[wideawake]

Some Civil War buffs claim that Gen. Hooker’s last name is, indeed, the origin of the slang term for prostitutes.

Too bad for them that the OED cites the usage of the term "hooker" for prostitutes at least as early as 1845.

I can't believe a clergyman believes that this is the best use of time in this day and age.

[rellimpank]

—followup to this—

—http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1930804/posts

[bert]

I guess the state of Tennessee is doomed to hell. Since the dawn of time the perennial candidate John J Hooker has run for all sorts of positions but was never elected.

[Man50D]

Hartford Connecticut was founded by Thomas Hooker. The city has a parade in his honor every year.

[Gorzaloon]

We heard from many readers who found Baer’s sign-change campaign humorous, sad, silly and maybe even a little dirty-minded.

"Reverend" Baer should put his clothes back on and shut up.

[ConorMacNessa]

From Dictionary.com:

Word History: In his Personal Memoirs Ulysses S. Grant described Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker as "a dangerous man ... not subordinate to his superiors." Hooker had his faults. He may indeed have been insubordinate; he was undoubtedly an erratic leader. But "Fighting Joe" Hooker is often accused of one thing he certainly did not do: he did not give his name to prostitutes. According to a popular story, the men under Hooker's command during the Civil War were a particularly wild bunch, and would spend much of their time in brothels when on leave. For this reason, as the story goes, prostitutes came to be known as hookers. However attractive this theory may be, it cannot be true. The word hooker with the sense "prostitute" is already recorded before the Civil War. As early as 1845 it is found in North Carolina, as reported in Norman Ellsworth Eliason's Tarheel Talk; an Historical Study of the English Language in North Carolina to 1860, published in 1956. It also appears in the second edition of John Russell Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms, published in 1859, where it is defined as "a strumpet, a sailor's trull." Etymologically, it is most likely that hooker is simply "one who hooks." The term portrays a prostitute as a person who hooks, or snares, clients.

[Question Liberal Authority]

If it's in Tennessee, I suggest they rename it:

Al Gore Is Truly Dedicated To The Cause Of Global Warming Avenue.

Then people can call it "Hooker Avenue" for short.

[PAR35]

The biggest surprise for me in this story is that the preacher is with the liberal ELCA. http://www.lutheransonline.com/servlet/lo_ProcServ/dbpage=page&mode=display&gid=20052693427584965301111555

[Allegra]

There is a well-known intersection near the US Embassy in Baghdad called "Hooker's Corner."

Thank goodness nobody gives a rat's about PC stuff around here.

[Doogle]

the Rev has issues, maybe he should look into other names in Whitewood like...Remington Pl,Rawhide Rd,Crook City Rd,
Balloon Pl,Fillmore St,Bear Butte Rd,Bighorn Rd,Leisure St,Coyote Pl,Dane Church Rd,Eden Rd,Oyster Mountain Ln,Birch St,Crackerjack Rd,Easy St,....

..he has way too much time on his hands

[Sacajaweau]

Santa can't say Ho Ho Ho anymore either.

Hooker's aren't offended. They're still walking the streets and they're not carrying protest signs!!

[SubGeniusX]

This is why many folks view the Religious Right SoCons as asshats...

[DManA]

I suppose next they’ll be going after “French Whore Circle”.

[Mister Da]

Rev. Baer is digging himself a deep hole.

I’m guessing anyone named Hooker is offended. If he had any Hookers in his church, he probably wont soon.

I wonder how many men named Richard he has in his church. It must be uncomfortable thanking all those Dicks for attending services.

Baer needs to realize that there are numerous names in our society that are normal to the bearer, but offensive to others. I suspect if Rev. Baer’s name were Hooker, he would be pleased his surname was on a street sign.

If our society is to survive, this kind of nonsense has got to stop.

One last thing. Following Rev. Baer’s logic, Anyone who has been attacked by a BEAR might be highly offended by the Rev. Baer’s last name, so perhaps he should change it. Seems threatening to me, & connotes a violent & dangerous beast. I suggest he change it to PC. And in the spirit of PC, DAVID seems too Judeo-Christian. It might detract from that multi-culti image. It might offend potential converts.