Re: [OFFICIAL] NEW FT SHIPS!!

--- Brian Burger <yh728@victoria.tc.ca> wrote:
<snip>
> Given the 'native Israeli' part, it's not a *bad* name for a 24th
> Century NI ship, but here in the 21st Century it might not be a good 
> choice for a model name.

This is the best point made, and I think a lot of people missed it. 
There are actually two questions about this ship name:

1) would a fictional future government use this name for a ship?

and

2) should GZG use this name for a miniature?

The example of 'USS Vietnam" or "USS Mi Lai" (sp?) are not quite
analogous.  However, there are a couple of exaples that are closer.

a) In the 1990's there was a movement started in spain to canonize
Queen Isabella in recognition of her efforts on behalf of Catholicism
(the reconquista, etc.).  This caused a great deal of outcry from both
the jewish and muslem communities around the med because, although she
is a national hero in Spain, the opponents felt that her canonization
would minimize what happened to their communities.

b) There was a comment on this list in 2003 about Andrew Jackson being
unpopular with indigenous American tribes.  It was news to me.	I only
knew him as president and as the victor of New Orleans (1815).

c)In Nov 2003 there was a youth group in CA. of muslem college students
who organized a football tourney for over the semester break.  Most of
the team names were sports-related, fun or nonsensical ("1st and Goal",
"Ironmen", etc.), however a few had, to American perception, an
offensively militant flavor, such as "Intefada".  This made the
national news and some parents withdrew their sons from the event.

The question of importance is not what the name means to an Isreali in
2280 or in 2004.  The question is is there someone else, such as
Lebanese (of whom there are a lot in the New World and Down Under), in
2004 who might take it the wrong way.  Might there be someone who
doesn't care at all about our hobby but just runs across the name on
the store website and causes bad press?  Might there be American or
Canadian or Austrailian FT players of Lebanese descent or origin who
might take offense?

In the end . . .

Might the FSE name a ship or class "Santa Regina Izabella"?  Maybe.
Should GZG market a miniature with that name?  I don't know.

Might the IFed name a ship or class "Intefada"?  Probably.
Should GZG market a miniature with that name?  No.

Might NI name a ship or class "Sabra"?	Probably.
Should GZG market a miniature with that name?  No.

How about some suggestions for Hebrew names that can't offend anyone? 
Words with no secondary associations.  Perhaps simple translations of
words like "Valiant", "Victorious", "Illustrious", "Lightning", etc. 
Just avoid nicknames and 20th century Israeli battles and heros (every
man's national hero is another man's national enemy).
 
J