Buying Recognition

An ongoing story recently in Santa Fe has been naming a new library on the South Side. (Apparently "Santa Fe Public Library -- South Side" is too straightforward.) The powers-that-be said they'd name it after the first person to contribute $1 million. So a donation was promised, in the name of a recently-deceased liquor distributor and casino owner.

Folks protested. Most didn't raise the question of whether those activities should be honored in a building supposedly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and freedom of information, but over whether one should be able to buy one's way into permanent community recognition. Both, I would argue, should be valid points to raise.

In response to the protest, the family withdrew the donation. Now... wouldn't it be nobler to still donate the money, but graciously turn down the name recognition? Doesn't that tell you, right there, that the intent was to glorify the family name instead of supporting a community institution?

I wish buildings weren't named after people at all. Just name them by their functions. And if you do want to honor someone, why not honor someone who has contributed to the library through longtime volunteer work, promotion, reading to kids, or other means that required commitment and dedication, rather than money?

In a society where sports stadiums and tournaments are named after donors, though, it's become increasingly apparent that everything is for sale. Maybe next we'll have the Toyota Olympics or the Microsoft Congress.