Religious Man Wants to Rename Mt. Diablo

[Kadie]

Religious Man Wants to Rename Mt. Diablo

Thursday, April 14, 2005


(04-14) 12:14 PDT Oakley, Calif. (AP) --


An Oakley man has asked the federal government to rename Mount Diablo, saying the current name, which means devil in Spanish, is offensive to his religious sensibilities.


Art Mijares applied to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for the change and suggests naming the mountain Mount Kawukum, which he believes has American Indian roots.


"Words have power, and when you start mentioning words that come from the dark side, evil thrives," Mijares told the Contra Costa Times. "When I take boys camping on the mountain, I don't even like to say its name. I have to explain what the name means. Why should we have a main feature of our community that celebrates the devil?"


To make the change, Mijares would need to persuade federal, state and local governments that it's necessary. That may be easier said than done.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/04/14/national/a121414D90.DTL

[Midnight Rambler]

1. Just when you think they can't get any more nuts

This is just like this thing that happened in Texas a few years back, some little redneck town outlawed the word "hello" because it contained "hell." The new legal expression was "heaven-o." I swear that's a true story.

[signmike]

3. Hahaha = ah, Hell . . .

Years ago in the desert (So. Calif.) there was a Shell gas station with one of those really high neon signs you can see for miles - and the 'S' was burned out so at night it read HELL - the repair bill to fix the one letter must have been astronomical as they left it that way for years...perfect for crossing at night in 118 degree heat. I bet it was Fundies that finally dealt with it.

:evilgrin:

[formerrepuke]

2. I nominate: "Mount Pendejo"..or maybe "Mount Hijo de Puta"

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Surprised he didn't suggest Mount Bush (hehehe.. mount bush)

Another thought: A religious man takes boys to the mountains. I hope he isn't a priest.



Don't get too upset. I'm a Catholic and my church has some serious issues.

[democracyindanger]

5. The church proposed Kawukum, spelled then as Kahwookum

, "a word learned from an unidentified Indian living at the base of the mountain," Ortiz wrote in a history of the mountain's name.

...which, loosely translated, means, "Get outta here, idiots."

[Xithras]

6. It'll never happen

The name is too widely used...there are colleges, school districts, streets, parks, and businesses for hundreds of miles that carry the Mt. Diablo name, because it's such a widely known landmark. On a clear day, it can be seen from the Sierra's to San Francisco, and from the Cascades to nearly Fresno.

And I always thought the name came from the fact that it has two peaks...which in the right light at sunset look like two horns sticking up into the sky.