We reported in October that 44 schools in the San Francisco School District were to be renamed, including those named after the nation’s founding fathers. The list includes eight schools named after George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Paul Revere, and Francis Scott Key (composer of “The Star Spangled Banner”). The name of any person who fails any one of the following criteria was to be removed: “Anyone directly involved in the colonization of people; slave owners or participants in enslavement; perpetrators of genocide or slavery; those who exploit workers/people; those who directly oppressed or abused women, children, queer or transgender people; those connected to any human rights or environmental abuses; those who are known racists and/or white supremacists and/or espoused racist beliefs.” Now this nuttiness has been put on hold. On February 21, Board President Gabriela Lopez said that the board had made mistakes in the renaming process and needs to work on getting schools reopened safely. She said, “I acknowledge and take responsibility that mistakes were made in the renaming process. We will not be taking valuable time from our board agendas to further discuss this, as we need to prioritize reopening” (“S.F. School Board,” San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 22, 2021). One of the schools to be renamed is Alamo Elementary because of its alleged connection with the Alamo in Texas, but actually the school is named for the Spanish word for the cottonwood tree. No matter what happens with this business in the long run, this level of insanity is a judgment of God on a wicked nation. “lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:9).
(Friday Church News Notes, March 5, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)