Gulf of MEXICO

/ The Coastal Crone

On inauguration day President Trump, with a flourish and a smile, signed one of many executive orders. The White House touted the order as “Restoring Names That Honor America’s Greatness.”  This one combined name changes for the largest gulf in the world  and the highest peak in the United  States.   Mount Dnali was once again Mount McKinley  to honor President William  McKinley.  The Gulf of Mexico was henceforth to be called Gulf of America to honor America’s greatness.  All government references were to comply; Google and others soon would reflect both new names. These changes will not solve any world problems, but it apparently made the President happy to be able to do so.

Granted, President Obama in 2015 pleased Native American Indians by renaming Mount McKinley to honor Native Americans Indians who had  traditionally referred to it as Dnali.  The state of Alaska had  requested the United States government for the name change in 1975 but was denied.

And what about that body of water known for five hundred years as the Gulf of Mexico and shared by the US, Mexico and Cuba who all claim some territorial rights?  As a coastal crone I live on the Texas Gulf Coast on Nueces Bay and a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Texas shares the Gulf with three other states and the countries of Mexico and Cuba.  It provides rich marine life, tourism. off shore drilling. and more.  During WWII German U-boats were sunk in its waters.  We worry when there is an oil spill or leak.  All eyes are on The Gulf during hurricane season.  We worry about pollution along our coastlines.  We share a long and rich history including battles, disputes and pirates.  The Republic of Texas had its own navy for a time.

The Associated Press (AP) continued to refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico and as a result has been denied access to some presidential events in the White House and Air Force One.  The AP has been the standard for style for years.  A lawsuit to end the ban is pending.

It seems we are beginning to be governed by daily executive orders.  For now most of us will probably continue to just call it “The Gulf,” but everyone knows we mean the Gulf of Mexico!

42 thoughts on “Gulf of MEXICO”

  1. Good morning Jo from Canada. I think about the wonderful relationship Canada and the USA have had for generations. The longest undefended border on the planet. And yet, your president has waged a trade war with our country. He’s accused our country of letting in too much fentanyl and illegal immigrants. The amount is paltry compared to what’s coming across your southern border, where he elected to send troops.

    The danger is both ways. We have a problem with guns and drugs coming in from the USA. Anyway, in response, our gov’t. has spent over a billion dollars to shore up the border. And the other day, our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announced 10,000 troops to man the border. But that doesn’t matter to your president, because the truth is, it’s not about fentanyl (which both countries are struggling with) or illegal immigrants, it’s about our resources. He wants them.

    Your president, being a real estate developer, thinks he can acquire Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal just because he wants it, no matter what treaties are in place or no matter what amicable relationships will be forever broken. He doesn’t care about laws. He doesn’t listen to prominent economists, who think the tariff wars are dumb. And now, his poor supporters, who think he’s on their side, will pay a heavy price.

    I pray for both our countries.

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  2. “I’m not satisfied with awareness, I want action.” Emma Widmark, Grand Camp President Alaska Native Sisterhood Juneau, Alaska. And my other favorite,

    “you cannot convince people with facts when their resistance is emotional”, Safilios-Rothschild.

    I wrote new letters yesterday to my Senator and Representative. Shortly afterward, I had a call from the U S Capitol. I am not saying it will change anything, but I had a civil conversation, expressing my concerns about the reckless chaos spewing out of the White House and Congress, and asking for them to do the right thing and fix it. And yes, I keep saying “Gulf of MEXICO” in all my correspondence. 😁

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      • They are supposed to represent their constituents, but they do not unless you agree with them–at least in my experience here in MS. Right after that telephone call, I got the latest Newsletter from Rep and it was just parroting all of the current talking non-points of the administration and still have had no response from the Senator, even though I clearly asked for one. It really just shows ignorance to call it the Gulf of America; it was El Golfo de México before there even was an “America” and as usual, they disregard there is a North America, Central America, and South America.

