Extracted text (via pymupdf)
23075 characters
Robert E. Lee Street Submitted Comments - E-mail, Phone, Written, Web Comment Form (Comments from residents of street or adjacent streets shaded in yellow at top and shaded in yellow) Request for meeting registration details. No comments given Does not like Freedom or Justice Street, which she thinks are more appropriate for mid-Atlantic or Northeast. Prefers a desert-themed name such as Desert Vista, Desert Cactus. Resident joined July 28 community web forum to reiterate request for desert-themed name. This commenter repeated these suggestions in the July 28 community web forum: Since I do not like the names suggested, I figured I should try to think of something else. Here is what I've thought of so far, having no idea if they are usable. I did search the Maricopa County Assessor website to see if they were already used (I searched without the East figuring it would give me wider results). Request for meeting registration details. Resident joined July 28 community web forum to oppose renaming because he feared the cost of updating his address would be too high. Spoke at the July 28 community web forum to express concern about covering the up-front costs of updating address. Called to request hard copies of all documents be mailed to his home. Also requested the history of Phoenix City Code Section 18-1 on which this section of the renaming policy is based. Explained that he's a 40-year resident of the street. He objects to the current policy as it takes away residents right to name their own street. He supports leaving the name as is as it honors a man that fought to secure the country's independence. He also said a process should begin to rename Washington and Jefferson streets and asked how he could begin that process. Staff explained they would send a copy of the renaming policy that lists all of the ways the renaming process can begin for a street. Asked for web meeting registration details. Also asked that any effective date of a new name be AFTER the November elections to to avoid any issues with voter registration. Does not oppose renaming but does not like currents suggestions. Request for meeting registration details. No comments given Spoke at July 28 community web forum. Said renaming the street was a waste of tax dollars. Whether you like who Robert E. Lee is or was or find his name offensive or not, he is a part of our nation’s history. Revising history or choosing to ignore it or changing the name of our street will not change previous wrongs but ignoring it or trying to erase it will only ensure that we do not learn from it and surely badness will follow(Just watch the nightly news.) Just ask anyone who survived a tyrant who did it: Hitler, Stalin, etc. Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. Not a good idea. I am concerned that having to do all the address changes while also dealing with the pandemic is troublesome to me and no doubt many others. The city is also creating an added expense of time and dollars related to contacting dozens of businesses (such as social security and banks to name only a few key ones) as well as friends and family. (In a follow-up phone call, she explained that she was concerned about the efforts required to update her address. She doesn't understand why it has to occur now. She also questioned if Washington, Jefferson and Adams streets would be changed and if not, why. Reiterated her oppostion to renaming in spoken comments at July 28 community web forum. E-mailed the following statement: My suggestion is John Lewis Way. You are going to get a lot of racists fighting any change. They bought their house on this street and wasn’t phased by it. Good luck. As a resident on Robert E Lee I am disappointed that a city would cater to the whims of a small majority of political groups. As a senior citizen, in all the year's I've lived on Robert E Lee, a good 60% of people in the 20-35 age group never even heard of him. How much is this change going to cost the taxpayers of Phoenix? How many hundreds of cross streets will have to have the signage changed. How many miles is Robert E Lee across the Valley? Not to mention maps, mortgage deeds, and again as a senior all the paperwork I will have to change; drivers license, passports, medical information, insurance policies, etc., etc. I DO NOT WANT MY STREET NAME CHANGED TO " FREEDOM" OR " JUSTICE". THAT'S A POLITICAL/MOVEMENT STATEMENT. TO ME IT'S OFFENSIVE AND DEROGATORY. WE LIVE IN THE DESERT. Come up with a name that has no political connotation and no reference to a movement. Possibly, Foxtail, Desert Sage, Aloe Lane, Adobe Lane/Avenue, Azalea, Black Mesa, Broken Arrow . . . For goodness sake, get creative and stay away from political interest groups. Thank you, Melissa Wilson We would like to recommend names for consideration of our residential address for almost thirty (30) years. Our feeling is that the renaming should not be a direct result of political pandering. The new street name should hold content of an appropriate southwestern reflective of our deep heritage not in response to politically charged issues at the moment. Requested web meeting registration links. Also expressed concern that her elderly mother would have difficulty participating in the process. Left voicemail asking for meeting registration info. for her mother. Did respond back by phone that her mother supports changing the name of the street. Attachment C Robert E. Lee Street Submitted Comments - E-mail, Phone, Written, Web Comment Form (Comments from residents of street or adjacent streets shaded in yellow at top and shaded in yellow) I support the renaming, however, the proposed names, freedom