For some people, it seems to be a big deal to name something “big” after someone they admire. This is especially so when it comes to airports, which, unlike sports stadiums, generally aren’t renamed every X number of years based on who’s the highest bidding sponsor. And that’s how we wound up with the likes of airports named after NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schultz, and WWI flying ace William “Billy” Mitchell.
The Trump Proposal
So I suppose it made sense in the minds of a bunch of Tennessee politicians to propose that Nashville International Airport (BNA) be renamed Trump International Airport back in January. Personally, I thought it was an inappropriate move. Sure, it’s the largest airport in the state, but there are 27 airports in the country that are bigger. Wouldn’t Trump want a BIG airport to be named after him?
Well, it turned out to be a moot point, since on March 10th, the bill received a bipartisan thumbs down from a committee in the Tennessee House of Representatives. This was followed by it officially failing in the Transportation Committee on March 18th.
The Dolly Parton Petition
Meanwhile, another group is working to get BNA renamed…this time in honor of singer, songwriter and philanthropist Dolly Parton.
Around the same time that big names were pushing to change BNA’s name in honor of the current president, a bunch of smaller people began trying to change the name of the same airport, starting with, instead of a bill, a Change.org petition. From the petition:
Rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport
As proud citizens of Tennessee, we are motivated by our deep-rooted admiration for the national treasure and Tennessee legend, Dolly Parton. She is not only a celebrated artist who encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill through her music, but also a philanthropist, known for her countless contributions to society. It is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman. Dolly has made substantial impacts on thousands of lives, especially through her Imagination Library program, which has gifted over 100 million books to children since it began in 1995. Dolly’s philanthropic efforts, her outstanding influence in the music industry, and the love she has instilled in our hearts through her actions and songs, truly make her a deserving candidate to have the Nashville International Airport named after her. We request that the airport’s name be changed to Dolly Parton International Airport to honor an icon who has given so much to our state and to the world. Sign the petition to make this change a reality. We could all be Departin’ from Parton!!
Thanks for your support – Lydia Popovich & Dan Dion
I’ll give them credit – as of this writing, they’ve gotten over 14,600 signatures and about 6,000 of those have only been in the past couple of days, when the petition came to light on various forms of social media.
Dolly’s Reaction
Parton’s word on it? “I think that’s probably more of a joke than anything,” she told The Tennessean in January, when asked about the petition. “I mean, it does sound like a lot of fun to say: ‘Your flight is departin’ from Nashville’s D. Parton. But I couldn’t imagine that (having my name attached to the airport could be) as an actual thing.”
Which sounds like a Dolly quote if there ever was one.
No comments on either side of the renaming fans regarding the “other team’s” fans.
So What Happens Next?
I guess I could see how naming the airport might be important if Parton or Trump didn’t each already have names and reputations for themselves; neither are ever going to be forgotten, for better or for worse. Maybe an airport will be renamed for them; maybe not. But for now, we’ll keep calling it Nashville International.
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2 comments
Please please please let it be Dolly.
Please NO to {REDACTED} — THE {REDACTED} {REDACTED}-WINGER….
Comment redacted by YMMV to remove portions that were against YMMV’s requirements for approval.
In this case, practically all of it. Whomp whomp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