Rhetoric reaches an uncomfortable pitch
By Jesse Ducker
To say I was disappointed in the sentiments expressed by some of the participants in the recent community outreach meeting at Willow Ranch Mobile Home Park would be an understatement. While the value of community outreach meeting is to let people have their say, it's shocking in such a diverse community, to hear residents express views that are downright intolerant.
Fear of change, while a normal reaction, can be unhealthy and unwarranted in some situations. And the ignorance and intolerance reflected in some remarks made at the May 4 outreach session held by city council, in the name of this fear, was.
What's at issue is the changing of a street name. Some of the worshippers at a Hindu temple in Sunnyvale recently approached the council about changing the name of Persian Drive to Mandir Drive. "Mandir" means temple in Hindi. Council approved a study of the issue. No name change has been approved. The proposal, however, has created a storm of ill will and accusations by local residents who are opposed to the change.
If the council decides to vote against the name change, as neighborhood residents apparently favor, let's hope the council does so for the right reasons, and not for reasons that have to do with intolerance and bigotry--examples of which were in abundance at the meeting on May 4.
Certainly, changing the name of a street is a big deal. There are change-of-address cards to fill out and all sorts of people from friends and family to creditors to notify. Anyone who has printed stationery or envelopes will have to incur an expense to make those changes. This could be particularly difficult for the many seniors who live that street who are on fixed incomes.
Still, one would hope that council members will not take seriously opponents who argued against the change because it is "revolting." Likewise, while it's understandable that some people have difficulty coping with cultural changes, let's hope that the council will not base its decision on fears expressed that night that it is only a matter of time until Sunnyvale is renamed Bombay.
I'd also hate to think that in a community that is increasingly diverse, that anyone would take seriously the assertion, also made at that meeting that only English, "not foreign," names are acceptable.
I find the personal nature of some of the attacks to be unsettling and unworthy of the community. While I understand that a lot of it was venting, it's time to deal with the issue in a more mature fashion. Implying that council members were receiving payoffs under the table to change the name is just plain dumb. I applaud Councilman Manuel Valerio for taking time to remind some of the more intolerant members of the audience to be respectful of the religions and customs of all of the city's residents.
What I don't understand is the complete unwillingness for compromise that many of those at the meeting exhibited. Many seemed to oppose even changing the name to Mandir only on the block where the temple is located. What's the point in being completely inflexible?
Everyone knows that Sunnyvale is a much different place in 2002 than it was in 1952. Many people and cultures have migrated from around the world to Sunnyvale to try their fortune and make a better life for themselves and their families. The Hindu community has and continues to make important contributions to the city of Sunnyvale. Changing the name of a street after a place of worship would not be the worst thing in the world. Some residents need to stop treating it as a cataclysm.
I certainly hope the council is not swayed by the pointless anger expressed by some of those who spoke at the meeting. Whatever decision they make, I hope they make it for the right reasons. If they choose to let the street remain Persian Drive, fine. But they shouldn't make that decision because they fear change.
Jesse Ducker is the editor of The Sun.
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