or justice st, are uninspired. Can we investigate alternatives? Desert themed? Plants/wildlife Native people themed? Wild West themed Even naming it after John Lewis would be better (however it feels like a knee jerk reaction during a moment in time) Thank you Hello all. As a family, we are requesting to re-name Robert E Lee Street to "Buffalo Soldier Way”. The Buffalo Soldiers were a collection of African American US Army Calvary Regiments formed in 1866 after the Civil War and based in Southern Arizona out of Ft Huachuca. The Buffalo Soldier name then carried on until the Korean War when the Army was fully integrated. Why are we suggesting this name? 1.) Family tie-in: My Wife's grandfather was a Buffalo Soldier during the two World Wars. 2.) Military tie-in: Along with many Phoenix families, we have both active duty and veterans in the family. This includes a recent Arizona National Guard veteran that is a Buffalo Soldier descendant. 3.) Arizona tie-in. The Civil War barely touched the Arizona territory whereas the Buffalo Soldiers, as mentioned, operated here. 4.) Horse tie-in: The entrance to my neighborhood (Triple Crown) has a statue of three horses. This is a reference to the three horse races that make up the Triple Crown Championship. Since the Buffalo Soldiers of the Civil War era were horse mounted cavalry, it provides something of a connection to a horse marquee theme. We wish this to be a positive, forward looking, non-judgmental, uplifting process supported by the neighbors along the street and residents of Phoenix. We appreciate the burden this change places on those directly impacted (We live next to but not on the actual street), but ask they consider the long-term goodwill that can come from this change. This re-naming makes no change to, nor does it erase the history of the Civil War. It is simply a street name and what we choose to commemorate with that name. In 1960 the choice was made to commemorate the Commanding General of the Southern Confederate Army. In 2020, my family and I ask that we choose to commemorate The United States Army Buffalo Soldiers, a celebrated group of Arizona Veterans. Thank You for your consideration of this proposal. Hello, I live in the Triple Crown subdivision. This is at the intersection of Tatum & East Robert E Lee Street. I absolutely feel the street should be renamed. I am sure you are aware that Robert E Lee was a general in the Confederate Army, which fought to keep Black Americans suppressed through segregation and racial injustice. The name of this street is a vestige of America’s racist past. We cannot allow honors given to war criminals to remain when the people who bestowed those honors don't represent our values today. It is the acceptance of all races & ethnicities that truly make not only Phoenix great but the entire USA. I ask that you please consider my proposal to rename East Robert E Lee Street. Requested meeting registration details. Clarified that he actually lives in Phoenix adjacent to RE Lee but has a Scottsdale postal address; parcel backyard faces RE Lee Street. Spoke at July 28 community web forum. Advocated for changing the name of the street to Buffalo Soldiers Way. I am writing to you about the proposed renaming of Robert E Lee. I am a resident in the area and am concerned about the initial proposed names by the City Council. The proposed street names (Justice or Freedom) don't reflect the other names in the area. While I am not opposed to renaming the street I don't feel that these street names fit (arguably the Robert E Lee name didn't fit either so again I think it makes sense for many reasons to rename).While I don't have any suggestions for your reference some of the other names are Villa Maria, Michigan, Annette, Villa Theresa, Villa Rita, Michelle, Charleston.I urge you to consider alternatives that are more fitting to the neighborhood. Request for community forum registration information. Resident lives two streets away but drives on R.E. Lee daily. As a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) District 1 (Maricopa County, Arizona), I strongly recommend that the Robert E. Lee Street be renamed to: FREEDOM STREET - Maria Alvarado Robert E. Lee Street Submitted Comments - E-mail, Phone, Written, Web Comment Form (Comments from residents of street or adjacent streets shaded in yellow at top and shaded in yellow) Request for meeting registration details. Staff e-mailed registration links on July 23 I agree with changing the street name Robert E Lee to a more appropriate name. I think museum’s and libraries are appropriate place’s to highlight these people from our history. I don’t think we should idolize them in our everyday lives. Thank you E-mailed the following statement: I live off Robert E Lee street and would like to see the street name changed. We should not be honoring a traitor who fought against our union to uphold slavery. I think John Lewis or any other civil rights activist would be more appropriate to name a street after. Requested changing it to Liberty Street E-mailed the following statement: I am happy the city is taking action to initiate this process; it is a small but very visible step in the task of recognizing our country’s history and pattern of deeply rooted systemic racism. Please feel free to use these written comments at the community meeting. Seriously, I cannot believe you are doing this or even considering it. Leave it alone and put the resources for this toward something better like getting the homeless out of my neighborhood. Request for meeting registration information E-mailed the following statement: Your knee-jerk reaction to this “Cause Of The Moment” to erase our American history is