Have the PCers gone too far?

[lindalove]

____ Rapids: Pushing for a new name, new image

Some think it is time for Coon Rapids to leave behind a name they say conjures backwoods images, or worse, racist ones.

Some Coon Rapids business cards list their company's address as Minneapolis, which is about 14 miles south of the truth.
Those business owners are among those who support City Council Member Joe Sidoti's efforts to hold a referendum and let residents decide whether to change Coon Rapids' name.

The reasons?

Apparently it can be embarrassing to say you're from a place called Coon Rapids when you're doing business in New York City or Los Angeles. But business owners aren't eager to say that publicly, illustrating the sensitivity of the issue.

Sidoti, who also works out of his home and does a lot of traveling, said he has thought long and hard about changing the name.

"We're a city of 65,000 people," he said. "Does the name Coon Rapids conjure up the name of a thriving city? We've got to start thinking globally."

It's not just the giggles that business people hear after introducing themselves, he said. There's the reaction high school students get when they travel for events. The city has had a hard time getting upscale retail and restaurants, which Sidoti thinks could be subtly related to the image the name projects.

On top of that is the racial undertone. "Coon" has been used as a derogatory word for black people.

"I want a name that reflects the vibrance of this community," Sidoti said.

The council plans to discuss the possibility of a referendum in an upcoming work session.

Mayor Tim Howe said he's heard only from residents who are upset about a possible change.

"I certainly am not in favor of it," Howe said. "I don't think it's a necessity. I think people are happy with the name."

Howe pointed out that the same question was brought to a referendum in 1968 and failed. "We had 'I Love Coon Rapids' buttons we saw people wearing around the city," he said.

The 1968 referendum read "Should the name of the city of 'Coon Rapids' be changed to some other name?" Only 1,977 said yes, while 6,619 said no.

Sidoti said part of the reason could have been that the ballot didn't offer an alternative. He suggested the city could hold a contest and list the winner as the alternative name on the ballot.

A couple of his ideas include River Rapids and River City.

"I'm trying to focus on the Mississippi River because it's a fabulous resource," he said.

Coon Rapids actually got its name from the Mississippi, according to Coon Rapids Historical Commission files. A small village began around the construction of the Coon Rapids Dam in 1913. A spot near that area was known as Coon Creek Rapids because it was one of the shallowest points of the river, had raccoons scurrying everywhere and was next to the rapids. The name eventually was shortened to Coon Rapids.

Part of the name change process requires a majority of voters to approve the change.

Sidoti suggested holding a referendum during the midterm elections this November to limit extra costs. He said the city could phase in changes to letterhead and police cars to keep the price down.

"You've got to start thinking bigger," he said.

Have the PCers gone too far?

[Reese]

From the name alone I'd say the name is fine, for a backwoods town of 600, but it's not, It's a city of 65,000. Coon Rapids doesn't really fit the description of the city to me. I know what it's like to have to live in a place that constantly gets commented on and made fun of because of the odd name. This guy just wants to represent his city honestly so assuptions of racism or a backwoods town isn't made in the future. Would you rather have a Lawyer based in Coon Rapids or Minneapolis..

[snowy]

If I heard the name Coon Rapids, I'd think raccoons...honestly, I really don't think of the word "coon" as a racial slur first, mostly because I'm from the country and that's what raccoons are.

I don't think it's a big deal, really, but it is a hickish name no matter which connotation you choose.

[grumpyolddude]

There is a precedent for renaming a city here in SE Michigan. The hype of Detroit as the "Murder Capital of America" so traumatized the city council of East Detroit, a northern suburb, that they changed the name of the town to East Pointe. They figured that folks would here the name and conjure images of Grosse Pointe, a high society neighbor, rather than Detroit.
The name change seems to have had a positive affect on the citizens and businesses.
Maybe a name change would help Coon Rapids move forward.

