Disturbing Roadway Message Sign
Since first landing in Cave Creek, Arizona 16 years ago I’ve referred to neighboring Carefree, AZ as the most ironically named town in America. It’s a retirement village where (almost exclusively) white folks, predominately from the Midwest, emigrate to this little desert oasis to play golf and try very hard to lead a 1950s country club lifestyle.
The sign above is real. I first saw it this past Sunday and did a triple-take. Really Carefree? Use Wampum? What the fuck does that even mean? Weird and offensive even for a cloistered, super-conservative town like Carefree.
Then it was explained to me. I’d only seen one third of the full message. There’s a Hampton Inn under construction in ‘downtown’ Carefree and the message is actually a three-part traffic control directive. It reads as follows…
Even if they had chosen to use the full name of the street, Wampum Way, it would still be offensive. It’s a 3-line sign. They could easily have used all three lines to include ‘Way’ but I’m guessing someone thought it was funny (funnier?) to have it read simply ‘Use Wampum’. I’m not saying that whoever made that decision was being consciously offensive. I think many millions of Americans don’t have a clue when they’re being offensive. (Many million do of course.) It’s a part of who they are. It’s ingrained. They’re taught it by their parents from birth: It’s OK, even supported and encouraged, to single out, denigrate, belittle and bully. (Bullying really is at the heart of it, but that’s another post. For this one I’ll just add that antisemitism, on the rise around the world including in the US, is a symptom of the same diseased child rearing and unnatural inclination to bullying.)
In Carefree’s defense (just kidding, there is no legit defense) other ‘cutesy’ Carefree, AZ street names include Ho and Hum Roads, Languid Lane, Breathless Drive, Nevermind Trail and Whileaway Road. These street names aren’t offensive, except perhaps to anyone living in Carefree who happens to have a dialed-in sense of self respect. Wampun Way, though, starkly evidenced by the traffic sign above, is undeniably offensive, even if only by 2020 standards.
It may be time, Carefree, to join the formerly-named Washington Redskins and others in breaking the cycle of thoughtless, mindless, hurtful racism. Instead of Wampum Way, maybe White Man’s Long Overdue Awakening Drive.
Or maybe just remove the word ‘Drive’ from Carefree Drive. Let it read:
Carefree Closed, Use Wampum. Still offensive, but somehow less so.