Racism is not the issue with mascot
To the editor:
Mr. Sanfaçon has been kind enough to express his concerns about the Spaulding High mascot, more than once. Each time, the majority of those involved have listened and thoughtfully responded. Recently, Christine Rose with Students and Teachers Against Racism penned a position. While she may feel we have missed her point, a tiring obsession with exact skin color, racism is not the issue.
This discussion raises an insidious cultural issue that all sensible citizens should think about. It is long past due to address this trend Pope Benedict XVI labels, the "Dictatorship of Liberalism."
We are seeing a vocal minority insist it be able to dictate its view on an entire community under the guise of political correctness. Is it not time to take a new look at this kind of control? Shouldn't we be just a little suspect of people who ask us to look at our community heritage now with shame?
Listen closely to the words, "may be offensive to some." There are no clearly identified victims here. If they exist, what are their rights in relation to the majority? Comedians can appear in public using language that is patently offensive. But, when a community symbol of pride and all that is good about fair competition is deemed "possibly offensive" the community is supposed to bow in shame. Is there not something wrong with this?
Don't some Native American communities deal with more serious issues than a relatively obscure symbol in a New Hampshire town? Is the removal of that symbol going to have a significant positive impact on real problems?
Ms. Rose seemed somewhat credible until she started attacking skin color as grounds for being qualified to speak on behalf of one's ethnic group. Her use of statistics on "whiteness" seem more racially biased than the issue she is trying to combat.
There are real crises with real victims that could better absorb our energies. Take a look at the efforts of UNH students: trips to New Orleans to help devastated residents and sleeping on sidewalks to raise awareness of child abuse in Uganda.
While we need to guarantee the rights of the individual, we need to be sure we understand what those rights are, and are not, and be careful not to habitually genuflect to everyone who cries "offensive to some."
Richard Menzel
Rochester
