Where the hell did this story go? (Boston Globe link) Ronald Reagan was an abject racist.
He also arguably committed treason. (Salon link)
I think it’s fair to say Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the Nation’s airport. Dulles is larger, but Reagan is closer to the capital and generally regarded as much more convenient for Capital visits. I had never heard of Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall as a third option but that name is righteous.
Reagan is a federally-operated airport and so Congress chooses its name. It was changed by the U.S. Congress (CNN link) from simply “Washington National Airport” in 1998:
Following the Senate's example, the House passed a measure Wednesday afternoon to rename Washington's National Airport after former President Ronald Reagan. The final vote was 240-186.
Representatives from Virginia, where the airport is located, argued against Congress intruding on local affairs and choosing a name that local residents might oppose.
Air traffic controllers, recalling Reagan's firing of 11,000 controllers during a 1981 strike, also opposed the new name.
But Republican supporters won in the end, hoping that the bill can be signed into law before Friday, which marks Reagan's 87th birthday.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said President Bill Clinton would sign the bill if it was passed by Congress.
House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) called Reagan one of the most loved Americans.
The Senate approved the name change on a 76-22 vote.
Where the hell did that CNN go? Anyway, I invite you to write your federal representatives and request a name change. It sickens me the extent to which Reagan is deified.
Their strengths need to be attacked. Overton and all that.