US. Hwy 75, which north of downtown Omaha used to run on 30th street from Dodge all the way to the city limits, currently runs along a freeway that splits North Omaha in twain for about five miles before filtering back into city traffic, on 30th street, just as one is entering the White neighborhood of Florence.
The North Freeway was a disaster for North Omaha, houses bulldozed, families displaced, businesses and the jobs they provided ground into dust and for what? A freeway that dead-ends back on city streets not more than five minutes out of downtown, cutting maybe three minutes off of a driver's commute. It was clearly built on the attitude that real Americans always drive, period; that cars do not exist for getting to the city but that cities exist to give cars something to drive through, that certain classes of people living in the city are not people at all, and so whatever they suffer in the name of progress,(Giving the people who actually matter slightly more incentive to drive) is unimportant.
So now there's a move afoot to name this evil chunk of road after Martin Luther King, in the name of 'healing.' For some reason I'm thinking of Chris Rock's tales of flunking his Black History class as a child, answering every question with 'Martin Luther King!'. And which Martin Luther King do they intend to name the road after? The real MLK or the one who shills for Mercedes-Bens and opposes affirmative action? I think you know the answer to that as well as I do dear reader.
Senator Ernie Chambers (He will always be Senator, capitialized, always.) has raised a ruckus about this attempt to 'prettyfy' this atrocity. good for him, and may he live for another fifty years as an advocate for people who the leaders of this state hold in such naked and open contempt.
If they must name the North Freeway after a person then I would suggest old Roman Hruska, the man who as US Senator once bullied the mayor of San Francisco for daring to oppose having various freeways manfully plowed through his effeminate neighborhoods. He was a real salt of the earth man Hruska, knowing that every true American loves barraling big cars down big roads so damnit lets get em built and fuck anyone who's in the way.
In spite of my own leanings I've no problem with naming things after Republican leaders, it's only natural in a state as conservative as this one. It's why I named my institute for legal prostitution after Dave Heineman. Last meeting of the year is tonight after last call, by the by, be sure to come prepared.
http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_89450535-0f76-5ce5-849d-b9e82da453e6.html
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