[shakran]

I suppose now that coonskin caps are made from dead black people? Sometimes people look a little too hard to find racial slurs where none exist. The word coon refers to a raccoon unless some idiot is specifying a racial slur, and it's usually not hard to tell when that's happening. I think you'd have a pretty tough time proving that Coon Rapids was named to insult minorities. I also think there are plenty of real problems city councils can be dealing with. I'd rather see the guys in Coon Rapids working on what to do about meth, or the city's economy than worrying about how many total idiots will get offended by a name that's not offensive.

[Lasereth]

If I lived in Coon Rapids I'd feel like an idiot either way. Should the name be changed? Maybe not, but it'd still make me feel odd saying I lived in a place called Coon. And yes, where I live, the term is used quite frequently in a negative manner.

[shakran]

Originally Posted by Lasereth

If I lived in Coon Rapids I'd feel like an idiot either way. Should the name be changed? Maybe not, but it'd still make me feel odd saying I lived in a place called Coon. And yes, where I live, the term is used quite frequently in a negative manner.

But you wouldn't live in a place called Coon - you'd live in a place called Coon Rapids which, according to the town's historical documents is named for Coon Creek Rapids, where they built a dam in the early days of the town.

And hell, that state has a town named "Embarass." Arizona has Whorehouse Flats and Bullshit Canyon. There are lots of dumber places to live than Coon Rapids.

[Ustwo]

My fathers high school team name was......

The corn jerkers.

Still is too.

Things could be worse.

[Rodney]

There's no right or wrong to it -- involvement of the business community shows that they know it's all about marketing.

Sure, the word "coon" might raise some questions in some peoples' eyes. But in others, the name would invoke a backwoods, hick flavor -- certainly no place with anything important going on. I think if it were called "Donkeyville" or "Skunkburg" there'd be just as strong a case for a namechange, especially in a town of 65K that wants a good image.

My dad used to own property in a town that had been called Bedbug. Somewhere along the line, before he got there, the city fathers changed the name to Ione. Wise move. And not at all PC -- unless you want to protect the rights of bedbugs.

[Toaster126]

The issue is more than the word Coon being used as a pejorative for blacks. There is also the whole hick-ish feel that name brings the town, which I think is actually more important. I don't think the average person has a gut reaction of racism; I think they have a gut reaction of WTF? Racoons? People don't need any negative stereotypes following them just because of the name of their city.

There have been places that have benefited from something as simple as a name change. grumpyolddude named one example. I would support the name change if I had a vote.

[Charlatan]

I agree... this isn't PC, this is marketing.

Coon Rapids might as well be called Hicksville as far as some people see it. It all depends on how you are trying to position your city.


As for the potential racial slur... I don't think it really plays into it.

[maleficent]

I'm not so sure you could ever run for president... Imagine the tear jerking speech - "I still believe in a place called Coon..."

It's like living on Dick Street - Who really cares...

I still want to move to Hell - I'm there most days might as well make the geography match...

[maleficent]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

Hicksville

Everytime I'm on the LIRR and the train stops at Hicksville, I do giggle silently to myself...

[cellophanedeity]

I think as a business move, it's a good idea. Really, they make a good point about how people generally won't take a business person from a place called "Coon Rapids" seriously.

I'm not saying that the pejudices about the name are justified, just that they're there.

And hell, if the city decides to keep it's name or change it, it's no big deal. Maybe a bit of time and money on the voting and paperwork, but think of all of the money that the stationary companies would make in the area!

[politicophile]

If the people of Coon Rapids vote by majority to change the name of their town, I would have no objection. If, however, the city were prompted by a lawsuit to change their "racist" name, I would be very unhappy. This is a decision that should be made by the people who live there.

[Redjake]

Originally Posted by politicophile

If the people of Coon Rapids vote by majority to change the name of their town, I would have no objection. If, however, the city were prompted by a lawsuit to change their "racist" name, I would be very unhappy. This is a decision that should be made by the people who live there.

that's exactly how I feel. however, if I did in fact live there, I would be all over that ballot.

