From what I read in the newspaper and hear on the radio, apparently I am a racist because I am not in favor of changing the name of Lake Shore Drive to Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Drive.1 The fact that “Lake Shore Drive” is a classic Chicago street name, known pretty much around the world, right up there with “State Street, that great street,” and “Michigan Drive, the Magnificent Mile,” doesn’t matter. Jean Baptiste Point DuSable was a Black Haitian and not wanting to name Lake Shore Drive after him is racist.2 It’s sort of like Humpty Dumpty:
“‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.’
‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’
‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that's all.’”
Which is okay with me. I’m not going to stress out over it. Because I understand racist is now the all-around political charge used by some people for those who disagree with them. It’s sort of like “fascist” used to be – and actually was until very recently when racist replaced it. (I think fascist may have lost some of its sting from being used too much.)
Which brings me to the question of this post: What’s next? In the 1950s, the political charge du jour was communist. Then it became fascist. Now it’s racist. What is it going to be ten years from now?
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1 Actually, I am not sure it would be specifically called Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Drive, but it will be named after Jean Baptiste Point DuSable.
2 Jean Baptiste Point DuSable was first non-indigenous settler in Chicago, which is why people want to name Lake Shore Drive after him. Though it does raise the question as to why we should be naming Lake Shore Drive after a non-indigenous settler, instead of one of the indigenous people from whom the whole area was stolen. But that is a different question.
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