My high school was named after an antisemitic pegleg....

what do you think of this?

I'm particularly interested in Goldi's opinion because on BHB you said you wouldn't use Wagner b/c he was an anti-semite..and oit recently came to my attention again that my HS (the best in the US) was named after a notorious anti-semite.

I went to SING! on Saturdya and th4e Seniors made the funniest and most thought provoking joke. The audience was filled with students and alumni and we all roared..the joke was 'Being a Stuy student used to be about honor and good grades and stuff, but you're a disgrace to the jew hating pirate our school was named after.'

Would you ever refuse to send your child to a school because it was named after a bigot?

Also, do you think the city should petition to change the name of the school (which has been open for over 100 years), because it may be offensive or morally repugnant, especially for a school and a city with such a high jewish population

I can't see that Stuyvesant will ever change its name... It's not like it's 'Hitler High' or anything...everyone out in the world knows the school by ITS reputation, not that of the man it is named for.

I wouldn't avoid sending my child to a school for that reason. In college, I learned that I was taking most of my English classes in a building that was named after a professor who fought against Cornell becoming co-ed. When I found that out, I was disappointed with the school for keeping that name, but it didn't change the fact that I received an excellent education there.

Honestly, I wouldn't send my kids to school in NYC anyway so it shouldn't be an issue for me personally. And to be honest, most seriously religious people do not send their kids to public schools in the city if they are city residents. They either go to Yeshiva or to other Private Schools. This is unless they live in one of the more desireable public school districts.

Also, children who do live in the city are zoned to go to specific schools. They really don't have much choice unless they apply to another high school or specialty school such as Stuyvesant. In that case, I can't really argue or refuse a school. I may choose not to TEACH there, but I can't choose what public school my child goes to. Also, city public schools have numbers as well as names.

As far as petitioning goes, it will probably never happen though it worked for St. Johns when they had to change a mascot. It was a private institution though.

I rememebr when St. Johns changed the mascot. I think I was like 10 at the time so I didn't really get it, and I just thought 'red storm' sounded so stupid..

Also it's not about being a religious person or not. In more of a cultural sense. Do you think our finest institutions should be named after people with questionable moral practices? Then again we have columbus day, so who knows!

there are actually a lot of very religious people at Stuy who would not have gone to public school if it were any other school.

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Posted by marymoon

Also it's not about being a religious person or not. In more of a cultural sense. Do you think our finest institutions should be named after people with questionable moral practices? Then again we have columbus day, so who knows!

there are actually a lot of very religious people at Stuy who would not have gone to public school if it were any other school.

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Thats precisely my point. The specialized schools attract people because of their levels of excellence. If going to Stuyvesant meant my child would get an exemplary education at no cost, It would be something to think about I suppose.

These schools were named so many years ago, years before political correctness. Back then, people were not as informed or if they were, they turned the other way. I can't hold a school board (or whoever names the schools) responsible for something that happened so many years ago.

However, with something like a wedding song by Wagner that is actually a choice, I couldn't choose it.

it's just the name. I don't think Peter Stuyvesant HAD educational principles... It was originally in Stuyvesant Town...so..

to my knowledge he was a military leader, who kicked the crap out of a lot of people, and was NY governor or something....haha I don't even know..isn't that sad

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Posted by marymoon

I rememebr when St. Johns changed the mascot. I think I was like 10 at the time so I didn't really get it, and I just thought 'red storm' sounded so stupid..

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I went to Syracuse University. The original mascaot was the Saltine Warrior - a Native American Indian. They changed it to Orangemen (as it was when I was in school) and then just last year to just plain ORANGE to encompass both men and women with as much political correctness as possible. I dunno, as proud as I was to go there, to be named after a piece of fruit was pretty darn lame.

STUYVESANT, Peter, governor of New York, born in Holland in 1602?; died in New York city in August, 1672. He was the son of a clergyman of Friesland, and at an early age displayed a fondness for military life. He served in the West Indies, was governor of the colony of Curacoa, lost a lag during the unsuccessful attack on the Portuguese island of St. Martin, and returned to Holland in 1644. Being appointed director-general of New Netherlands, he took the oath of office on 28 July, 1646, and reached New Amsterdam on 11 Nay, 1647, amid such vehement firing of guns from the fort that nearly all the powder in the town was consumed in salutes. Soon after his inauguration on 27 May he organized a council and established a court of justice. In deference to the popular will, he ordered a general election of eighteen delegates, from whom the governor and his council selected a board of nine, whose power was advisory and not legislative.