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  7. It will forever be the Gulf of Mexico to me! He has no idea what he is doing! I prefer Denali for the mountain in Alaska. It is a lot more suitable. And Musk is making such a terrible mess of people’s jobs! I hope the law suits that have been filed will get some of it straightened out. We just went to a program called The Executive Branch and the Constitution, so I know that the president was given a lot of latitude in what he could do just by saying do it, but that doesn’t make what he is doing right. The idea of DOGE might be a good idea and there is probably a lot of federal departments that need some working over and weeding out… BUT NOT THE WAY THEY ARE DOING IT!!! I know we pretty much think along the same lines on this and I just hope we can get through the next four years and hope we can get a change for the better at that time.

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    • Yes, I think we both think along the same lines. Denali makes sense since the Indians called it that anyway and the state asked for the change. Changing to Gulf of America made no sense except to stroke Trump’s ego because he could. Congress has given all presidents way to much executive power! And I agree that there is probably waste in the government but it should not be done wholesale by Elon Musk but the cabinet heads. Every day it is something new. His name changes are the least harm he has done. Take care, Nita!

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    • Sadly, I must agree. When he was elected the first time I didn’t vote for him but I respected the office and hoped that he would grow into the job as he realized the responsibility he held. I don’t think he respected the office.

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      • During late 2020/early 2021, Trump tried to overturn the election he lost to Biden, and he also incited a riot. You’d think that would have been enough to keep people from ever voting for Trump again. But it wasn’t. I’m uncomfortable living in a country where so many people with low ethical and moral values reside.

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  10. Canada has a Department that keeps track of all the name changes every year. Under the Trudeau government, the push was to restore or rename with Indigenous names. Lac Kâ Shîpetinâch, Manitou Minisees and Akokotaywining have all regained their previous names. Virtuous – yes. Practical for anyone who has to say the name – no.

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  11. I lived in Alaska for a few years in the mid-2000s. I worked for the Forest Service and also volunteered at a state park. The mountain was officially Mt. McKinley then but everyone called it Denali. Changing a name on paper won’t change anything in practice if people don’t respect the motivation for doing so.

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  12. The whole Gulf-of-Whatever business reminds me of the reaction of the Hispanic men and women I work with and around. When some were pushing for ‘LatinX’ as a moniker, the laughter was loud and long. ‘Latina’ and ‘Latino’ are what I hear; the only time I come across ‘LatinX’ is from college students or academics of some sort. As you say: those of us in the neighborhood simply use ‘the Gulf,’ and everyone knows what we mean. It’s the Gulf of Mexico. (History generally wins. Consider the ‘Willis Tower’ in Chicago, previously known as the Sears Tower.)

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  16. I still call it the Gulf of Mexico, because that’s its name! What have I got to lose, I’ve never been invited to the white house anyway, and probably won’t ever be…ha! As for executive orders, I really think that Presidents should be restricted to about five per year. They’re supposed to be used mostly for emergencies, but nowadays presidents use them to just further their agenda whether congress approves or not. Both parties are guilty of this, but Trump has been by far the most flagrant about it!

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    • Trump will never know I still call it the Gulf of Mexico so I am in no danger of being denied into the Oval Office or even invited. I agree that both sides abuse executive orders This president has exceeded them all and Congress is allowing him to do it and given up their duty. Thanks for adding your thoughts, Ann.

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  20. We all laughed when your leader made this statement about the Gulf. Ridiculous to think he has to announce this like it is of grave importance. In Australia, things are being re-named too, for the same reasons that Obama changed the mountain names – to honour the first nations people’s names. But they are used in conjunction with the official names. For example: Brisbane/Meanjin Melbourne/Naarm. A softer approach and mutual understanding might have been better given the Gulf borders several places. But this President is acting like an Emperor with supreme power.

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  21. Sorry for missing your post last month! I was at a restaurant last night that featured a Gulf of Mexico cocktail. I can’t recall all the ingredients, but two were tequila and resistance. I thought that was pretty cute.

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Comments are always welcome!