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| General Daniel R. "Chappie" James was our nation's first Black 4-Star General and he was a decorated combat veteran aviator. He was also a native of Pensacola. We should think big and name our city's airport in his honor!" |
There may be disagreement over the naming of the Three Mile Bridge for Chappie James (as this would require a current designation be stripped from the bridge and a family that gave much to our community)--but there is absolutely NO disagreement with the fact that General Daniel R. "Chappie" James, the nation's first Black 4-star General, a Pensacola Native, and a decorated Combat Veteran of the Korean and Vietnam War--deserves to be honored in a profound way.
I have made it clear I do not favor honoring one man and his family by tearing down a designation and a memorial to another family.
And I do not buy the nascent and dishonorable arguments blooming and festering about one man being a bigot.
I believe that is ridiculous and it is also a really, really slippery slope to start picking and choosing which historical figures remain "worthy" of memorials based upon today's standards, norms, culture, and laws.
So let's all agree that Chappie deserves to be honored in a big way--much bigger than a bridge plaque.
Let's think big and name our airport in Pensacola after Chappie James.
He was an aviator, what better symbol could we use to express our thanks to this man and his family for his service to our nation than to name our airport after him? And doing this means we don't have to disregard and tear down the Beall family's monument on the bridge. Let's change Pensacola's airport name, and give Chappie the memorial he deserves!
Right now, the name of the airport is "Pensacola International Airport."
How about this, though:
"General Daniel R. 'Chappie' James International Airport at Pensacola."
The static display and the statue could be installed, and an entire section of the airport could be dedicated to the memory of this great American. Hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly would learn about this man, which is a lot more that would ever stop long enough to see his name on a plaque on a bridge leading to the beach.
Come on Pensacola---let's do something we can ALL agree upon and let's do the memorial to General James the right way.
"General Daniel R. 'Chappie' James International Airport at Pensacola."
Great idea. Aviation is a grearer way to recognize General James. Bigger recognition, which is much and well deserved.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea to name the airport Chappie James and keep Beall's name on the bridge. We should rename Perdido Key, Chappie James Beach and put a sign up on the interstate directing people there. Four lane State Road 292, charge a toll, name it Chappie James Boulevard. Next, compel the Poarch Creek Indians to build a huge mega Casino for economic development for the good of Escambia county citizens. Perhaps if there is an incorporation, we could name the town Chappalachicola. Maybe Beach Access #4 could be named for Lewis Bear just for good measure especially if he'll supply the beer for the party. We could name the porta potty for some one else.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2:42--I thought your comment was serious at first, as I was taking a sip of hot coffee. Suffice it to say.....upon my sudden realization that your comment was cleverly amusing.....that I shot coffee through my right nostril and I am sure this is not good for my sinus cavity. This was a very good laugh that you produced for me, thanks for that. And oh, by the way, I have just the guy in mind for us to name the outhouse for. After we name it for him, we should Christen it by putting him in it on a hot day, then knocking it over like a scene from one of those Johnny Knoxville shows. Then, to clean off after he emerges from the messy porta-potty---he could run to the beach, all the while exclaiming " I love the beach mouse, I did it for the mouse!!" The film of this could have the soundtrack from chariots of fire added, and it could be played in slow motion on the other facebook fan site, where this guy's groupies would go ga ga over it......There, touche!
ReplyDeletePart of the problem is that some trying to push for the name change seem to be using some of the tactics that a certain Military mind in D2 uses, such as organizing large teams to attend meetings and force a quick decision on them. Your effort in organizing a committee demonstrates you have a Stateman's mentality. You seem to be able to make the decisions that are the best for the county. Of course your sense of humor and creativeness is a hallmark of genius. It is evident as times you have to do things publicly to counter act the harmful demagogue type behavior that has invaded Escambia politics. The military mindset is valuable but they must realize they can't keep playing that way because people really do see behind the machining and manipulations.
