Conversation

NPR has this article about how some universities are changing the names of buildings named after problematic individuals. For instance, Stanford's first president was a eugenics fanboy, so they took his name off of a building. Seems fine to me, but apparently not to everyone. A person quoted in the article says:

"And to remove his name from everything now is, to me, the biggest insult to the first president," she says. "I'm glad he's not alive to see it."

I don't really understand why this would rise to the level of anyone giving a shit. I could see if the guy was some kind of national hero, but he's just one of thousands of crusty old dead dudes who have shit named after them. If they wanted to rename a building at the university I work at (and they have) I would struggle to summon any emotion about it whatsoever. I don't understand why this person gives even a fraction of a shit. People are weird.