Notoriety isn’t necessarily a sign of respect.

That’s why many local residents probably share the ambivalent feelings expressed by the Douglas County Commission when it decided Monday to neither support nor oppose the renaming of a Lawrence creek after the late William Burroughs.

Described in Tuesday’s Journal-World as a “beat icon” Burroughs certainly was a notable figure in the fabric of Lawrence. After writing “The Naked Lunch” and engaging in a number of other creepy escapades, Burroughs lived the last 15 years of his life in a house in the 1900 block of Learnard Avenue.

The most notable events in Burroughs’ life revolved around drugs and mayhem. He shot and killed his wife during an attempted William Tell re-enactment and spent much of his adult life in a drug-induced stupor. His is hardly a life or a lifestyle that deserves to be emulated. And yet, he played an integral role in the artistic and cultural “beat generation.”

While Commissioner Jere McElhaney described Burroughs as “a habitual drug user … who promoted anarchy and had no respect,” Commissioner Charles Jones said that although Burroughs had serious flaws he was artistically challenging and “a very creative force in the world.”

Apparently, it’s all a matter of perspective.

Lawrence forever will be linked to William Quantrill because of the famous raid, but local residents have never felt the need to honor Quantrill by naming anything after him. The same rationale might also apply to Burroughs. That he lived here is a historical fact, an interesting event, but perhaps not something worth celebrating.