all but an insult to most of us, most of us that remain silent due to the backlash from hate groups that cannot accept a difference in opinion to theirs. I have lived in Phoenix in excess of 20 years now. Leaving the mid-Atlantic region I had called home most of my life I had the privilege of exploring the battlefields of Gettysburg, Antietam and Manassas and visiting the Washington DC monuments and museums countless times as a child on school trips or family visits to these sites to enjoy our history, never once being offended or damaged by our history. On July 9th a letter posted by Alan Stephenson and Kini Knudson with the statement “street names deemed derogatory or offensive” in this letter was used in describing Robert E. Lee next to our home. Additionally Mayor Kate Gallego and Councilwoman Thelda Williams compiled their wherewithal to satisfy the group(s), either external on internal to our citylimits, need for destruction of our history. Though this is street name is small in appearance the Political Correctness must be shoved into our face not caring who it insults or offends, your goal is just to get by this “Cause Of The Moment” and get reelected sometime later after this blows over. I want a moratorium on all street and highway renaming’s in our state but I understand you are not my resource for this request. Ever since our past governor, Janet Napolitano, rushed to rename a small mountain in north central Phoenix, have I been so disgusted with our elected officials. Leave street renaming to local residents, not politicians. You are just reacting to a fabricated cause that will fold away before years end. Supports renaming the street to honor our veterans - Maria Lopez (LULAC) E-mailed the following statement: The impact of changing the street name does not outweigh the cost, time and effort being spent on this issue. Robert E. Lee - he’s part of history. We can’t change history. I doubt that few people know the character of the man or the history or would think about the history when they pass by or drive down that street. If the street name changes, where does it end? What next? Efforts should be focused on what can be done to build or enhance relationships, public outreach/education and communication to change the heart and minds around this issue. There are more important issues that we are facing today - pandemic, unemployment, economy, education, etc. The sooner we look forward, the better. We oppose changing the street name of Robert E. Lee. And we oppose and are offended that a few want to suppress American history. I am in agreement with changing the name of Robert E Lee Street. If a street name is a reminder to Black Americans of revisionist history and a century and a half of systemic racism and oppression, changing the street name is a small step towards recognizing the struggles of Black Americans and understanding their perspective. I have heard the logical fallacy that this will lead to “erasing history and burning all the history books." Removing a street name, or even a statue, does not erase history. Street names and statues are simply selective reminders of history; as a country struggling to move towards a post-racist society, it is important that we be reminded of that which is unifying rather than that which is divisive. Thank you for taking my comments- : I asked to speak several times at the Robert E Lee renaming meeting this evening and signed up to speak in the chat box, yet was never asked to. I'm extremely disappointed. I FAVOR the name change and would have appreciated my voice be heard. I'm not sure why they didn't continue the conversation, but I am frustrated that I wasn't given the opportunity to express my opinion. CHANGE THE NAME! Due justice to our Country and ALL citizens. It's time to change NOW. Robert E. Lee Street Submitted Comments - E-mail, Phone, Written, Web Comment Form (Comments from residents of street or adjacent streets shaded in yellow at top and shaded in yellow) Where will this statue smashing and street renaming era end? The loud voices of a tiny subculture of victimized groups blames their current plight on the past. To quote Victor Davis Hanson,a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institute: "The pretense is that the Civil War can only be regarded as tragic in terms of the present oppression of the descendants of Southern slaves — 154 years after the extinction of the Confederate states." Is this a broadbased cultural shift, or a simple blip in time due to a small group of frenzied activists who have received an unfortunate education that America is bad and needs to be taught a lesson. America is not perfect, but it is good. That's the point. People don't flee America because of oppression and hunger ! People flee their countries to come here. They don't care about the civil war. They care about their FREEDOM. Is the fact that a Northern General named Robert E Lee moving to the confederacy the worst of the worst? It is well known that as a Northern General he could not seek to plunder his home state of Virginia which was part of the South. Where does this stop? Jackson Street in South Phx named after President Jackson honors a man who signed the INDIAN REMOVAL ACT, dispossessing Indians who then incurred disease and death. He also opposed the abolitionist movement. Broadway road, now ceremonially named MLK Blvd honors a man that assaulted women and also let that happen in his presence, was a philanderer and plagiarized his PhD thesis. Getting back to being perfect to be good. None of the above were perfect, but their life stood for many good things. WHERE DOES THIS STOP?? The good and the bad are part of the American Story. Government