I had the good fortune of being born, raised and educated in Turners Falls but left in 1954 to chase my future.
People need to take a hard look at the proposed name change. It’s not like changing the name of a street, bridge, building, park, or trail etc. it doesn’t just affect current residents but also former residents.
It could cause tremendous difficulty, inconvenience and be potentially costly for all individuals. Will the validity of official documents such as birth certificates, marriage and drivers licenses, automobile titles, insurance policies and property deeds be affected?
Is it time to demean Capt. Turner over what could have been an unfortunate mistake? Maybe he expected and intended to confront the braves who attacked the Old Deerfield settlement? Is the recorded history accurate and complete?
Wars and conflicts inevitably come with consequential circumstances that sadly are unpredictable and unavoidable. What should we do about Truman’s nuclear bombing of Japan? Weren’t innocent lives lost there? Where do we draw the line? How?
Somewhere in our genealogy, we had an ancestor who came to this country from elsewhere and laid the groundwork for us. In the process this land was taken from the original inhabitants quite often by violent means. Should we be willing to forfeit our holdings, pack our personal belongings and vacate the premises? Go where? Any suggestions or volunteers?
The word is Turners (plural) not Turner’s (possessive). Doesn’t that make a difference?
Time to seriously consider the ramifications of a name change before initiating a proposal that may cause multiple problems for many and benefits for few. Good or bad, it’s our history. We can’t change it and who are we to dare to?
There’s an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well. it ain’t broke, so it don’t need fixing.
Al Nadeau
Dalton