry Mary Todd, whose parents were slave owners. That’s a tough call, eh?
And what are we to do with Jefferson Elementary over there in Winona Lake?
Look around, folks.
Tons of stuff right here in our own backyard is named for “dubious” characters from the early days of our country.
How about Fort Wayne, named for Mad Anthony Wayne? The general of the “Legion of the United States” army during the Northeast Indian War, Wayne was quite a prolific Indian killer.
His conquest at the Battle of Fallen Timbers near Maumee, Ohio, is credited with ending that war.
Time to change the name of that town.
Come to think of it, what about all those streets and towns and monuments all across this great land named for founders who were celebrated Indian killers or slave owners, like – gasp – Washington?
We named the nation’s capitol after him. He’s carved into the side of a mountain, for cryin’ out loud.
So while we’re at it, why don’t we drag this farcical argument to its logical – albeit absurd – conclusion.
I heard a lot of comments during the confederate flag flap referring to members of the confederacy as “traitors.”
Fair enough, I suppose. They did want to secede from the Union and form their own government.
But wait! Isn’t that precisely what the heroes of the American Revolution did 80-some years earlier?
Didn’t they stomp all over the sovereignty of Great Britain? Didn’t they “secede” from British rule to form their own government?
So, assuming a robust and proper level of political correctness, let it be know heretofore:
Virtually everyone in a leadership role connected with the first hundred years of our nation is either a traitor or a racist. Every one of them either killed Indians, owned slaves or betrayed a sovereign government.
Therefore, all references to anyone or anything remotely connected to these people must be removed from our progressive, enlightened culture.
I know.
Let’s just rename everything using letters and numbers.
“Hey honey, want to drive over to M74V and grab some food at that awesome little Thai place on S11 Street?”
There.
Maybe that’s where it ends.[[In-content Ad]]
It’s not like it was ever a term of admiration, endearment or honor. I think it always was more of a pejorative expression.
“Warriors” is somewhat less offensive, I suppose. Warriors are generally revered. You know – strong, fearless. So Wawasee probably won’t have to change its nickname, but you never know. “Warrior” could offend somebody, I guess.
I get why some folks in Goshen felt the school should come up with another nickname.
Same with the confederate flag flap.
I get how it could be considered offensive. I get why people would want to remove it from state-owned property. Flying the flag at the state capital would seem to be some type of endorsement of secession and slavery.
But when I think about these things, I often wonder, where does it end?
I saw a story from Connecticut the other day on ctpost.com.
Under pressure from the NAACP, the state Democratic Party there will expunge the names of two presidents from its annual fundraising dinner.
That would be Jefferson and Jackson, of course,
Why? Because of their ties to slavery. So no more Jefferson-Jackson dinners for Democrats in Connecticut.
According to the report:
The decision is believed to be unprecedented and could prompt Democrats in other states with similarly named events to follow suit.
“I see it as the right thing to do,” Nick Balletto, the party’s first-year chairman, told Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday night.
“I wasn’t looking to be a trailblazer or set off a trend that’s going to affect the rest of the country. Hopefully, they’ll follow suit when they see it’s the right thing to do.”
The Democrats cited Jefferson and Jackson’s ownership of slaves as a key factor in the decision. They also noted that Jackson was responsible for the removal of Native Americans from the southwest, an exodus that became known as the Trail of Tears.
The story also said this:
Scot X. Esdaile, the head of Connecticut’s NAACP, said it was high time for Democrats to rebrand the event.
“I would applaud the current leaders in Connecticut in making the symbolic first step and striving to right the wrongs of the past,” Esdaile said.
“You can’t right all the wrongs, but I think it’s a symbolic gesture of our support for their party.”
And this:
“When something offends someone, it’s beyond being politically correct,” Balletto said.
“It just causes a need for change.”
Balletto said Jefferson was a great founding father, but “had some issues.”
“You can’t change history, but you don’t have to honor it,” Balletto said.
So I asked David Kolbe, the chairman of the Democratic Party in Kosciusko County If he’d keep having Jefferson-Jackson dinners.
Here’s what he said:
The Kosciusko County Democratic Party will hold its annual Jefferson Jackson banquet at South Shore banquet facility on Oct. 3.
Historically our party has held what we call the JJ banquet once per year. Presidents Jefferson and Jackson were instrumental leaders in the formation of our current Democratic Party and we honor their contributions.
We are aware that some sister party organizations in the nation have chosen to drop the name or are presently considering that action.
Some of our members have raised the question of whether we should consider a name change and we respect their concerns. We are a broad tent and welcome a wide range of viewpoints.
Before any change of name could or should occur, as party chair, I believe it would need to be openly discussed among precinct committee persons, party officers, and active members, and a consensus decision reached.
While a name change is possible in the future, we look forward to our upcoming banquet under the banner Jefferson/Jackson on Oct. 3 and we invite the public to join us at this important event.
Great answer. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. It’s tough when you have to be politically correct about being politically correct.
Republicans have Lincoln Day dinners. I guess that’s OK, because Lincoln never owned slaves and was against slavery his whole life.
But wait!
Lincoln did marry Mary Todd, whose parents were slave owners. That’s a tough call, eh?
And what are we to do with Jefferson Elementary over there in Winona Lake?
Look around, folks.
Tons of stuff right here in our own backyard is named for “dubious” characters from the early days of our country.
How about Fort Wayne, named for Mad Anthony Wayne? The general of the “Legion of the United States” army during the Northeast Indian War, Wayne was quite a prolific Indian killer.
His conquest at the Battle of Fallen Timbers near Maumee, Ohio, is credited with ending that war.
Time to change the name of that town.
Come to think of it, what about all those streets and towns and monuments all across this great land named for founders who were celebrated Indian killers or slave owners, like – gasp – Washington?
We named the nation’s capitol after him. He’s carved into the side of a mountain, for cryin’ out loud.
So while we’re at it, why don’t we drag this farcical argument to its logical – albeit absurd – conclusion.
I heard a lot of comments during the confederate flag flap referring to members of the confederacy as “traitors.”
Fair enough, I suppose. They did want to secede from the Union and form their own government.
But wait! Isn’t that precisely what the heroes of the American Revolution did 80-some years earlier?
Didn’t they stomp all over the sovereignty of Great Britain? Didn’t they “secede” from British rule to form their own government?
So, assuming a robust and proper level of political correctness, let it be know heretofore:
Virtually everyone in a leadership role connected with the first hundred years of our nation is either a traitor or a racist. Every one of them either killed Indians, owned slaves or betrayed a sovereign government.
Therefore, all references to anyone or anything remotely connected to these people must be removed from our progressive, enlightened culture.
I know.
Let’s just rename everything using letters and numbers.
“Hey honey, want to drive over to M74V and grab some food at that awesome little Thai place on S11 Street?”
There.
Maybe that’s where it ends.[[In-content Ad]]
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