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2020, Online petition to keep the name of Blackboy Road in Exeter
Event
- has type | est de type
- defence
- carried out by | réalisée par
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The petition, which garnered 2,556 signatures as of April 5th 2024, laid out the following argument for retaining the name:
"There's a petition to change the name of Blackboy Road in Exeter. This must not happen.
Those demanding the council change the name say it comes from a "racist nickname" for the King Charles II who may have had a darker complexion, judging by his official portraits and writings from the time. Today, we acknowledge the past could be a shockingly racist place and move on in a more equal and liberal society.
Changing Exeter's street names for political correctness would be an Orwellian re-writing of history. It would set a dangerous precedent. At what point does it stop? The statue outside Exeter College is of a man who put people in concentration camps during the Boer War. Could that be removed?
There are pragmatic, as well as principled reasons not to change the name as well. Our council tax should be spent on practical things such as bin collections and infrastructure, not removing and replacing road signs because someone applies offence. Changing the road name could also cause confusion.
Trust matters in politics and Exeter City Council should trust the emotional intelligence of local people. Offence is subjective and most people will walk on by. I have experienced racist abuse, as have my friends and we should not conflate those experiences with someone choosing to get offended by a road. Let's sign the petition to ensure the local authorities make the right decision!" - took place on or within | a eu lieu le ou dans l'intervalle de temps
- 1 June 2020
- is referred to by | est référencé par
- change.org