In 2015, President Pen-and-Phone Obama unilaterally changed the name of Mt. McKinley to "Denali," which is the native Athabascan name for the mountain, and which roughly translates to "High One." Gold prospector William Dickey named it Mt. McKinley back in 1896.
For what it's worth, I personally have never called the mountain "Denali." And I never will. So I was elated when, last month, incoming President Trump pledged to undo the name change and revert the mountain back to its rightful name, Mt. McKinley.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (D-Alaska) called Trump's proposition an "awful idea." Murkowski as a senator is an awful idea.
She lost the 2010 Republican primary, only to win reelection as a write-in candidate thanks to her deep ties to the teachers' unions (Alaska currently ranks #46 in the union for education, so the teachers' unions are right on par with expectations). She opposed the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (but eventually mustered the courage to vote "present") and tried to derail the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. However, she voted wholeheartedly to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson, and she voted to impeach President Trump. So her understanding of what constitutes an "awful idea" is at loggerheads with what's best for the country.
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-INO) backs up Murkowski, having previously stated that "Denali belongs to Alaska and its citizens." Actually, the National Park Service, a federal entity, owns and manages it. Tax dollars from the other 49 states go to maintain the roads, facilities, and maintenance of the mountain and its surrounding park.
One would think it unnecessary for a deplorable like me to school a senator about what the laws they pass actually say. But, alas, here we are. We have legislators who pass bills written not by the legislators themselves or even their aides, but by donors. Our lawmakers don't even read the bills they rubber stamp. So Sen. Sullivan can be forgiven for his ignorance. But the legal reality is that the mountain is owned by all the citizens of the United States of America.
You know what an "awful idea" is? An awful idea is the Left's (largely successful) efforts to erase Western history, Western ideals, and Western civilization. When Obama renamed the mountain, Sen. Murkowski thanked him for "this significant change to show honor, respect, and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska." But Obama didn't do it for the Athabascan people. He did it to de-Westernize the land. He did it to psychologically weaken our claim to name mountains, rivers, and landmarks after Western figures. That's the only reason he did it.
And no disrespect or dishonor to the Athabascan people, but for what exactly are we expected to show gratitude? I'm not asking to be snarky, I'm genuinely curious. As a fellow human being, I'll always afford you a measure of respect and dignity. But gratitude? Were the Athabascans instrumental, even peripherally, in curing a disease? In improving food production? In the pursuit of science and technology? In advancing education? In fighting for freedom against foreign tyrants?
A Wikipedia search of notable Alaskan Athabascans doesn't give us much and gives the most attention to Quinn Christopherson, a transgender songwriter who won an NPR contest for a song about experiencing "male privilege" and "erasure" as a transgender man. Sometimes less is more, but in Christopherson's post-surgical case, maybe more is less. I suppose I should be happy the mountain wasn't called "Denalx," and just call it a day.
But in all seriousness, is there any logical reason other than blatant anti-Western zealotry to not retain the name Mt. McKinley?
Want to get to Alaska? Rather than walking, you can travel by jet to McKinley National Park Airport, courtesy of the West. Want to get close to the mountain? Rather than using sled dogs, you can travel by automobile or bus to access the park via the George Parks highway, courtesy of the West.
Once at the park, you can visit the Murie Science and Learning Center, named after the Murie family naturalists whose scientific research furthered the park's wildlife management and preservation, courtesy of the West. You can also frequent the many restaurants and hotels, complete with electricity, running water, central heating, refrigerator, internet access, room service, and indoor swimming pools, courtesy of the West.
Should you take the trip, a free market economic system and its symbiotic republican form of government, all courtesy of the West, will have made the entire affair possible. And should you injure yourself on the mountain, it won't be a sun eagle or a demon bear that rescues you, but a helicopter utilizing satellite technology, courtesy of the West.
Whether Trump follows through with the name change remains to be seen, but the point is his assertion that he reserves the right to do so. He does. And that's more important than the actual name.
The country that our forefathers and foremothers built and achieved for us is a human miracle. A privileged narcissist whose sole qualification for the presidency was the color of his skin and his now-defunct coalition of urbanite grievance tourists who parrot the name "Denali" while pretending to meditate and connect with their spirit animal, complete with their Fjallraven backpacks and latest iPhone upgrades, should not expunge those legacies.
Maybe Sen. Murkowski's calls for "honor, respect, and gratitude" should be going in the other direction.
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