In a message dated 7/11/2006 12:19:45 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<"another minor ethical dilemna; i sometimes look at archaeology  as being a 
means for providing concrete evidence of "facts" that might  otherwise 
disappear down the "memory hole"
so: if you rename streets that  were originally named in honour of 
slave-traders, are you covering up an  uncomfortable truth? and should "penny lane" be 
an exception?
i think  there's already a problem in the british heritage industry, with 
showing off  all those palatial homes without talking enuf about just how they 
were paid  for; as in, the slave-trade has already been whitewashed  enuf">>


I agree there is an ethical issue to be debated when it comes to attempts  to 
expunge the historical record of something we abhor today. A similar ethical  
dilemma surfaced at the City of San Diego, Historical Resources Board hearing 
 on June 22, 2006. In this instance, Legacy 106, Inc. nominated a house  for 
local landmarking as a contributor to understanding the community  history. 
The architects and builders lavished the house with fine tile  work, artistic 
woodworking, and other features to show the house as a model home  for the 
subdivision. Under their rules, it takes 8 votes to landmark a  house (8 out of 15 
board members), but on that day only eight board  members were present. One 
man seized that opportunity to grandstand his pledge  never to vote in favor of 
landmarking on community history because the  subdivision originally issued 
racial exclusionary housing restrictions. Some  people would like to expunge 
those Codes, Covenants & Restrictions from the  government records and make like 
segregation never happened. I felt we  should identify and discuss historical 
unfairness doctrines, but that since  the house qualified as the second house 
to be built in the community and was a  model home, that it qualified and 
should be landmarked. I was furious when we  fell one vote shy of landmarking on 
those grounds. Should disgraceful  history disqualify all properties from 
landmarking? I think not.
 
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.