Keep Your Name

Our nation was founded as a republic, if we can keep it. A key feature of a republic is rule by and for the people and not for any specific ruling class. The best republics have a high degree of equality amongst its citizens. We choose our leaders, but they are not higher beings, and crucially, they are replaceable. In a republic, no leader is so crucial or important they cannot be removed from office and replaced. It is a crucial difference from aristocracy and monarchy. Since World War II, however, we have not behaved that way. We increasingly glorify our leaders as a different class, treat them as irreplaceable, and exalt them above our principles, history, and institutions. This takes many forms and we cannot solve all of them today, but I would like to solve one source of this misplaced glorification: namesakes.

Increasingly since World War II, every building and project seems to be named after a politician or bureaucrat, often one who helped provide the funds. The FBI operates from the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, visitors to Washington, DC utilize Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and the USS Gerald R. Ford just transited to the Middle East. By contrast, the first FBI headquarters was the Department of Justice Building, the original name of Reagan National was Washington National Airport, and the First US aircraft carrier was named USS Langley. In fact, the first six ships constructed for the US Navy were the Chesapeake, Constitution, President, United States, Congress, and Constellation. None were named for a specific figure.

The primary issue here is not who is being praised. It is true that I feel a great many of these figures do not deserve such monuments, but I am perfectly proud of many of the figures as well. The fundamental issue is that it places individuals at the center of our nation and its history rather than principles or institutions. It lionizes and makes irreplaceable specific politicians. Most distressing to my politics is that it is almost entirely lionizing those who expand government and make it bigger or more invasive. The other beneficiary tends to be politicians who direct tax dollars to projects. I do not see why a figure deserves to be lionized for spending others’ money.

I should state before continuing, I am less concerned by naming of public projects after military or non-governmental actors, particularly ones who were lower in the ranks. I still have some objections, but they are substantially less and many of those people do deserve to be remembered. I wish for us to find a different way, but until we determine the best replacement, I am content for their names to remain memorialized.

We should begin systematically renaming ships, buildings, parks, and other public works which currently have individuals as their namesakes. A great many of them should be named simply after their location. The Harry Reid International Airport could just as easily be called Las Vegas International Airport. Many more can be renamed for their purpose or occupant. The FBI Building is a perfectly accurate and usable name which should suffice in place of honoring the questionable J. Edgar Hoover. Naval vessels have a long history of being named after cities, states, republican institutions, and basic principles. One need only look at World War II naval vessels to see many great examples: Lexington, Enterprise, Saratoga, Antietam, Missouri, New Jersey, Indianapolis, etc. We should immediately implement these new naming rules moving forward and then rename other projects on a rolling basis or when they are replaced.

Is this the most important issue facing the United States? Will it solve all the problems Americans face? I say no to both. However, it is a small and relatively easy way to reinforce our civics and republican principles. It would also serve as a reminder our public servants are replaceable and do their jobs as a service to the community not as a way to bring them fame or praise. Hopefully, it might even play a part in reorienting the minds of citizens to focus not on the government but on the People, who are truly sovereign. They should place their faith in the broad citizenry and civil institutions, not a government of their betters who tell them how and why to live.