ReplyDeleteThe Huey Longs can't operate in the dark any longer because some of the electorate is smarter than that. Some of the ones on facebook are either trying to use that same type division or either they lack a depth of intelligence to understand more complexities that have faced our society over time.
The troubling issue with demagogues is that not only do they distort logic and truth, but they stir up the masses and sow deep divisions in society. The black and white thinking and hostile rhetoric toward the “other” that they encourage is damaging to the fabric of society and critical thought.
Of course we can't see how this will end but to name the airport Chappie James and to keep the memorial on the bridge would be the only solution going forward to the rational mature mind.
Great idea. Aviation is a grearer way to recognize General James. Bigger recognition, which is much and well deserved.
ReplyDeleteIn this bridge name discussion which, as the lowest common denominator has brought it. consider this:
ReplyDeletehttps://quillette.com/2018/03/10/psychology-progressive-hostility/
"Haidt’s research echoes arguments made by Thomas Sowell in A Conflict of Visions and Steven Pinker in The Blank Slate. Both Sowell and Pinker contend that conservatives see an unfortunate world of moral trade-offs in which every moral judgment comes with costs that must be properly balanced. Progressives, on the other hand, seem to be blind to, or in denial about, these trade-offs, whether economic and social; theirs is a utopian or unconstrained vision, in which every moral grievance must be immediately extinguished until we have perfected society. This is why conservatives don’t tend to express the same emotional hostility as the Left; a deeper grasp of the world’s complexity has the effect of encouraging intellectual humility. The conservative hears the progressive’s latest demands and says, “I can see how you might come to that conclusion, but I think you’ve overlooked the following…” In contrast, the progressive hears the conservative and thinks, “I have no idea why you would believe that. You’re probably a racist.”
No doubt, other factors creep into the mix of the triggered progressive mind. Fashionable theories, such as those advanced by Jacques Derrida, teach students that all text and language is structured by power, so any argument from someone in a position of ‘gendered’ or ‘racial’ power can be disregarded, whatever its logical validity. By reinforcing this premise with a heavily left-biased education, university educators have created a Frankenstein generation of fanatical students, and are now finding that they are unable to force the genie they’ve conjured back into its bottle. With the rise of the Heterodox Academy, progressive, liberal, and conservative university professors are coming forward, united by their concerns about the dangers of educational orthodoxy and committed to bringing an end to the radical Left’s domination of the humanities and social sciences. It’s a noble stand in the name of viewpoint diversity and free inquiry, as the rest of society slowly becomes aware of what their taxes are paying for. The sharp decline in public support for the university, especially among Republicans and conservatives, suggests they are not impressed."
neither am I impressed by some..you know who they are.
The renaming for the Talmadge bridge in Savannna GA has undergone some of the same embittered argument. It really seems to be indicative of what is going on in the USA at this time.
ReplyDeleteSmollett is this week's poster boy. The victim insanity against MAGA has gone too far. The far left has gone stark raving mad at the expense of our nation. Maybe it is time some face the truth. Consider the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
Charleston, Illinois in 1858, Abraham Lincoln stated, "I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. I as much as any man am in favor of the superior position assigned to the white race."
But guess -- what civil rights leader meet there now. There is a plaque to MLK Jr there.
So are we going to accept pimply faced, basement living Christophobes yelling "racist" and be moved by it? or encourage then to learn about how nations rise and fall and get over it.
Turn it over to the committee, the intergovernmental committee and let the left wing nut bigots yell into the void.
Or hand them a history link..
I wouldn't be surprised if some are fake accounts on Andy's site.
They named a new bridge after Abe Lincoln in 2015, after reading those above comments with that quote, I think they should tear it down. (sarcasm)
ReplyDeleteThencollect all the 20 bills and the five dollars bills the one cent pieces, and and and..oh all the money it has God on it..
so maybe the community needs to have a real and frank discussion on racism..as a politition, it may be best if you turn this over to committee.
People can't see the forests for the trees.