[Cynthetiq]

Originally Posted by maleficent

Everytime I'm on the LIRR and the train stops at Hicksville, I do giggle silently to myself...

So that's who was giggling as I was getting off the train when I lived there...(it wasn't so silent sometimes) LOL

[kutulu]

Huh, I wasn't aware that PC thought (no matter how unreasonable it is at times) was part of a collective action manned by a secret group of people who want to make sure that nobody has any fun at all.

Like said before, it's a marketting move. Move along, there's nothing to see here.

[Cynthetiq]

Originally Posted by kutulu

Huh, I wasn't aware that PC thought (no matter how unreasonable it is at times) was part of a collective action manned by a secret group of people who want to make sure that nobody has any fun at all.

Like said before, it's a marketting move. Move along, there's nothing to see here.

I grew up in Van Nuys, CA it was a popular place growing up people would come to Van Nuys Blvd to cruise on Wednesday nights, even spawning the movie of the same name.

Over 2 decades it declined into a barrio, the edge that I lived in near the North Hollywood border recently changed the name to Valley Village.

All about the name when people buy real estate... even East New York is being attached to hipster area Williamsburg by calling it North Williamsburg all to bring in more $$$.

[ObieX]

Reminds me of something that happened in World of Warcraft. (nerd alert!) Anyway, in the game there's little pets that you can have that follow you around, and some of these pets are house cats. One of the cats was the breed Maine Coon. Well after months of the name of the cat getting filtered throught he name filter they finally changed the name to "Black Tabby" (which i think was even more of an insult than keeping the name Maine Coon .. which is the name of that kind of cat.. there's no such thing as a black tabby as far as i know.) Sometimes i wonder why they just didnt come out and call it "African-American Tabby." Every time my little gnome mage pulls him out he stops for a little /cry.



/cry

[Bill O'Rights]

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

If I heard the name Coon Rapids, I'd think raccoons...honestly, I really don't think of the word "coon" as a racial slur first, mostly because I'm from the country and that's what raccoons are.

Me too.

Originally Posted by Charlatan

Coon Rapids might as well be called Hicksville as far as some people see it.

Carefull. My wife would argue that point till your death. She's from Hicksville, NY. (Yeah...I silently chuckle to myself...very silently)

[Charlatan]

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

(Yeah...I silently chuckle to myself...very silently)

You are wise...

[fresnelly]

I agree that a full vote on the matter would be best.

Here's the story of how Berlin, Ontario was renamed Kitchener in 1916, due to anti-German sentiments during WW1.

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/educ...8020404_e.html

[maleficent]

Originally Posted by fresnelly

I agree that a full vote on the matter would be best.

Here's the story of how Berlin, Ontario was renamed Kitchener in 1916, due to anti-German sentiments during WW1.

there's a town in northern new hampster called Berlin - rather than renaming the town and redoing maps and such - they just changed the pronunciation... it's pronounced BURHL-IN... Maybe Coon could repronounce their name Coooo- Ohn... :d

[martinguerre]

"The city has had a hard time getting upscale retail and restaurants,"

That's not because of the name. I'm pretty sure that has something to do with the historic concentration of wealth into a couple of urban nieghborhoods and the south-western burbs, and not in the northern ring of burbs.

But the name doesn't help. Hicksville would read as about as sophisticated. IMO, these folks ought to be working on getting the commuter rail up through the highway 10 corridor instead...it's a project that's been in the works for a long time, and could really help bring up land values up there by suddenly reducing the average commute in to Minneapolis.

[billege]

Those people that say they see a racial slur in the name "Coon Rapids" are putting thier own thoughts into a name that just doesn't have them. I'd say to those people that if *they* think a racial slur when they hear "Coon Rapids" then that's because *they* associate "coon" with race. It's totally putting somthing that's not there, there.

If the town just really feels that Coon Rapids is too hickish, then that's also a bare display of thier insecurity. Are they hicks? I don't know. Make your own reputation, don't try to steal someone else's with a name change.

