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Reader's Letters
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Posted on 02/09/2006 9:48 PM EST
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The Name Game
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Roger Settler
Something that has distressed me for a long time in politics is the subject of symbolism, or “window dressing”. This unfortunate trend has reared its head throughout our history, but in recent times the phenomenon manifested itself in the 1988 Presidential campaign...the major issues that year were flag burning, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Willie Horton scare, and the image of Michael Dukakis sitting atop a tank...nothing of substance, just symbolism. The naming of the Ronald Reagan airport continued this trend, and now it seems to be manifesting here in Lubbock!
It is one thing to “stand up” to the City Council with words, and it is quite another to back it up with official votes. It is one thing to take abuse, it is quite another to go out and actually work for important issues...the quality of life, affordable housing, rent controls, a decent minimum wage, health care, the quality of the environment, a Police Review Board...things that matter, not just “window dressing”.
The issue of renaming streets is a perfect example of this trend. I adore Cesar Chavez and what he stood for...a street or something else should definitely be named for him, instead of little-known and purely local figures like Marsha Sharp and Glenna Goodacre.
However, the current effort seems misdirected...in Austin, Cesar Chavez is the MAIN street through the Barrio...visible and apparent to everyone. Naturally, here on the Giant Side of Texas, we would come up with an effort to name an obscure street in a predominantly Black neighborhood after the famous civil rights and migrant leader. What a deal!
How about renaming University Avenue north of 4th Street Cesar Chavez Boulevard? How about the section of the “Marsha Sharp” Freeway that passes through our neighborhoods, from University to the Interstate?In fact, why not name the entire East-West Freeway after Cesar Chavez instead of a basketball coach? How about the ill-named Parkway? When Quirt Avenue was renamed, it was long overdue and appropriate to the neighborhood. MLK has visibility...to relegate Cesar Chavez to a street nobody travels on is just another way of ignoring Chicanismo, just another insult and an affront.
From the balconies in the movie theatres to the removal of Chicano families from Overton and now Jackson...this suppression of Chicano culture is insulting and degrading. Let us rise up and “Just Say No” to this travesty!
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