The Real problem with cancel culture

[crazy canuck]

The article doesn't really explain things fully. Was the rock still commonly referred to as the nickname that included a racial slur, or was that just in the 1925 article?

I wondered the same thing, so I went to look for the explanation the Chancellor gave - turns out it was a common nickname given by the then prevalent number of KKK members in the community and campus. 

I am not sure why one would object to the removal of such an object.

@BB yes.  All paid for by private donations to the Chancellor's fund.

[PDH]

I would think that there had be vestiges of that name usage other than one 1925 article as it was at least somewhat known.  While a rock itself is likely not offensive (unless rolling downhill toward a defending group of spearmen), informal carrying on of that name could have meant a lingering symbol attached to the rock.  Renaming a symbol can work, but often it creates a duel of meanings played out in a far more aggressive manner.

Just a thought.

[Barrister]

Let me offer a geologic defence of leaving the rock where it was.

The article calls it a "glacial erratic".  So during the last ice age the rock became detached from wherever it started and was carried by the ice hundreds or thousands of kilometres until it was ultimately deposited by the melting ice.  So it has geologic and historic significance - but only in the place it was deposited.  Otherwise it's just a big hunk of granite.

[Razgovory]

I doubt there is a lack of big-ass rocks in Wisconsin.  The university will survive this dangerous assault of "wokeness".

[Eddie Teach]

Just 50k of alumni money misspent.

[The Brain]

It sends a message that the university will let KKK define what is good and what is bad. This is hardly unintentional.

[The Minsky Moment]

Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the rock, and confess over it all the iniquities of the University of Wisconsin, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the rock, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone with a giant crane. The rock shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the rock shall be set free in the wilderness

[Syt]

Let me offer a geologic defence of leaving the rock where it was.

The article calls it a "glacial erratic".  So during the last ice age the rock became detached from wherever it started and was carried by the ice hundreds or thousands of kilometres until it was ultimately deposited by the melting ice.  So it has geologic and historic significance - but only in the place it was deposited.  Otherwise it's just a big hunk of granite.

The article says it sat on the crest since 1925, which seems to imply that it was moved there at the time (though it doesn't explicitly say so), which would mean it had already moved from its original location. The article does mention it's being moved to what sounds like an appropriate site:

The rock has been moved to university-owned land southeast of Madison near Lake Kegonsa. The area is within a glacial till landscape.

The part of Germany I grew up in was partially shaped by Ice Age glaciers, and while erratics are not entirely uncommon in the area, I doubt many remain in their original place.

[The Brain]

Total aside. Glacial erratics are common in Sweden. Obviously moving one doesn't matter from any preservation POV. My guess though is that most are in the original locations, if you needed the space it was probably simpler to cut it up.

[The Minsky Moment]

Total aside. erratics are common in Sweden.

FYP

[The Brain]

Total aside. erratics are common in Sweden.

FYP

[The Brain]

Addendum: some have Viking Age runic inscriptions. The rocks that is.

[Syt]

This site has some notable erratics (or Findlinge, because they were found randomly in the landscape) in Schleswig-Holstein. Based on geological analysis they're mostly from Southern and central Sweden, and overall of not impressive size.

https://strand-und-steine.de/gesteine/findlinge/ezfindlinge/schleswigholstein.htm

The biggest is the Düvelstein (devil's stone) at 180-200 tons, most underground, only 3-4 meters are above ground.



EDIT: we didn't have many rune stones in our area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedeby_stones

[The Brain]

they're mostly from Southern and central Sweden, and overall of not impressive size.

You too?

[The Brain]

EDIT: we didn't have many rune stones in our area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedeby_stones

Cool.