Among his first proclamations were orders to enforce the rigid observance of Sunday, prohibit the sale of liquor and fire-arms to the Indians, and protect the revenue and increase the treasury by heavier taxation on imports. He also endeavored to erect a better class of houses and taverns, established a market and an annual cattle-fair, and was also interested in founding a public school. One of the first acts of the new governor was to enter into a correspondence with the other colonies regarding the decisive settlement of the boundary question; but New England would not agree to terms. He also became involved in a controversy with Governor Theophilus Eaton, of Connecticut, over the claim of the Dutch to jurisdiction in that state.

In 1648 a conflict arose between him and Brant Arent Van Slechtenhorst, the commissary of the young patroon of Rensselaerswyek at Beverswick, Stuyvesant claiming power irrespective of the special feudal privileges that had been granted in the charter of 1629. In 1649 Stuyvesant marched to Fort Orange with a military escort, and ordered certain houses to be razed to permit of a better defence of the fort in case of an attack of the Indians, also commanding that stores and timber should be taken from the patroon's land to repair the fortifications. This Van Slechtenhorst refused to do, and the director sent a body of soldiers to enforce his orders. The controversy that followed resulted in the commissary's maintaining his rights and the director's losing some popularity The first two years of his administration were not successful. He had serious discussions with the patroons, who interfered with the company's trade and denied the authority of the governor, and he was also embroiled in contentions with the council, which sent a deputation to the Hague to report the condition of the colony to the states-general. This report was published as ' Vertoogh van Nieuw Netherlandt' (The Hague, 1650). The states-general afterward commanded Stuyvesant to appear personally in Holland; but the order was not confirmed by the Amsterdam chamber, and Stuyvesant refused to obey, saying, ' I shall do as I please.'

In September, 1650, a meeting of the commissioners on boundaries took place in Hartford, whither Stuyvesant travelled in state. The line was arranged much to the dissatisfaction of the Dutch, who declared that 'the governor had ceded away enough territory to found fifty colonies each fifty miles square.' Stuyvesant grew haughty in his treatment of his opponents, and threatened to dissolve the council. A plan of municipal government was finally arranged in Holland, and the name of the new city of New Amsterdam--was officially announced on 2 February, 1653. Stuyvesant made a speech on this occasion, knowing that his authority would remain undiminished. The governor was now ordered to Holland again ; but the order was soon revoked on the declaration of war with England. Stuyvesant prepared against an attack by ordering his subjects to make a ditch from the North river to the East river, and to erect breastworks. In 1665 he sailed into the Delaware with a fleet of seven vessels and about 700 men and took possession of the colony of New Sweden, which he called New Amstel.

In his absence New Amsterdam was ravaged by Indians, but his return inspired confidence. Although he organized militia and fortified the town, he subdued the hostile savages chiefly through kind treatment. In 1653 a convention of two deputies from each village in New Netherlands had demanded reforms, and Stuyvesant commanded this assembly to disperse, saying' 'We derive our authority from God and the company, not from a few ignorant subjects.' The spirit of resistance nevertheless increased, and the encroachments of other colonies, with a depleted treasury, harassed the governor. In 1664 Charles II. ceded to his brother, the Duke of York, a large tract of land, including New Netherlands; and four English war vessels bearing 450 men, commanded by Captain Richard Nicholls, took possession of the harbor. On 30 August Sir George Cartwright bore to the governor a summons to surrender, promising life, estate, and liberty to all who would submit to the king's authority. Stuyvesant read the letter before the council, and, fearing the concurrence of the people, tore it into pieces. On his appearance, the people who had assembled around the city-hall greeted him with shouts of 'The letter ! the letter ! ' and, returning to the council-chamber, he gathered up the fragments, which he gave to the burgomasters to do with the order as they pleased. He sent a defiant answer to Nicholls, and ordered the troops to prepare for an attack, but yielded to a petition of the citizens not to shed innocent blood, and signed a treaty at his Bouwerie house on 9 September, 1664. The burgomasters proclaimed Nicholls governor, and the town was called New York.

In 1665 Stuyvesant went to Holland to report, and labored to secure from the king the satisfaction of the sixth article in the treaty with Nicholls, which granted free trade. During his administration commerce had increased greatly, the colony obtaining the privilege of trading with Brazil in 1648, with Africa for slaves in 1652, and with other foreign ports in 1659. Stuyvesant endeavored unsuccessfully to introduce a specie currency and to establish a mint in New Amsterdam. He was a thorough conservative in church as well as state, and intolerant of any approach to religious freedom. He refused to grant, a meeting-house to the Lutherans, who were growing numerous, drove their minister from the colony, and frequently punished religious offenders by fines and imprisonment. On his return from Holland after the surrender, he spent the remainder of his life on his farm of sixty-two acres outside the city, called the Great Bouwerie, beyond which stretched woods and swamps to the little village of Haarlem. The house, a stately specimen of Dutch architecture, was erected at a cost of 6,400 guilders, and stood near what is now Eighth street. Its gardens and lawn were tilled by about fifty negro slaves. A pear-tree which he brought from Holland in 1647 remained at the corner of Thirteenth street and Third avenue until 1867, bearing fruit almost to the last. The house was destroyed by fire in 1777. He also built an executive mansion of hewn stone called Whitehall, which stood on the street that now bears that name.

