Anyone want to buy a shovel engraved "Gen. Vang Pao Elementary School" -- cheap?

I've written a couple of times about the ongoing controversy in my city over naming a new elementary school after Gen. Vang Pao (in recognition of the large Hmong community here.) Given that he is now jailed on charges of conspiring to violently overthrow the Laotian government, the school board reconsidered and on Monday evening voted to open the whole process up again (that's the process which they didn't follow in the first place.)

It saddens me that it has been such a divisive issue between the Hmong community and the wider Madison community. Here is a quote from last evening's paper: "Americans in general have not realized how severe the sacrifices were that the Hmong made on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam war." I have to say I believe that many Hmong are missing an important point, that being that a majority of Americans came to fervently oppose the war in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the role of the CIA in fomenting that war.

It was our war in that our tax dollars paid for it, and for that reason I believe that the U.S. does owe the refugees created by our wars something. And clearly the Hmong community in the U.S. has a collective belief that promises to them in exchange for their help were made and betrayed. But I am sick of the argument that we should honor Gen. Vang Pao because he aided our CIA. The CIA typically works against the best interests of the American people, waging covert wars and committing atrocities in our name. That's who Vang Pao collaborated with (and perhaps what brought the Communists down so hard on the Hmong people.)

I also see a disconnect when it is said that Vang Pao is "like our George Washington." There is an assumption there that everyone sees George Washington as a shining hero. Sort of like, we should blindly follow that other George in Washington because "he's the president."

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, much as many long-time U.S. citizens are ignorant of Hmong culture, history, and politics, many Hmong remain ignorant of the varied nuances of the American historical and political spectrum.

And the bottom line? No, no, no we absolutely should not be naming an elementary school -- any school -- after a war lord.

My daughter, the high school graduate, suggests that the community should choose school names from among artists, peacemakers, or people who have contributed to the local community. (Thornton Wilder is a native son who has never been honored with anything here. Gaylord Nelson, father of Earth Day, was our senator for years. Blues singer Tracy Nelson grew up here, and -- does this count? -- Otis Redding died here. "Dock of the Bay" could be the school song.)