So, the City Council caved into the cries of residents from De Butts Terrace who didn’t like the name of their street. Amazing! This is what we’ve come to. This is wrong on so many levels. First and foremost is the historical aspect of the street name. It’s a slap in the face to the memory of the de Butts family. I would actually be ashamed to be a resident on De Butts knowing that I’ve altered what is a legacy in our city. As to the argument that kids allegedly got teased at school because of the name, what about the old adage, “Stick and stones…”?
The parents whose kids were supposedly being teased should have engaged their parenting skills and told their kids to ignore the offenders, that it was simple childhood immaturity. At the council meeting, I saw that at least one resident complained that the pizza delivery people laughed when told the name of the street they’d be delivering to. Are we now to change any aspect of our lives if there is to be the risk of a potential snicker? What an absolutely ridiculous argument that was. If I was in the market for a house and it was on “Sewage Dump Street,” I would simply opt out, perhaps, from buying a house there.
Apparently the name of the street, De Butts Terrace, didn’t bother any of the homeowners when they originally bought their houses. This is just such a petty use of council time when there are so many important issues facing us all. I hope the DeButts people are happy. What will they complain about next? (Gosh, I hope they don’t make fun of my name! I’ll have to change it!)
Jill Rabineau