joeyjoseph

To many of us who live in or near San Francisco, this isn’t new. However, when reading about it again today (I think it was in USA today) I saw a comment from a reader who suggested that every city rename their sewage plant “The George W Bush Sewage Plant”.  I certainly appreciate the readers opinion, however this is irresponsible and a big mistake.  Here’s why.

It doesn’t sufficiently communicate the sentiment.  It doesn’t adequately tell the history of this great nation.  In 50 to 100 years people won’t live every week with George W. Bush in their lives as we do.  And that’s good.  But like all memorials ought to, we here in their past should try to create something in order to pass on the lessons we have learned. Renaming all sewage treatment plants “The George W. Bush Sewage Plant”, won’t cut it. People don’t live with sewage treatment plants.  Sewage treatment plants are like water treatment plants to people. They don’t ever think about them. Hell, they probably never even drive by them.  That’s why I recommend the following.

We rename “sewage” itself to “george w. bush”.  In a similar fashion to renaming one’s signature to “John Hancock” (though hopefully it would be more effective this time).  That way anytime people have any discussion relating to sewage, sewers, waste matter, poop, rats, etc, they wouldn’t be saying “sewage” as we all do, and as I have just done; they’d be saying “george w. bush”.  

This clearly communicates a message to the future.  Better than any history book or memorial.  Humans are curious, and will at one or more times in their lives (for humans are also forgetful) wonder why we call this rancid business a human name.  They will then ask somebody or use whatever will replace the internet to answer their query.  This keeps the name and story alive in a way that even architecture can not exceed. And since we don’t talk about sewage everyday, there’s very low risk to loss of impact due to loss of novelty (most commonly through overuse). The meaning will stick long into the age when we as a species have evolved to that most perfect of states where we no longer need to poop. That glorious day when the anus is but a vestigial structure; the function and therefore “George W. Bush” will be retired.  At least until they should be called upon again to save the human race.

For all of this has happened before

And it will happen again.