Political correctness on the move - attacking Rhode Island.

Political correctness is on the move, meaning the forces of tradition, freedom, and common sense need to unite for yet another fight. The next target of political correctness - the official name of the state of Rhode Island, which is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. In a stunning case of ignorance, racebaiters and political correctness hacks are claiming the official name of Rhode Island, which includes the word "plantations" is insulting and a black mark on the state in regards to slavery.

There is just one problem with the claims, the original name of Rhode Island, was Providence Plantations as named by Roger Williams, with Providence in regards to divine providence, and Plantations in regards to the British term for colonies. After internal problems within Providence Plantations, Roger Williams was able to unite the colony and applied for a charter, with the revised named of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

The charter was issued to the "Incorporation of Providence Plantations in the Narragansett Bay in New England." It gave the people power to govern themselves, but was simply a charter of incorporation and contained no land grant.² The town of Warwick had now been founded, and the four towns were united under the new charter. But the union was short-lived. Coddington, in 1648, obtained a separate charter for Portsmouth and Newport. But this action was not satisfactory, and after a bitter quarrel of several years the four towns were again united under the charter secured by Williams.

After the Restoration, however, this charter granted by Parliament was not considered valid, and in 1663 Roger Williams secured from Charles II a second charter for "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations," which confirmed the privileges granted by the first, made a land grant, and provided that no one be molested "for any difference in opinion in matters of religion.

http://www.usahistory.info/New-England/Rhode-Island.html

Even with the facts easily at hand, political correctness is still roaring towards the destruction of the official name of Rhode Island, which has been in place for over 300 years. Meaning the heritage of Rhode Island, the tradition of their longstanding name, and freedom itself will be on the ballot next year, as voters will have the opportunity to either defeat or appease political correctness, and incorrect facts.

William Jacobson, the well known blogger who operates Legal Insurrection, opined on this upcoming situation just last month, and provided this article when answering an email requesting comment.

My home state of Rhode Island is quirky place. We still celebrate Victory Over Japan Day in August, although the name was changed to VJ Day and then to Victory Day, in a nod to political correctness. Now there is a move afoot to change the name of the state for similar reasons.

The official name of Rhode Island is "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Voters will have a chance in 2010 to remove the reference to "Providence Plantations" as part of a referendum pushed by advocates who argue that the reference to "plantations" is insensitive to blacks and perpetuates a racist image.

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-rhode-islands-name-racist.html

Mr.Jacobson believes the referendum will fail, however, liberalism as evil as it is, never takes a minute off from its destructive agenda, and neither should we. The advocates of this political neutering of Rhode Island's official name are idiots, regardless of their claims, because the historic name has nothing to do with slavery and does not perpetuate a racist image with a sane individual.

This is not just a issue for Rhode Island, it has national implications. If we lose this fight in Rhode Island, to where the non-racist official name of a individual state is smeared and destructed because of political correctness, what will occur in the other 49 states across America? Will all names that have one reference to race, slavery, or the word "plantations" be targeted for execution?

I hope not, for the sake of freedom, tradition, and heritage. The Founders warned us about the meanings of words being changed, well........we are now at a point where the meanings and historic value of words are being manipulated or incorrectly presented as to fit the political agenda of political correctness.

Dangerous times indeed.

Also, if plantations is causing folks to have a racist image of Rhode Island, then why are the political correctness fools going after providence at the same time? This has nothing to do with race, its about the destruction of our heritage, religious and otherwise.

-- Tim Knight