Person Googles name, reads Wikipedia entry, is shocked to discover that people in the past thought differently, demands immediate change.

The irony is that it was just such temporal myopia and moralizing that got the name changed to Kitchener in the first place. https://twitter.com/CTVKitchener/status/1272959123986894848

Most names of public places were chosen by generations past. They made different choices than we would because they were different people. In general, we should keep what we inherited and put our choices only on our creations. Why? Two reasons. 2/

One, by preserving names (and monuments and buildings), each generation leaves a layer of history. In time, a place emerges as layers of history, like the sediment of a river delta. The delta becomes the ultimate monument to that place's history. 3/

More simply, when people name things they do so not only for the moment. They hope it will last. As do we. One day, we, too, will become a generation past. so the Golden Rule provides clear advice here. 4/

And of course none of the foregoing says change must always be ruled out. Sometimes it's reasonable to dig in the delta, knock down an old building, change a name, or remove a statue. But these should be exceptions and only done with a due appreciation of their gravity. 5/

Sorry to rattle on about the subject. I just think history, memory, and the built environment are more important than people often appreciate.