I'm having a hard time believing someone could be so offended by a normal word on a road sign. A plantation is also called a homestead or an estate, or even a vineyard.
Plantation Road used to be fields. Maybe that's how they named it?
Plantations existed prior to American slavery and still exist today. In fact, according to the definition, the property my husband and I own could be called a plantation.
I'm not trying to diminish actual past, present or future slavery practices. I'm pointing out how single-minded we can be as a society.
Who knows why the road was named what it was? Maybe someone out there has the answer. I doubt it was to offend anyone or make them immediately think of slavery.
Out of curiosity, should the name of the development be changed too?
To answer the question about what that name says to our children, I'd guess that it says they are simply on or near Plantation Road. That's it.
Regarding the other people mentioned who now work, live and visit, if we are to equitably consider the feelings of every person on the roads, we need to go back to using numbers, and that probably won't work either.
A festering wound will never heal if it is constantly picked.
There are atrocities being carried out today that warrant a good deal of attention.
Perhaps a focus shift to the adults and children being raped, beaten and killed; and families torn apart by Hamas happening right now would be a better place for offense. Not to mention the multitude of other horrible evil people existing right now in front of our eyes.
Still offended by the name on a road sign? I hope not.
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