Many of us know that the name of Chattanooga is believed to have come from the Cherokee Indians' description of what we now know as Lookout Mountain: "rock rising to a point."
And we know that our county was named for Alexander Hamilton, one of the nation's Founding Fathers.
But now the name of Hamilton may take on new local significance. There is a serious move afoot among some local residents to create a new city named Hamilton -- inside Hamilton County and more or less between Chattanooga and Cleveland.
It would include unincorporated areas of the communities of Birchwood, Harrison and Ooltewah.
What is driving the effort to collect thousands of signatures to put the idea of incorporating a city of Hamilton on the ballot next year? Some want to head off the possibility of either Cleveland or Chattanooga annexing their area. They believe they could have lower property tax rates than if they were annexed by Chattanooga.
Well, we believe in the consent of the governed, don't we?
So it would be appropriate for the people in the area affected to decide for themselves whether to remain unincorporated or to create a new city -- or just to wait to see whether Cleveland or Chattanooga might someday seek to annex them.
In any event, self-determination is best.