I bet the people in Hicksville OH have a fun time with thier name, http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...oh&btnG=Search, but it's still there.

I think the angst over thier name stems from thier own insecurity. If I hear Coon Rapids, as a place of origin from someone, I don't have too many associations to make. I know nothing about Coon Rapids. I'll only know what I hear from someone that comes from there, or what I learn if I ever go there.


I suggest that instead of putting the responsibility for the city's image on the city's name, *they* take responsibility for giving that town its reputation.

Instead of trying to weasel into a reputation by changing the city name so it steals associations earned by other cities they should earn Coon Rapids the reputation they want it to have.

Stop whining about what assumptions other people might make about a city they don't know anything about. Show them what people from Coon Rapids are about. If Coon Rapids citizens show outsiders they're hicks, then that's what people will think. If they show outsiders they're dynamic, sophisticated, eager people, than that's what people will think.

Give me a break here. You make or break a reputation based on actions. If Michigan changed the area called "Detroit" to "The Best Most Pleasent Wonderful City Ever" it'd still be a decrepit shambles. Meanwhile, changing Orlando FL to Fernando FL, wouldn't make Flordians any less well known for being odd enough to rate thier own tag on Fark.

[SirLance]

We had a similar issue in AZ with people finding offense in the word "Squaw." They demanded that places with such names be renamed.

'Squaw' is one of a number of words in English that were borrowed from Eastern Algonquian languages, sometimes via French, during the early contact period. In this case, the word "squas" in Massachusett, which meant "young woman" is seen by linguists as the origin of the word "squaw." This is attested as early as 1624. In fact, related words derived from Proto-Algonquian occur throughout the Algonquian language family.

Recently 'squaw' has been spuriously associated with a fairly obscure Mohawk slang term "otsískwa", which means 'female genitalia'. This association appears to date back to 1974, and was then popularized in a television interview by Suzan Harjo.

The socially sensitive are so incredibly outraged, and have captured popular imagination so effectively, that the long known actual explanation in terms of Massachussett tends to get overlooked.

There's an interesting article here .

It seems that people can choose to be offended by terms that have been used offensively, even if there are other, positive uses. Yes, "coon" is a racial epithet in that context but otherwise is a common slang term for racoon. Squaw was never an offensive term until someone decided it was meant that way, even though the context of use was never offensive.

I think these folks need to get over it, and the rest of us need to speak up. Just because something CAN be offensive in one context doesn't mean it IS offensive in all contexts. This kind of silliness should be reigned in.

[Charlatan]

I had no idea that Squaw had any other meaning than, young woman.

Screw this... I'm moving to Cooterville

Better yet I'm moving to one of these towns:

French Lick, IN
Sac City, IA
Skiddy, KS
Ono, KY
Boring, MD
Crappo, MD
Gay, MI
Hell, MI
Gaysport, OH
Beaverdale, PA
Intercourse, PA
Left Hand, WV
Come by Chance, Newfoundland

[blahblah454]

I live about an hour away from a city of the same size called Red Deer. Now it doesnt get more hickish than that (well maybe except for hicksville). That city is doing just fine, in fact its booming now. Sure it doesn't have the name of an animal that could possible be used as a racial slur but its still pretty "farmy". But yea, with that name its still doing very well for itself, its just another city. People 'round here don't snicker at the name or anything.

[Charlatan]

blahblah... noone snickers because everyone around you is a hick...

I think there is a difference between Red Deer and Coon Rapids... The word "coon" is a stereotypical redneck slang. Coon Crick would be more telling.

[martinguerre]

Originally Posted by billege

If the town just really feels that Coon Rapids is too hickish, then that's also a bare display of thier insecurity.

