Chamberlin Rock on Bascom Hill in Madison has proven recently to be problematic. The rock was once known by a disgusting and racist term a century ago. If that term had been used by everyone all these years since then, I would help break it into pieces and throw it into Lake Mendota with my own hands.
But it has not.
I have spent 40 of the last 50 years as a student or faculty member here at UW-Madison. I had never heard this rock called by the offensive name it was referred to a century ago -- and I pride myself in knowing a great deal about the history of UW-Madison. Rather than a name for this specific rock, the slur from long ago was a stupid, racist term that during those stupid, racist times was applied to every large rock of this type. Are we to now break up every large, glacial rock of this type in North America because it once had been known by this disgusting name?
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From my left-of-center view, the worst thing about this controversy is that it makes just causes such as Black Lives Matter and the struggle for real racial justice in America look silly. Unfortunately, it gives ammunition to the opponents of these true, real and just causes.
UW should reconsider any thoughts of removing this boulder.
Robert Stanley, Middleton