What’s in a name?
Well, the animal rights group PETA wants to change the name of Slaughter Beach to something more positive like “Sanctuary Beach”.
But the Wilmington News Journal reports that the request has not gone down well with local residents.
Vice Mayor Ken Lewis told the paper that he was a bit bewildered by the request.
Many residents say that the origin of the name has nothing to do with the mistreatment of animals.
The newspaper reports there are a number of legends as to how the beach got its name.
There are two which say it was named after former postmaster John Slaughter while another says that it arose from the arrival of horseshoe crabs which often flip over and die in the surf.
Another legend says it arose out of a miscommunication between the Dutch and Native Americans in the 1600’s.
