To spite Doug Ford, the premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, our president has by executive order “renamed” Lake Ontario “Lake America”. Fortunately, it is not binding outside the executive branch of the federal government, although two cowardly computer/Internet companies have apparently not felt their Dow Jones status to be enough protection from his wrath not to fall into line on their own widely accessed online maps.

Most Americans, thankfully, have seen this for what it is—an act of petulance so juvenile and immature that even 13-year-olds would recognize it as such. The local landowners whose homemade signage couldn’t crow the Trump gospel loudly enough two years ago are strangely silent now. I ask them to at least answer this question on their lawns and other lots: do you really think Kamala Harris would have done this? Any of this?

But what of our state, the only one with frontage on Lake Ontario (which is also the only one of the Great Lakes whose U.S. shoreline is within a single state)? We have an Ontario County as well, a name that has nothing to do with Canada (if you must know, it means “sparkling waters” in Iroquois, a language that long predates our countries) ... surely it will be the next target of Trump’s rage if he doesn’t get what he wants, whatever that is.

We must, as the state responsible for unleashing this abomination upon our great nation, take a stand. And there is a place right here in the Hudson Valley where we can do it!

Twenty years ago, Trump ended a long dispute over a 436-acre property he sought to turn into another one of his greatly overrated golf courses along the Westchester-Putnam county line by donating it to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on the condition his name be prominently displayed near the entrance. It is still called “Donald J. Trump State Park” even though there is nothing in the deed that requires this. Trump has said he would sue to get the property back if the name were changed, but given his track record in court of late no responsible person should be taking that threat seriously.

Other changes of name have been proposed since he became president, but really only one will do. Governor Hochul can and should issue an executive order of her own with immediate effect, guaranteeing that drivers on the Taconic are greeted by a large sign advising them they are approaching the exit for “Joseph R. Biden State Park”.

As for the conditions in the deed, we can continue to satisfy them by getting a bunch of port-a-potties for the parking lot at the entrance, if they aren’t there already, and putting a big sign over them saying “The Donald J. Trump Memorial ...” followed by the word commonly used for these things on construction sites which is inappropriate for a family newspaper. Perhaps then he will come to understand not so much that more than one person can play his silly little game, but also beat him at it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!