Stanford just announced that it will change the name of (David Starr) Jordan Hall, and remove the statue of Louis Agassiz that adorns it. See the link if you do not know who these people are.
The announcement brings to mind an obvious question: How long can Stanford remain Stanford? Read paragraphs 4 and 9 of Leland Stanford's inaugural address as governor of California. Trigger/trauma warning: I do not post them here, as Stanford's words would likely cause this blog to be blocked.
Another obvious question: Read the announcement. How many thousands of person-hours, compensated by Stanford, went in to this decision? In terms of dollars spent per unit of trauma relieved, how well is Stanford spending our donors' and taxpayers' money?
More, our libraries are full of the writings of these censured people. From the Stanford library catalog.
The offensive building and statue, from Stanford news
But wait, have I transgressed? If the name and statue cause trauma to passersby, should not the image be banned? Will my blog be blocked? But how does Stanford News, announcing the event, publish this photo, surely passing on the trauma?
So many puzzling questions today.
from The Grumpy Economist https://ift.tt/34KLio4
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