confusion reigns

A little while ago, for whatever reason, the topic of sharks and where they lived came up. The Google search ensued and when I typed in do sharks live in the Gulf of Mexico, an AI generated response came up with this chart following it. I was surprised to see the Gulf of America referenced as the idea of the name change had gone silent after a couple weeks of President Trump being in office.

Did you know that on May 8 the House passed a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America?" President Trump signed the executive order for this change of name on his first day in office and Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced the bill in January. It instructs federal agencies to update all documents and maps to reflect the name change within six months of enactment. It passed in the House 211 to 206 and the bill will go to the Senate. Whether the Senate takes up the measure is unclear. Unlike the House, the bill would require support from a number of Democrats to move forward. 

Even if the name change is codified into U.S. law, other countries would be under no obligation to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by the new name. If it isn't codified, a future president could reverse this executive order. 

Maybe one of these years, I'll be telling my grandchildren, "When I was your age, my parents took my brothers, sister, and me to the beach during Easter vacation and we swam in the Gulf of Mexico." Will they ask, "What's Easter vacation?" or "Where's the Gulf of Mexico?" 

"Once upon a time..."