An intriguing debate is brewing in Carson, California over a street name. City councilman Elito Santarina wants to honor Filipino freedom fighter Jose Rizal, who was executed in Manila in 1896, by renaming a local street after him:
Officials Want to Rename Street: Jose Rizal Who?However, the proposal isn't going over very well with the residents of Moneta Avenue, the street that's going to get the new name. You can't really blame them -- a street renaming would require them to change their address, identification and all sorts of other headaches.
But also, while Rizal was a Philippine liberation hero, and certainly worthy of recognition, most folks on the street just don't have any idea who he was. Blame a lack of world history knowledge or whatever, but residents aren't interested in going through all that to honor the hero of another nation.
Personally, I think it would be really cool to live on a street named after Jose Rizal. But hey, I don't live on Moneta Avenue, and it's not my call.