Governor Stuyvesant was above medium height, with a fine physique. He dressed with care, and usually wore slashed hose fastened at the knee by a knotted scarf, a velvet jacket with slashed sleeves over a full puffed shirt, and rosettes upon his shoes. His lost leg was replaced by a wooden one with silver bands, which accounts for the tradition that he wore a silver leg. Although abrupt in manner, unconventional, cold, and haughty, full of prejudice and passion, and sometimes unapproachable, he possessed large sympathies and tender affection. His clear judgment, quick perception, and extent of reading were remarkable. Washington Irving has humorously described him in his ' Knickerbocker's History of New York.' The illustrations represent the old Stadt Huys, and the tombstone of Stuyvesant in the outer wall of St. Mark's church in New York city.

you've been to peterstuyvesant.org, haven't you, wendy?

LOL

ETA: apparently Stuy is going down the tubes... there a lot fo really odd sh*t going down, and the class of 2005 has the worst grades and college entrance perfrmance in the history of the school

OK, I had to!

My Uncle went to Stuy. I have no issue with the school.

Half of Long Island is named after Robert Moses, who I believe was a self hating Jew? Correct me if I'm wrong.

And the song 'G-d Bless America' was written by a Jew (Irving Berlin), made famous by an Anti-Semite (Kate Smith), and is touted by a whole bunch of Christian Fundamentalists (Congress).

Irony people. It's some Good Irony.

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Posted by PrincessRose

OK, I had to!

My Uncle went to Stuy. I have no issue with the school.

Half of Long Island is named after Robert Moses, who I believe was a self hating Jew? Correct me if I'm wrong.

And the song 'G-d Bless America' was written by a Jew (Irving Berlin), made famous by an Anti-Semite (Kate Smith), and is touted by a whole bunch of Christian Fundamentalists (Congress).

Irony people. It's some Good Irony.

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I agree.


That's why the 'jew hating pegleg' joke was so funny. Because we just don' think about these things, you know?

I find it interesting that you are criticizing him for his antisemitic beliefs and calling him a pegleg. Does one slur deserve another?

In answer to the question, I don't necessarily agree that changing the name is that important. He was who he was and at that point in time people chose to name the school after him. I think that instead of erasing historical names and events in the name of politcal correctness, it might be better to educate students about who he was and what he accomplished, and emphasize how that might be viewed differently today. JMO.

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Posted by marymoon

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Posted by PrincessRose

OK, I had to!

My Uncle went to Stuy. I have no issue with the school.

Half of Long Island is named after Robert Moses, who I believe was a self hating Jew? Correct me if I'm wrong.

And the song 'G-d Bless America' was written by a Jew (Irving Berlin), made famous by an Anti-Semite (Kate Smith), and is touted by a whole bunch of Christian Fundamentalists (Congress).

Irony people. It's some Good Irony.

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I agree.


That's why the 'jew hating pegleg' joke was so funny. Because we just don' think about these things, you know?

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I guess I just don't really get it....

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Posted by dpli

In answer to the question, I don't necessarily agree that changing the name is that important. He was who he was and at that point in time people chose to name the school after him. I think that instead of erasing historical names and events in the name of politcal correctness, it might be better to educate students about who he was and what he accomplished, and emphasize how that might be viewed differently today. JMO.

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Well said.

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Posted by dpli

I find it interesting that you are criticizing him for his antisemitic beliefs and calling him a pegleg. Does one slur deserve another?

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HAHAHAHA

Well, he's our school mascot, as 'pegleg Pete' and our football team are the 'Peglegs'
So it's not a slur. I had a post a yar ago when I asked if there were any other 'Peglegs' around and that's what I meant. We're not insulting him...I mean maybe we are, but it wasn't me who started it. My gym shirt had 'pegleg pete' on it, andour team was the peglegs long before I came to the school.

And I think to get the joke you have to be a 'pegleg'... it's sort of like the dirty little secret you don't talk about at stuy...we're this great school, but named after someone who was a known bigot....I don't know...I think it's a 'you had to be there' thing... but I laughed so hard I cried and so did most of the audience (students and alumni)..anyway I was quoting it because it was so poignant at the time and it's what made me start thinking about this in the first place