What significance is a name?

I'm sure everyone alive when Kennedy was shot remembers exactly what they were doing at exactly the moment they heard the news. I'm sure people remember exactly what they were doing the morning of September 11. These are events not easily forgotten.

Does President Obama remember what he was doing that horrific morning? Were the then state Senator Obama's first thoughts, "America most have antagonized those 19 hijackers?"

My guess is no.

If I am correct, then what business does, now President Obama, have changing the name, "War on Terror" to, "Overseas Contingency Operation?"

If we revert to the Kennedy Administration we can see how relevant names were. Pobeda! This word is Russian and to the technical expert it's a SS-3 MRBM, but to the rest of us it's commonly referred to as medium range ballistic missile. If the Kennedy Administration had called it something else, and downplayed the terminology, who knows, Washington DC today may not exist.

Changing the name was a bad idea Mr. President! The act may be insignificant to you, but to some, like the terrorists who initially instigated this terminology, it means victory. We have not yet won the war on terror. We should not give this ground to those who threaten peace and stability in the world. I urge you, Mr. President, reconsider your decision.