Commenters on AJC Get Schooled blog had a range of reactions to the recent decision of a north Florida school board to strike the name of a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan member from a Jacksonville high school. A parent who had moved to Florida from New York led the petition drive to change the name of Nathan B. Forrest High School and garnered 160,000 signatures in support. Here is a sampling of comments:
SoGaReader: It's a new day and time to break from our ugly past. Removing statues and changing names of institutions are ways to begin this process, which will be painful for some. I have deep Southern roots and ancestors who served in the Confederacy, but I'm thankful that I live in a better world today and can reflect on the past, but not be proud of its sins.
Hank: How about just removing all the names? Every person in history has a wart or two that is not beneficial for our students to model. In order not to promote any negativity, I propose that all schools be renamed for their geographic location — for example, 30.246475°N 81.765713°W. Not only would we not promote any political agenda, but we could allow parents to use their GPS to locate the school. Then we could remove street names as well. No more Main Street, 1st Street, boulevards or avenues. Why should one street have a name indicating more importance than another? While we are at it, can we just give each other a number? I want to be called 6,947,231,621.
Lynn: I have no problem with the name change. What I do have a problem with is new people moving in and wanting to change things to the way they were at their old home. When you move into a community, you need to buy into the culture as it is. We have a lot of new people moving to our community, and they all want to change our way of life because, "We did it different back home." If life was so great where you were, then stay there. Leave us alone.
Looking4Truth: Every historical figure worth noting for their role in our nation's history has some reason he/she should not be remembered. They are not perfect role models. There was only one perfect role model, and we can't put his name on a public school.
Robert: I wish the people of Georgia would demand the removal of all the Confederate generals carved on the face of Stone Mountain. It is an embarrassment.
Red: I can see both sides of this. People should be able to name their schools as they see fit. At the same time, historical monuments are just that — our history. Be careful of not being educated on your history, or you might repeat it. At some point, people who move into a community must understand that their new area has its own history.
Mangler: I agree with the "get over it" sentiment on a lot of trivial opines. However, with issues of slavery, American Indians, the Holocaust and other issues of oppression and genocide both domestically and around the world, there is no getting over it. If local citizens want this change, let them have it.
Already: Go ahead and change the name. It was clearly conceived in a fit of spiteful hatred.
