[presidio9]

We are soon going to have to change the ending of or national anthem. The last word is an insult to Native Americans.

[hsmomx3]

I'm so dang sick of this story. I wish Butch would have the smarts to read the law instead of making a mountain out of a mole hill!!! This is blatant discrimination that she is committing and I hope the committee tells her NO! Sounds like she'd do anything for a few votes.

[hsmomx3]

I forgot to ask. What do we know about this woman other than she served our country?

[trebb]

\Squaw\, n. [Massachusetts Indian squa, eshqua; Narragansett squ[^a]ws; Delaware ochqueu, and khqueu; used also in compound words (as the names of animals) in the sense of female.] A female; a woman; -- in the language of Indian tribes of the Algonquin family, correlative of sannup

Newer definitions are listed as offensive, but the original seems pretty straight-forward...

[Lockbar]

As a veteran, I don't think there is anything wrong with naming something after PFC.Piestewa. Its a easy and appropriate thing to do, as she seems to have been an good person, and she died in action. A better person than Klintoon could very dream of being.

[FourPeas]

Q: Since "squaw" has been used for years, how can you say it's an insult?

A: If it were not, we would use it in conversation. If it were not, someone by now would have used it in reference to Piestewa or to other Native American women. That will never happen.

Insulting? No, simply out of date. Still, it's a silly reason to rename a landmark.

[Cyber Liberty]

This irritating question and answer format is why I refuse to read Montini's crap any more. Geesh, at least he could make an effort to look for a straw man, rather than just creating one out of whole cloth.

At least Royko had a made-up character to knock down, "Slats Grobnik".

[Luna]

Why not just name it after the reason why some people want it changed?

We Don't Want To Offend Anyone So We Must Find A Politically Correct Solution Mountain

[Illbay]

Above all, we need to make sure that the ethnic identity of every single person in the news--living or dead--is accurately identified and reported.

It is important that ethnic minorities be represented fairly in our news and popular culture. More important than anything, in fact.

[aimhigh]

So far as we know, Army Pfc. Piestewa is the first Native American servicewoman to die in combat.

I find this hard to believe, considering all the prior wars.

[adam_az]

PLAY BALL!

[skeeter]

I'm not from Arizona, so I don't have a dog in this particular fight.

However, I'm generally against the practice of renaming significant landmarks, etc. Its a practice too easily abused by revisionists and seems to be a favored tactic of Marxists anxious to erase our heritage & shove their orthodoxy down the public's throat.

I'm still stewing over the SF city counsel renaming 150 year old Army street Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Obviously something should be done to honor Ms Piestewa in a public way, as with all our honored dead. But they should consider another way.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Changing it from 'Squaw Peak' is offensive to me... It is erasing my culture, and quitre frankly me, and my Squaw, are offended ;0)

[teokee]

Some gave a little,..some gave it all..
She has a prould name

[Redcloak]

Why is "young woman" in Massachusett offensive?

[narby]

These PC idiots have been looking for an excuse to rename Squaw peak for years. But it's not just a mountian inside the Phoenix area. It's the name of a freeway. It's the name of countless other things, which derive their original name by being in the vicinity of the mountian.

Besides that, it costs money to change all the signs, and the state is broke right now.

And if its that important to name something after this girl, why is it THIS mountian that has to be renamed? Are they calling this soldier a "squaw"? I'd be offended if I were her family.

[Arkinsaw]

Naming a Peak after her would be a good thing in my mind. Whether or not its this one, I don't care.

[hoyaloya]

Still, if the state Board of Geographic and Historic Names (which meets today) says that its rules require us to wait five years after a person's death to change the name, why not wait?

A: We could, but why?

? Is this Montini character extremely dense? If federal law prohibits renaming landmarks for five years after someone's death, then (a) presumably the law was created for a reason; (b) it is an enforceable law; and (c) if you disagree with the law, get it changed.

The circumstances certainly don't, however, make this some kind of emergency meriting ignoring law. This chomps my bit. I live in Arizona. I am partially Native American. I have no problem with "Squaw" Peak, but if it's bothering people, changing the name is no big deal to me. I kind of like the ring of Piestewa Peak. I can see it out my office window right now rising above the valley.

What really irritates me is that renaming the mountain for Ms. Piestewa is something most people could embrace - but not like this. If we're going to throw the rule of law out the window to simply change a name that's been there for generations a couple of years sooner . . . then this is all about politics and agenda. Trying to divide people. That's not the purpose of honoring someone like Ms. Piestewa. Our government ignoring a perfectly reasonable law to suit a partisan agenda demeans and insults what Ms. Piestewa died for.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Why not name it after one the the Arizona soldiers that either died in Viet Nam or was spit on and called a baby killer when he returned?

[anymouse]

Wouldn't it be a bigger offense to name Squaw Peak after her? If it really is considered a slur, then why disgrace her memory that way? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to name another landmark after her?

I guess the politics of victimology doesn't have to be logical. /sarcasm

[Don Corleone]

The "Gov" has been told NO!. It is illegal and will not be done. The man in charge cannot be fired for at least 2 more years so the politically correct crowd can't get to him. BTW the word "Squaw" originaly refered to a married Indian woman. It was not a derisive appelation. Only the PC crowd sees it that way.