Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?

In a recent article in USA Today, there was a front page feature on the renaming now of local landmarks in order to comply with 'political correctness.' There is even a federal governmental agency now charged with this duty, of course, at the taxpayers expense.

The highlight of the feature was directed toward a 'high profile' case in Arizona in which a local landmark (Squaw Peak) was officially renamed 'Piestewa's Peak' at the behest of a few members of Native American trial leadership for political purposes in order to get rid of the 'S' word with respect to landmarks which they felt were offensive, and at the initial request of Arizona's Governor in order to 'honor' the first female Native American soldier to die in the war. As a 45 year former resident of the State of Arizona (left my home state after three illegal immigrant thefts in less than five years, due in part to the border hoppers and negligence of the federal government in shoring up those borders also for national security reasons post 9/11). The request for the federal action to rename the mountain by the Governor also requested bypassing the usual five year waiting period this federal agency instituted for such requests, and which has been so named since Arizona's terroritorial days.

I had to laugh at the absurdity of such an undertaking at taxpayer's expense, and also whether or not Lori Piestewa's parents would approve of such an 'honor,' for their daughter, if they had truly known the history and origin of the name (since they were residents of a city in northern Arizona, and not metropolitan Phoenix).

Unfortunately, the federal government and it's 'landmark naming' agency, and Arizona's governor apparently, failed to research the fact that this local landmark, which was named 'Squaw Peak,' when the word 'squaw' had no negative connoctations whatsoever, was merely the Indian term for 'female,' and so named due to the fact that this 'peak' resembled a woman's breast. Most of the locals in Arizona are aware of the history behind the naming of that particular landmark, and would hesitate to guess that Ms. Piestewa's parents are also somewhat aware of the origin of the name. In Arizona's terroritorial days, since it was originally an Indian Terroritory, the name evolved as an 'honor' to the roots of the state, and was only meant to designate that the mountain itself resembled a woman's breast, hence 'Squaw Peak.' A local high traffic parkway in that vicinity has also been renamed 'Piestewa Parkway,' a more than fitting 'honor' to this fallen soldier, since it is supported by both public federal and state funding and Lori's sacrifice deserved some local recognition.

But to add insult to such a heroic sacrifice, instead of 'Squaw Peak,' a rather generic name for a local landmark, Lori Piestewa's parents now have a 'peak' that has been renamed, in essence, 'Lori Piestewa's Peak.' I think most women would agree, Indian or not, insofar as 'political correctness' Lori's immortalization in such a manner would be questionable insofar as an 'honor' for her dedication and sacrifice. If such an action, in order to be 'politically correct' was either needed or necessary (and that would be debatable, since it appears this word is only a 'dirty word' to SOME of the indian tribes and tribal leadership), then to correct one political faux pas with another would seem ludicrous to say the least. Why not rename the mountain with either Lori's Indian name, or English translation instead rather than 'Lori Piestewa's Peak'? And though her parents and family attended the dedication ceremony, there were from Northern Arizona and appears although Lori herself was half Native American and many in her family aware of the Indian translation, doubt they were aware of the particulars in why the mountain was so named primarily strictly due to it's shape, when the 'S' word was not a 'dirty' word at all, merely meant 'female' or 'woman.'

The wackos in the federal (and state, it appears) government never cease to amaze me. With the magnitude of the problems that are now facing this country, we have a federal agency renaming local landmarks for 'political correctness,' when in this instance, it is anything but 'political correct,' given the sacrifice that Lori made for this country in a war that is now seen clearly by a majority of the American populace as not a response to 9/11, but a war for oil primarily.

What a waste of taxpayer's funds, and what a desecration of the sacrifice Lori' made for this country.