Petition to Change Names of Stuart and Lee HS

[Anonymous]

This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

[Anonymous]

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Whether the schools should be named after Confederate generals is the issue. But, please note, Robert E. Lee is not comparable to Hitler in any way.

And, there is a difference between being "respected" and "feared".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Exactly. The dirty secret is that many people who claim we should not "erase" or "paper over" history actually celebrate the values of the Confederacy. Our schools should have names that are welcoming to all students. No more excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Exactly. The dirty secret is that many people who claim we should not "erase" or "paper over" history actually celebrate the values of the Confederacy. Our schools should have names that are welcoming to all students. No more excuses.

I'm from the Midwest and find assertions that the Civil War was about states rights, not about protecting slavery quite ignorant. But like PP, I think comparing Lee to Hitler is equally stupid. I'll not bow down to the PC over-reaction police on this one. Confederate flags flying over a state house are one thing, renaming a school because we don't approve of someone's politics is another. Should we rename every street, park, etc. in the South?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Exactly. The dirty secret is that many people who claim we should not "erase" or "paper over" history actually celebrate the values of the Confederacy. Our schools should have names that are welcoming to all students. No more excuses.

I'm from the Midwest and find assertions that the Civil War was about states rights, not about protecting slavery quite ignorant. But like PP, I think comparing Lee to Hitler is equally stupid. I'll not bow down to the PC over-reaction police on this one. Confederate flags flying over a state house are one thing, renaming a school because we don't approve of someone's politics is another. Should we rename every street, park, etc. in the South?

Posters here would argue yes. It's crazy.

[Anonymous]

I hope there is a petition to keep the names the same.

[Anonymous]

I hope there is a petition to keep the names the same.

there is. Last I looked, it had more than the other one. My issue is: how much would it cost? I don't know the answer, but I do think it is far more than most realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this mission to erase all memories of the civil war? It happened. Justice won, and we all learned from it.

Should we also petition that they shut down the Holocaust museum because we want to forget that too?

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana

There is this side of history, yes.

However, I think that the fact that these schools were named after Confederate generals only when ordered to desegregate speaks volumes (I have not researched the timing of the naming, and am assuming the history explained in the petition is accurate). These schools were not named to honor the Confederate generals. They were named to signal, loudly, to black students and their parents that they were not welcome, and to deter them from attending. And it was probably at least somewhat effective. It would take a brave parent to send a black child to a school that had just been renamed after a Confederate general. I wouldn't be able to put my kid in the middle of that s*&%storm.

I don't think that aspect of history should be erased - in fact, I think it should be more widely known that so many institutions took such indirect steps to maintain segregation. But there is a difference between whitewashing history and preserving a name meant to intimidate and scare.

Exactly how I feel about the Confederate Flag. Thanks, PP. I am not sure how I feel about the school names yet, but I agree with your reasoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I hope there is a petition to keep the names the same.

there is. Last I looked, it had more than the other one. My issue is: how much would it cost? I don't know the answer, but I do think it is far more than most realize.

I saw one article about a high school changing its name, the cost was $400,000. Is that too much for you, or not enough to fight it?

Also, just counting signatures of competing petitions seems a pretty poor way to make a decision. If the students and administration of the schools decide to change the name, are you going to object, because a petition has lots of signatures against it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a whole lot of hoopla about nothing. Certainly there are more issues in FCPS than high school names that celebrate a couple of gentlemen who fought in the Civil War. The Union Army respected these guys as well -- they just happened to be on the wrong side. Let's not get all caught up in papering over history. It happened, it's over, move on.

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Exactly. The dirty secret is that many people who claim we should not "erase" or "paper over" history actually celebrate the values of the Confederacy. Our schools should have names that are welcoming to all students. No more excuses.

I'm from the Midwest and find assertions that the Civil War was about states rights, not about protecting slavery quite ignorant. But like PP, I think comparing Lee to Hitler is equally stupid. I'll not bow down to the PC over-reaction police on this one. Confederate flags flying over a state house are one thing, renaming a school because we don't approve of someone's politics is another. Should we rename every street, park, etc. in the South?

Ok. Killing Jews is bad. Fighting to keep black people enslaved, beaten, raped, and, yes, killed, is Ok. Do you really think choosing to not honor someone who fought to keep a race of people enslaved is someone's politics? That speaks volumes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

On your theory we should be okay with Hitler too. He was respected in Europe at one point. There is no papering over history going on. So the Union Army respected them, that doesn't mean we should celebrate them by keeping their names on the schools. Papering over history would be trying to not teach about them in school. I'm all for teaching about them in school because as humans, we learn from past mistakes. Not continuing to name schools after them, however, is saying we no longer think they should be held in high esteem. That is showing that we have changed over time, which is also a part of our history.

Whether the schools should be named after Confederate generals is the issue. But, please note, Robert E. Lee is not comparable to Hitler in any way.

And, there is a difference between being "respected" and "feared".

The better comparison isn't Hitler, it's Heinrich Himmler.

[Anonymous]

I saw one article about a high school changing its name, the cost was $400,000. Is that too much for you, or not enough to fight it?

There are two schools under discussion. I am pretty sure it will cost more than 400K each. No, it is not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Obviously there weren't two Marshall Highs before so it wasn't an issue. I predict the kids will say they either go to GCM or Thurgood. It doesn't seem like a big deal, and worth it if we can dispense with the Confederate names.

You are not concerned at all about the expense?

The schools have some wealthy alumni, and minority students should not attend schools named after generals who fought to preserve slavery and white supremacy. FCPS was going to call these schools Franconia HS and Munson Hill HS until they decided Lee and Stuart were better names to demonstrate their resistance to integration. The names are anachronisms and need to change.

You want to hand over the bill to the alumni? You're crazy.

You must not be on the receiving end of emails asking parents and alumni to consider donations to turf fields and scholarship funds at these schools. Alumni surely can defray some of these costs as well.

Would love to see a survey to tally how much alumni are willing to put into a name change. Either way, it's not a viable option when the cost could run anywhere from 200-400K. Backing the athletic dept. or supporting scholarships is one thing, a name change wouldn't get my alumni dollars.

[Anonymous]

Can we talk about teh scary triangle of blacksburg, lynchburg and christiansburg? Just sayin we should change those first