Eventually, we will name EVERYTHING after MLK

April 6, 2011 -

This just in from the Seattle School District:

School Building Name Change Meeting, April 6

The community is invited to a meeting on Tuesday, April 6 from 7-8 p.m. at Brighton Elementary school to learn more about the proposed school building name change of Brighton Elementary to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary. Comments are welcomed. The former Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary school building was closed in 2006, and the District will continue to recognize this great American civil rights leader by naming a school in his honor.
First, a little background: The original Seattle Brighton School was built in 1901. The school was named after Brighton Beach. From historylink.org:

Brighton Beach, the Seattle neighborhood, is named after the hometown (a resort town in England) of immigrants who purchased the Pacific Northwest land in the 1880s.

James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railroad

I do think Martin Luther King, Jr was a significant historical figure. But really, do we have to name everything after him? Seattle’s Empire Way was named in honor of “Empire builder” James J. Hill who built the transcontinental railroad to Seattle. That bit of history has now been forgotten – it is now MLK Way.

King County was named after William Rufus DeVane King - who was Vice-President when the Washington Territory was created. That history is now gone. In 1986, Ron Sims “redesignated” King County’s name in honor of MLK.      

 Now Brighton School may very likely be renamed after MLK. The pathetic obsession with political correctness around here regularly changes or denies our history. If they want to name a new school after MLK, I would get that. But can we please end this nonsense of changing names that still have historical significance just so a bunch of pinhead progressives can congratulate themselves on their diversity?                                        

William Rufus King

No MLK Jr. Boulevard just yet; Judge issues restraining order for Central Street.

Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos

WORCESTER – Central Street will not officially become MLK Jr. Boulevard today as planned.

A Superior Court judge yesterday granted a temporary restraining order, preventing the city from putting up the new MLK Jr. Boulevard street signs for at least 10 days.

The judge’s action was the result of a petition filed by Philip Schwachman, owner of property at 100 Central St. His office building is the only significant business address on the stretch of Central Street to be renamed.

In issuing the temporary restraining order, the judge also asked Mr. Schwachman’s legal counsel to contact the Massachusetts Highway Department for an expedited hearing, according to city officials.

They said the judge also indicated that he is inclined to remove the restraining order and allow the city to put up the new signs if state Highway Department officials do not act quickly.

Last year, the City Council voted to rename Central Street, from Main Street to Summer Street, as MLK Jr. Boulevard in honor of the civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The name change was to be effective today.

Mr. Schwachman has argued, however, that the council did not give sufficient notification that it was considering changing the name of Central Street.

Short URL: http://www.newsnet14.com/?p=124027