• vortic@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    50
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Wow, this was in the town of White Settlement, TX where a resolution to change the name to “West Settlement” was rejected by a 90% vote in 2005. Interestingly, it is only 52+ white.

      • Steeve@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Or maybe it’s just a big ol waste of time and money to fully rename a town.

        • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          13
          ·
          1 year ago

          It’s an effort that pays dividends far into the future. Like changing military bases named after confederates. Regardless of the effort, future generations benefit from present wisdom.

          • Steeve@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            17
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            1 year ago

            “White Settlement” is apparently the name that the Native Americans gave it in the 1800s and it stuck. Literally nothing like naming military bases after Confederates.

            • clothes@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              7
              ·
              1 year ago

              I get that this makes it a little bit different, but practically I’m not sure it matters. People don’t care about name origins, and our relationships with names have changed since 1800. Whether or not “White Settlement” is offensive is a different question that I’m unsure about.

              • Steeve@lemmy.ca
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                1 year ago

                No, it makes it a lot different. Evidently people do care about name origins, because they chose not to change the name.

                • clothes@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  3
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  Some may have! But I’d need to do research on this particular vote to make that sort of claim confidently. I suspect it was complicated, because things like this are complicated! Just like names ;)