Jefferson Davis Middle School (search) in Palm Beach County, Fla., will soon change its name to one considered less "divisive" by some members of the community, reports the Palm Beach Post.
The idea of children, especially black children, attending a school whose namesake fought on the wrong side of the Civil War (search) is unacceptable to some. They want it renamed Palm Springs Middle School.
"I don't think we should name a school after Adolf Hitler (search)," said school board member Debra Robinson, who is black. "It's really at that level with Jeff Davis. I don't think we should name schools for anybody that represents intolerance or straight-up hatred."
Not Our Fault
Researchers in Hawaii say "cultural trauma" caused by forced assimilation into Western culture is responsible for the poor health and well-being of Native Hawaiians today, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.
Bud Pomaika'i Cook, education director for Ka Maluhia Learning Center, said disenfranchised populations whose cultures were attacked by outsiders may smoke and drink more than their counterparts who were attacked.
"A person becomes his own worst enemy, and [engages in] self-destructive behavior," Cook says. He calls it "suicide by lifestyle," where people ignore the advice of health experts to eat healthier, exercise more or quit smoking.
Inclusion Alert
A council in Ontario fended off an attempt by activists to change the name of local government officials from "alderman" to "councillors" in order to be more gender equitable, reports the St. Thomas Times-Journal.
St. Thomas Ald. Heather Jackson-Chapman wanted to change the title because she says such language "creates images that are inappropriate today.
"Gender neutrality in titles is important when we say we are a progressive, forward-thinking community," Jackson-Chapman said. "Some will argue that we should maintain and respect the history of the title but I believe that changing the term [alderman] is a matter of gender equality, leadership and inclusion."
The motion was defeated 6-2.
Cowardly Chrysler
Edmunds' Inside Line says Chrysler is passing up a monster marketing opportunity with the upcoming release of "The Dukes of Hazzard" remake because it doesn't want to be associated with the Confederate flag atop the Dukes' car.
In the original television series, the boys drove a 1969 Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag on top dubbed the General Lee. Chrysler says it talked about a marketing tie-in for its 2006 model of the Charger, but couldn't cope with the connection to the flag.
"They gave us the treatment for the movie and talked about a marketing deal, but we said we can't participate if you keep the Confederate flag," Jason Vines, Chrysler Group vice president of communications, told Inside Line. "It's offensive to a lot of people. But they [Warner Bros.] said 'no.' We still get a mention of the Charger in the movie, but we couldn't do anything beyond that."
Too Tempting
The Glasgow Evening Times says Muslim charities in that Scottish city tried to block an Italian restaurant from serving alcohol at sidewalk tables because the liquor would be offensive to local Asians.
Gambrino Pizzeria in Kelvinbridge wants to use the pavement outside its premises as an eating and drinking area and has applied to the Glasgow City Council for permission.
But two Muslim groups are formally objecting to the plan, saying "selling alcohol on the footpath is a temptation to our young people."
Potatophobia
Farmers in the U.K. say the term "couch potato" unfairly maligns their fair veggie and are demanding that it be excised from the Oxford English Dictionary, reports the Times of London.
The British Potato Council wants the expression stripped from the dictionary and replaced with the more spud-friendly "couch slouch."
They say the current phrase makes the vegetable seem unhealthy and is bad for its image.
"The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault, but we want to use another term than couch potato because potatoes are inherently healthy," said Kathryn Race, head of marketing for the council.
For more doses of politically correct nuttiness, head on over to the TongueTied daily edition.
Mailbox:
Allen M. writes:
So, the homeland of Lord Baden-Powell, father of scouting, has caved in to the demi-gods of political correctness, and no longer require their scouts to believe in a higher spiritual authority or to pledge faithfulness to the Crown. Thank goodness for the Boy Scouts of America, which stills holds to the ideals of morally straight and duty to God.
Andrew M. writes:
Personally, I'd love to see it established that the ancient Egyptians were black Africans. Also, that slavery reparations are justified. Then my people can sue the assorted guilty parties for centuries of slavery, the genocidal infanticide of our male children, and the suppression of our religion. Peoples who live in glass houses should not throw bricks.
Phil in San Diego writes:
The call for King Tut's bust to be removed because it is suppressing black history is not only paraniod but very poorly backed with any real fact. The Egyptians, though not white, were most definitely not black. Their closest relation would be the peoples of the Arab world.
As has been depicted on countless wall paintings and murals, the Egyptian royalty, for lack of a better term, were red/brown skinned, and these paintings also depicted the black "Deep African" who came from the interior of the continent, was more likely to be seen as members of the working society, if present in Egypt at all. Mr. Clegg should get off of his soap box and look into actual black history for notable achievments to grasp onto.
Jennifer O. writes:
Concerning the "Bad Samaritans" who have demonstrated "religious intolerance" by bringing bibles into Iraq: I must have misunderstood the meaning of multiculturalism. I thought providing alternative literature to a society previously discriminatory towards other religions was actually an introduction of diversity. I thought allowing other people to share their beliefs without censure was the definition of tolerance. I thought offering people a choice in what they were allowed to read and letting them decide about it for themselves was called freedom.
Mike S. writes:
I find it rather unfair to the two hard-working students that the school administration waited until the last minute to eliminate their project from the science fair due to paranoia. These kids set out to prove that even BB guns can be dangerous -- making a very valid point that would resonate quite well with their peers -- and the school instead decides to jump on the "anything that shoots a projectile is bad" bandwagon, ruining all the effort put into a very worthwhile project.
I did a similar project with a friend of mine when we were in the seventh grade, only we used .22, .308, and .357 caliber bullets fired at various objects (by an adult, with strict safety precautions being used). We actually won second place at the science fair, and the teachers loved it. Of course this was almost 12 years ago, before the PC, "all guns are bad" nutjobs had as much control as they do now.
Just goes to show how far we haven't come as a society.
Catherine M. writes:
As a parent who's child takes the "short bus" every day, I do find that band name rather moronic. It not only says that the band is narrow minded, but implies that perhaps they belong on the short bus themselves? It is a stupid name, no matter how you slice it.
I would not have stopped them from playing, or forced them to change their name, but I would never have attended their shows or encouraged anyone else to no matter how good they might be. It is a sad day when a name like "Muskrat Family BBQ" is actually an improvement.
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