I am in complete agreement with Sharon Jackson’s letter printed in the May 28 edition of the Cowichan Valley Citizen entitled “New park name uninspired.” As she stated, the name of the new park [on Station Street in Duncan] is ridiculously bland and innocuous in keeping with the current practice of desperately attempting to offend no one. Unfortunately, this is also the proven method of having no meaning whatsoever in public life and honouring no one.
If indeed 60 per cent of the names submitted suggested Michael Coleman Park, why didn’t they just name it that? The most important point in Ms. Jackson’s letter was her query as to why they bothered to ask the public at all if they were intent on ignoring them and proceeding with a useless name that would identify and honour no one.
My personal opinion about why they did this has to do more with their desire not to honour someone like Michael Coleman or perhaps anyone with a name like his. In a larger context you can see this as a result of greater social forces that have reduced us all, modified or reduced our history and our culture on both a national and municipal level. In other words, the same forces that gave us political correctness, and now rule us through the fear of “offending” others, have struck again.
We absolutely need to name parks after people and what is more, put up appropriate monuments in their name. Ms. Jackson is right. We should be grateful they did not name it Cream of Wheat park instead.
Perry Foster
North Cowichan