If you'd ever been there you'd know what they're talking about...It's just hard to explain to people who aren't from here...but the northern suburbs of the twin cities have had a really hard time. on one side of Coon Rapids is the 694, the northernmost part of the loop that goes around the cities. on the other is cow pasture. and depending on how the infrastructure goes in...they get sucked into the rest of the Metro, and they've got a good town. But if they failed to raise land values when the housing went in...and they get filled up by a bunch of mediocre townhouses, be an exurb bedroom community and lose any hope of having a tax base for the next 50 years.

Development is cutthroat...and marketing yourself to potenital residents and business is a huge deal. As native...i hear Coon Rapids, and my first thought is that it's way the hell out there. Matter of fact...my old house is equidistant to the city center as they are. But the south has the highways and the transit and the tax base.

[Toaster126]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I had no idea that Squaw had any other meaning than, young woman.

Screw this... I'm moving to Cooterville

Better yet I'm moving to one of these towns:

French Lick, IN
Sac City, IA
Skiddy, KS
Ono, KY
Boring, MD
Crappo, MD
Gay, MI
Hell, MI
Gaysport, OH
Beaverdale, PA
Intercourse, PA
Left Hand, WV
Come by Chance, Newfoundland

You sure about that? My choices for crazy names have always been King of Prussia, PA and Blue Ball, PA. Or all the CRAZY Indian-inspired names.

[xepherys]

I think if they vote to change it becuase they want it changed, more power to them. I think the PC angle is thrown in just to help convince people the change "should" happen. Realistically, I think it's dumb. What if you had a city called Negro... of latin/spanish heritage that has black sand beaches. It would never last. How lame. I think I'm going to campaign to make common words have derogatory meanings. Maybe people will eventually get sick of it. Personally, I'm offended by Nabisco calling things "crackers". I find this to be a racial slur against my heritage and background. Also, I will start calling all asian people "noodles". I will mean this in the most negative possible way (I love asian people, so... we'll see how this works out). Maybe it'll catch on. Then packaging throughout the nation will have to be changed.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I had no idea that Squaw had any other meaning than, young woman.

Screw this... I'm moving to Cooterville

Better yet I'm moving to one of these towns:

French Lick, IN
Sac City, IA
Beaverdale, PA
Intercourse, PA
Come by Chance, Newfoundland

I suddenly miss my wife....

[Lucifer]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I had no idea that Squaw had any other meaning than, young woman.

Screw this... I'm moving to Cooterville

Better yet I'm moving to one of these towns:

French Lick, IN
Sac City, IA
Skiddy, KS
Ono, KY
Boring, MD
Crappo, MD
Gay, MI
Hell, MI
Gaysport, OH
Beaverdale, PA
Intercourse, PA
Left Hand, WV
Come by Chance, Newfoundland

Charlatan, you forgot the best one of all:

Dildo, Newfoundland

[Charlatan]

Now that's funny.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...,+newfoundland

[maleficent]

or there's
Sweet Lips, TN
Stiffknee Knob, NC
Brainy Boro, NJ (some think they live here, but really don't
Toad Suck, AR
Boring, OR (where I should move to because i am
Oddville, KY (I know a lot of people who should be moving here)
Peculiar, MO - or here
or my personal favorite:
Okay, OK - i wonder if they are OK in OKay, OK...
Gripe, AZ - for the constant complainers
Happy Camp, CA for the annoying cheerful people
Happyland, CT and the rest can move here
WHY, ARIZ. - for the philosophical - or the annoying 3 year old...

And a few more intriguing ones...
Bastard (Norway)
Brown Willy (Cornwall,UK)
Chinaman's Knob (Australia)
Cunt (Spain)
Sexmoan (Luzon, Philippines)



and the winner of best town name ever...
Fucking, Austria
followed by it's sister city
Climax, MI

[Grasshopper Green]

I was just going to add the Stiffknee Knob one in NC...we had a gal submit an employment application to our store who had lived there and we giggled like madmen for a few minutes after reading it.

[Menoman]

PC went overboard a long time ago

[Charlatan]

Gobbler's Knob always makes me giggle.