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I don't like a lot of things about history either but I am not sure it's a good idea to go around and try to erase history by removing statues and renaming things. Isn't there a famous quote " Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it".
I would like to know how grads of WHHS that have diplomas from there and fond memories of their school feel about it?
“Disregard for the past will never do us any good. Without it we cannot know truly who we are.”
― Syd Moore
I don't like a lot of things about history either but I am not sure it's a good idea to go around and try to erase history by removing statues and renaming things. Isn't there a famous quote " Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it".
I would like to know how grads of WHHS that have diplomas from there and fond memories of their school feel about it?
Naming things after people, erecting statues of people is a way of honoring those people, and the principles they stood for, not just acknowledging that they existed and were a part of history.
You don't see any high schools named after Richard Nixon, or Jeffrey Daumer libraries, or statues of Lee Harvey Oswald or Joseph McCarthy, but we acknowledge their rightful place in our history and learn from them.
Removing statues, and renaming things isn't erasing history, it's updating who we honor and why.
Removing statues and renaming things means that we are actually learning history, and adjusting to what we have learned.
And although these petitions often don't go where we want, they at least educate people about our history, which is why I posted this.
Naming things after people, erecting statues of people is a way of honoring those people, and the principles they stood for, not just acknowledging that they existed and were a part of history.
You don't see any high schools named after Richard Nixon, or Jeffrey Daumer libraries, or statues of Lee Harvey Oswald or Joseph McCarthy, but we acknowledge their rightful place in our history and learn from them.
Removing statues, and renaming things isn't erasing history, it's updating who we honor and why.
Removing statues and renaming things means that we are actually learning history, and adjusting to what we have learned.
And although these petitions often don't go where we want, they at least educate people about our history, which is why I posted this.
There are 91 public schools named after John F. Kennedy, 73 named after Thomas Jefferson and 13 named after Barack Obama. (In total, the U.S. had 99,354 public schools, according to the most recent count.)
But when it comes to former President Richard Nixon, who resigned amid scandal in 1974, just two public schools across the country bear his name, according to the Department of Education.
I see both sides. I see nothing wrong with removing statues or school names, but there is a stopping point. For instance, if Charleston removes the Calhoun statute in Marion Square, or renames Calhoun St, I won't have a problem. But if someone proposes renaming Calhoun County, then nice try.
If Wade Hampton was a county, again nice try. Even trying to rename the CDP of Wade Hampton would be a stretch. But Wade Hampton High is just a physical building. You can easily take off his name and put up someone elses. I don't think removing his name is "erasing" history. It's ending the honoring of a man, who we shouldn't be honoring.
We'll never forget our history, especially in South Carolina, but that doesn't mean we have to keep things up just because of it. Wasn't it Robert E Lee who said he didn't want any statues or anything in his honor? Yet they put one up anyway. I'm sure most locals still refer to the arena, or at least think of it at first thought, as the "Bilo Center." Just because they took the name off doesn't mean the Bilo Center has been erased from Upstate culture.
We're not going to rename our cities, counties, and states, Washington DC will always be Washington DC, Columbia will always owe it's name to Christoper Columbus, and UVA isn't going to lose any merit because of who designed it. But when it comes to statues, roads, schools, parks - there are many people who have done good that deserve more honor than a Wade Hampton or Calhoun.
Seriously...come on. No one is thinking about it that hard. City limits or not, it's "Greenville." I bet many people aren't familiar with Max Heller, and for the people that are, I doubt theyd make a stink over it being named after him on the basis of arbitrary human-drawn geography.
What did Max Heller do outside the city of Greenville in Greenville County?
I'm so glad that they're taking down all of these statues, and renaming things. While we're at it, all of the founding fathers were slave owners, including George Washington. Although he allegedly had mixed feelings about slavery, there's no evidence that his slaves were any better off than others. He did provide for them to be freed after his death- I guess that makes it OK. Do we rename the city? The state? Slavery, as awful as it is, is part of our history, much like the slaughter of the indigenous people that were here first. Do we make it 'go away', but attempting to re-write history?
What happens when people want to remove Martin Luther King, Jr. from statues, roads, bridges, schools, etc.?
Wade Hampton High School has been what it is for a long time. I do not see a change occurring.
I support changing the names of buildings and roads named after Confederates and slave owners and other racist politicians but we should also request that their party name not be used anymore. These racists could have not have done anything without their party.
Here are some other names in Greenville metro that will need to change:
Easley (owned slaves, supported secession)
Furman University (owned slaves, supported secession)
Greer (owned slaves, support secession)
Duncan (owned slaves, supported secession)
Mauldin (I couldn't find much info on him but most likely)
Byrnes High School (one of FDR's top officials, he made positive comments about lynching and supported segregation)
Washington Road (owned slaves)
What did Max Heller do outside the city of Greenville in Greenville County?
Who cares? He's a Greenville figure. Wade Hampton is located in Greenville. Greenville's growth and vision hasn't been restricted to the city limits. It wasn't my idea, I was just pointing out the petition I saw suggested Max Heller. If that's such a big deal, go let them know.
Maybe "Almost Max Heller But Not Quite Since The School is 3,000 Feet From Greenville City Limits High School" would be a better option?
I support changing the names of buildings and roads named after Confederates and slave owners and other racist politicians but we should also request that their party name not be used anymore. These racists could have not have done anything without their party.
Here are some other names in Greenville metro that will need to change:
Easley (owned slaves, supported secession)
Furman University (owned slaves, supported secession)
Greer (owned slaves, support secession)
Duncan (owned slaves, supported secession)
Mauldin (I couldn't find much info on him but most likely)
Byrnes High School (one of FDR's top officials, he made positive comments about lynching and supported segregation)
Washington Road (owned slaves)
This is what I was just talking about. Those city names aren't going anywhere. Renaming Easley would be a major interruption in terms of cost, logistics, everything. Washington is not going anywhere either. Owning slaves or not, Washington is synonymous with the US along with Lincoln.
With all the name changing controversy, I haven't seen anyone suggest cities and counties, just...physical objects. In DC, people have suggested renaming Jefferson Davis Hwy and removing his statue. Two physical objects. No one has suggested renaming Washington or tearing down Mount Vernon or the Jefferson Memorial.
The only one of those on your list that would have any chance is Byrnes, because it's a physical school. Even then I've seen that most would be satisfied with just changing the "Rebel" name rather than the school name.
And what you're trying to subtlety say is "it's the democrats fault", but you know good and well that modern day democrats have nothing to do with those guys. Same with Republicans. Not everything has to be a partisan fight.
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