RI may vote on changing state name over slavery
Published: October 27, 2009
Updated: October 27, 2009
PROVIDENCE—Rhode Islanders may get a chance to shorten the state’s longest-in-the-nation formal name over its ties to colonial slavery.
Officially, Rhode Island is called the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
But the House Judiciary Committee approved a resolution Tuesday that would allow residents to vote next year on whether to drop the words “Providence Plantations” from that name.
The issue now heads for a House floor vote.
Supporters say “Providence Plantations” conjures painful images of colonial slavery. Rhode Island merchants grew wealthy off the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Others argue that changing the state’s name wipes away part of its heritage. Providence Plantation was the settlement founded by 17th-century religious dissident Roger Williams, who supported the
separation of church and state.
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Reader Reactions
NWRI—It’s not that the people are looking for a ‘handout’, it’s that they’re ‘not comfortable’ with the word plantations. In other words, it’s a non-issue that is being made an issue by the few that want the name change—and it seems the politicians are bending to the will of the minority—as usual.
Why are you and Freak going at it—you both seem to be on the same side—the side that ALL of these comments seem to be on. It’s just that freak1 is a bit abrasive. You’ll get used to it. To each his own—and if you let this little disagreement get to you….you’re getting close to the feelings of the people who are looking for this change of name. For pete sake, chill.
Political correctness is a dangerous path. When we forget about our past, we forget the lessons we learned. “Plantation” implies MANY thoughts both good and bad. “Providence Plantations” implies the exact history that Roger Williams intended. If he called it “Rhode Island Plantations”, that would be a VERY different issue and it likely would have been changed 50 - 100 years ago. If you can’t appreciate our history and learn from it, it will repeat itself. Just watch what’s going to happen when all the Gov’t spending catches up to us; we learned that lesson in the 70’s. I’d hate to repeat a slavery lesson.
Political correctness to the extreme!! Give it a rest people we have much more important things to be concerned about.
I cannot beleive we’re waisting our time on this silliness. Slavery was abolished 1n 1865, give it a rest. This is carrying political correctness way too far.
i don’t think you will get many comments cause it isn’t gonna change a thing.
Irreversible_Brain_Damage I cant believe you remember that. That was a while ago too funny.
I will not comment anymore until someone answers the question I asked.
nwri. intelligence .. hmmm not quite sure how that fits in with what we were talking about. i find myself to be quite intelligent.. still find freak amusing ITS CALLED A SENSE OF HUMOR. u should try it.
Apparently our illustrious General Assembly has nothing more important to worry about than whether or not the state shortens its name! Attempting to rewrite history is not going to change the past. Maybe they should show a bit more interest in things that might actually improve the dire conditions in this pathetic economy and help the residents of this state.
Maybe Mrs. Freak your little Freaks and the whole Freak Family could learn how not to be a two faced bigot!
You never know when you will need someone, outside your racist little freak world, for help…
What makes you think I’m a minority? You truely are a bigot.
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