Should the Government Name a Mountain After a Marine Corps War Hero? (H.R. 381)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 381?
(Updated February 1, 2021)
This bill was enacted on January 10, 2018
This bill seeks to honor Staff Sergeant Sky Mote — a Marine who was killed while serving in Afghanistan — by naming a mountain where his friends and family used to go on annual hunting trips after him: “Sky Point.” The mountain is in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada National Forest, at the center of Humphrey Basin, and does not currently have a name. The GPS-inclined can find it at 7°15′16.10091″N 118°43′39.54102″W.
Argument in favor
Staff Sergeant Sky Mote sacrificed his life for the U.S. Putting his name on this mountain, where his friends and family go on an annual hunting trip would be a compassionate tribute to his action.
Argument opposed
Sky Mote sacrificed his life for the U.S. But there are better ways to honor his service than making people add a name to some anonymous mountain on their maps.
Impact
Sky Mote’s loved ones, map-making companies, hikers, park rangers, the U.S. Marine Corps.
Cost of H.R. 381
The CBO estimates that this bill would not have a significant effect on the budget.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Staff Sergeant Sky Mote was considered by many to be brave and selfless before August 12, 2012. He was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, defusing and disposing of bombs — yes, like The Hurt Locker — in Afghanistan. But on that day, he proved it again. When an Afghani police officer began shooting outside an outpost, Mote and Captain Matthew Manoukian fought back while the other soldiers evacuated. Mote shot at the attacker from an exposed position just five yards, "courageously exposing himself to a hail of gunfire in order to protect his fellow Marines."
Mote grew up in El Dorado, California, about forty minutes outside of Sacramento in sponsoring Rep. Tom McClintock’s (R-CA) congressional district. The peak under consideration for Sky Point is a couple of hours from there.
This legislation passed the House on a voice vote during the last session of Congress but wasn't considered in the Senate.
Media:
-
Sponsoring Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) Press Release (Previous Version)
-
CBO Cost Estimate (Previous Version)
- L.A. Times
- McClatchy
Summary by James Helmsworth
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