leaders such as yourself should be driven by the long game, ie what will this mean for decades to come. This effort at statue removal and monument or street renaming is playing the short game. Why not vote on it???? Confederate monuments and symbols emerged in an effort to intimidate black Americans and uphold a revisionist — and racist — version of history. It is time for this to change. A quote from Annette Gordon Reed, a history scholar at Harvard states it best: "The United States was far from perfect, but the values of the Confederacy, open and unrepentant white supremacy and total disregard for the humanity of black people, to the extent they still exist, have produced tragedy and discord. There is no path to a peaceful and prosperous country without challenging and rejecting that as a basis for our society." My family live on Michelle Drive, just south of Robert E Lee. I would like to submit the suggestion of ROBERTA as a replacement name. Most of the names in the neighborhood are female names (Angela, Libby, Muriel, Rita, Maria) so it would fit in. It would also be an easy mark of a pen to make the change from Robert E Lee for residents, softening the blow of such a change, totally apolitical, which is a good idea. It is benign enough not to cause upset. The street was renamed to Robert E Lee in 1961 as part of the racist backlash against the Civil Rights Movement. Its embarrassing that the name is still here and it must be renamed. Buffalo Soldier is a good name. I'm offended by the street names. I vote YES on renaming the street. Do we commemorate traitors and racists, or do we commemorate Buffalo Soldiers? E-mail suggesting Charles Keating IV as alternate name One can be named after the Peak. The other, how about Lincoln Ragsdale - after my old neighbor who was a Tuskegee Airman! Thank you for the opportunity to speak in favor of the proposed name change for Robert E. Lee Street. The proposal to change the street name is not about hiding, revising or "cancelling" history. It is about truth and accurately portraying history.I am sure you are familiar with the saying “history is written by the winners.” Well, in the case of the American Civil War, it appears that the narrative regarding the South in the Civil War was written by the losers. The narrative talks about the romantic notion of fighting for a lost cause; of preserving states’ rights and freedom from the tyranny of the federal government. All led by a group of brave and brilliant generals. Let’s be clear. The Civil War was about rebellion, treason and preserving the moral outrage of slavery. And Americans are still paying the price for that legacy. Naming streets after leaders of rebellions is not appropriate. If it is, how about renaming the street Benedict Arnold Street? After all, he was the "hero of Saratoga'?There are more appropriate ways to remember this history than through monuments and street namings. Let us not forget that until the recent Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Arizona was subject to pre-clearing of its elections procedure, because of a history of discrimination against black people. Quote from March 24, 2019 National Review Article titled WAGING WAR AGAINST THE DEAD - Victor Davis Hansen "The 21st century is in danger of becoming an era of statue smashing and historical erasure. Not since the iconoclasts of the Byzantine Empire or the epidemic of statue destruction during the French Revolution has the world seen anything like the current war on the past. In 2001, the primeval Taliban blew up two ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan on grounds that their very existence was sacrilegious to Islam. In 2015, ISIS militants entered a museum in Mosul, Iraq, and destroyed ancient, preIslamic statues and idols. Their mute crime? These artifacts predated the prophet Mohammed. The west prides itself on the idea that liberal societies would never descend into such nihilism. Think again. In the last two years there has been a rash of statue toppling throughout the American South, aimed at wiping out memorialization of Confederate heroes. The pretense is that the Civel War can only be regarded as tragic in terms of the present oppression of the descendants of Southern Slaves-154 years after the extinction of the Confederate States. The subtext of most current name changing and icon toppling is that particular victimized groups blame their current plight on the past. They assume that by destroying long-dead supposed enemies, they will be liberated-or at least feel better in the present." Maybe the issue with this obscure street renaming should be the inflection point at which you don't just bow to a few loud voices who are offended by many things, maybe anything. As the saying goes, those who don't learn from the past are bound to repeat it. Our history teaches lessons about good and bad. The fact that history is taught only along lines that are "feel good" raises a generation of lopsided citizenry who are not equipped to go through life circumspectly. I am sure that the City of Phoenix has better things to do with our tax money than entertain the whims of the offended in a sliver of time where our society is going through a short term social spasm rather than a prolific and long term social change. Robert E. Lee Street Submitted Comments - E-mail, Phone, Written, Web Comment Form (Comments from residents of street or adjacent streets shaded in yellow at top and shaded in yellow) I oppose the renaming and the current process of the renaming of the street, it is unconstitutional process at this time with covid19 happening. Open forum should be allowed so everyone can Express their concerns in person.