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A pond by any other name...

In his 2010 Comedy Central stand-up special, comedian Louis C.K. pondered a sometimes-epithet and the fine line between desciptor, and slur. Joking aside, C.K.’s take hits very close to home for the townspeople of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, who, for the past several months, have been engaged in a fierce debate about whether or not a small local pond’s name on federal maps,  “Jew Pond” is offensive, and whether the pond should get a new moniker.

Darren Garnick is a freelance journalist and filmmaker from one of Mont Vernon’s neighboring towns, Amherst. He covered the debate for The Atlantic.

Virginia Prescott is the Gracie Award-winning host of Word of Mouth, Civics 101, The 10-Minute Writers Workshop podcasts, and the Writers on A New England Stage series on New Hampshire Public Radio. Prior to joining NHPR, she was editor, producer, and director for NPR programs On Point and Here & Now, and directed interactive media for New York Public Radio.
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