On the war path
The Cabinet Press
EDITORIAL
Friday, June 15, 2007
Well, we certainly shouldn’t have said that, given how an organization called the New England Anti-Mascot Coalition feels about the Warrior symbol of Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School and the twin tomahawks of Merrimack High School.
But we don’t mean to make light of it, really, it’s just that we don’t quite know how to take the coalition’s demand that these two schools — and several others in New Hampshire — change their mascots.
Linda Draper, WLC’s athletic director, told our reporter that the Warrior mascot is “regal,” not racist and in all of our years covering WLC — from news to sports — we’ve never seen nor heard anything that would indicate disrespect for Native Americans.
Yet, clearly, some Native Americans are offended and, while we are not among those who believe that everyone must bend over backwards to ensure that we never offend anyone, we still need to at least try to understand how people feel.
For instance, we fully agree that the Washington Redskins need to rethink their nickname, and perhaps the Cleveland Indians need to redesign their logo because it makes Chief Wahoo look a little stupid.
But Warriors? Tomahawks? We’re not sure those nicknames rise to the level of offense.
The WLC community will discuss this issue at a meeting sometime during the next school year, and that’s a positive step. They don’t want to invite the head of the coalition, fearing inflammatory rhetoric.
That’s a decision we hope the School Board will reconsider. We need to confront — politely — our accuser. Invite the coalition’s spokesman, set some ground rules for behavior — for everyone — and discuss this issue fully.
Whatever Wilton-Lyndeborough decides to do about its mascot, at least the issue will be aired fully and fairly. We’d like to say that, really, that’s all anyone can ask, but we know better.