The school Reed wants renamed now is named after the man credited as the first American to die spying for the United States. As the British prepared to hang Nathan Hale, he reportedly said, “I regret only that I have but one life to give to my country,” according to the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Thanks to Ben for pointing out the story.

I think we all have seen scenario after scenario where we are not told the truth by elected officials…

“Yes We Can!” Students Rename School for Obama

November 21, 2008 1:41 PM

ABC News’ Matt Jaffe Reports:

A New York elementary school has been re-named in honor of President-elect Barack Obama. Ludlum Elementary School in Long Island’s Hempstead Union Free School District was re-named at a board meeting Thursday, at the request of numerous school students.

“Just to watch these kids after the board voted on what they asked them to do, they were so elated,” school district superintendent Dr. Joseph Laria told ABC News. “You want to talk about “Yes we can!”? That was a lesson in democracy.”

Effective immediately, Ludlum will now be known as Barack Obama Elementary School, following a decision by the board to adopt the resolution drafted by students and staff.

Before this month’s election, the 5th grade class had a mock presidential debate at the school, which sits near Hofstra University, site of the third and final presidential debate between Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

“The kids were really into it,” Laria said. “They had this fabulous debate…it was just outstanding.”

“The children received such a response from the community and the parents that they were so energized that they said that if Obama becomes president, we would be so proud to have our school named after him, especially because this is an African-American and Latino community that celebrates diversity,” said Laria.

Most of the school’s students are African-American or Latino, the superintendent stated.

So on Thursday night the kids came before the board to read essays describing what they had learned from the mock debate experience and appealing for the school to be re-named.

Their resolution read as follows:

“Whereas the Ludlum School students conducted a mock presidential debate related to the recent presidential elections and whereas the students did a wonderful job of carrying out their tasks and demonstrating their patriotism at an early age and whereas in recognition of their efforts and the victorious feat of Sen. Barack Obama in becoming the first African-American president of the United States, it be resolved that the Hempstead Board of Education proudly renames Ludlum Elementary School as the Barack Obama Elementary School.”

The board then adopted the resolution by a vote of 5-0, re-naming the school immediately.

“People in the audience just stood up and applauded,” said Laria. “It was very well received…very poignant.”

The school is now planning a re-dedication ceremony following Obama’s inauguration in January, complete with the unveiling of a new sign.

And of course, the nation’s 44th president is invited, Laria said, as is New York Governor David Paterson, who once attended Hempstead High School in the same school district.

So is the school receiving any criticism from anyone opposing the name change?

“As of this moment, no,” noted Laria, emphasizing that the re-naming stemmed from the wishes of the students.

“The lesson in civics and democracy that these kids learned and even the process of coming before a public body and making a presentation, it was all child-oriented and that’s what touched me,” said an “enormously proud” Laria. “It wasn’t some board member for political reasons grand-standing.”

However, the name change might take a little while to sink in with some employees. When answering the phone today, a school official still said “Ludlum”…

-Matt Jaffe

I know some are against this because they did not vote for Obama and are not exactly his biggest fan. That has nothing to do with my problems/concerns, nor do I dispute the historic first aspect.

We don’t really know why beyond being told the students suggested this as a result of mock presidential debates held at the school. Even if one believed that this was true, which I have a hard time believing that elementary aged children would come up with this idea on their own, my concern would be exactly the same.

We are deleting our history…person by person…bit by bit…

If this elementary school was new or was named something generic, this post would never have been written. If Clinton would have won, or had McCain and this school or another one named after a real person who helped create that community did the same thing? This post would have still been written…

If they truly wanted the students to not only celebrate but learn, they could have named the school “The Ludlum-Obama Elementary” that would have celebrated not only the past but the future…

“me thinks thou doest protest too loudly”

Tsk, tsk, tsk. One small school with a small amount of students wants to name thier school after the first Afro-American president and we get:

1. Sarah Palin.
2. “Your past doesn’t matter, history doesn’t matter, all that matters is getting your 15 minutes of fame.”
3.”I suspect the school administrators/teachers influenced the whole thing. I really wouldn’t expect a group of elementary school kids to do this on their own.”
4. “Kids have no appreciation for history.”
5. “To change the name of an existing school named in honor of someone else is just wrong.”
6. “In a way it was related to race.”
7. “It is a shame that the administration would take advantage of the students like this though.”
8. To me it’s more evidence of how we have not done a good job as a society of teaching why history matters.
9.Accusations that Obama is the messiah.
10. The great Messiah is capable of anything. There is no such thing as abuse of power where he is concerned. He is all powerful.

They are kids… reacting to the times they live in. Could anyone show me the students reason for wanting to change the name of the school or should we just angrily choose any or all of the above reasons.

They are kids.

“I am sure that thou doest protest too loudly”

Pam, I was basing that on this source:

Longtime Palin staffer Meg Stapleton told ABC News’ Kate Snow that Palin had fumbled over an Africa comment, but that it was a misspeak not worthy of the press coverage it received.

She explained that during a briefing session, someone asked Palin to explain the McCain-Palin stance on an issue, and as she was responding, “in the middle, she said ‘country of Africa’ and somebody instantly wrote it down and said, ‘Oh, my God, she thinks it’s a country.’”

But “she knows it’s a continent,” Stapleton said. “It was just a human mistake, just like Obama saying 57 states. I don’t think anyone ever doubted that Obama knows there are 50 states.”

DR. LUDLUM DIES; LAST OF N.Y.U.’63; He Had Practiced Medicine on Long Island for Nearly Half a Century. ONCE SCHOOL BOARD HEAD Treated Wounded Soldiers in Virginia Camps During Civil War…

But in the other bio you found, he was in college until 1865:

He (Charles Ludlum) obtained his education in the district schools and in Union Hall Academy, after which he entered the University of New York, and graduated from the literary department with the degree of A. B. in 1863. Two years later he graduated from the medical department, after which he spent two years in Bellevue Hospital…

How did he treat wounded soldiers in Virginia when he was in college at NYU and working at Bellevue?