Watertown TAB & Press
Friday, March 16, 2007

Mascot celebrates history and Indian successes

Would the TAB or anyone else please tell me how a long-established team name and logo can suddenly become racist? (March 9, "Thumbs down to the (Red) Raider mascot.") The Cleveland Indians named themselves after their star player who was an Indian. We call ourselves the Watertown Red Raiders in celebration of an aspect of our history. Those Indians past and present are not demeaned by it.

It should be obvious that when we name ourselves Red Raiders we are drawing attention to those attributes that made them successful and noble, in the hopes that their best aspects might be ours as well. We want to be as good as they were. We aspire. And now here comes the TAB telling us that our Indian makes us racists. Yikes … remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

At the same time, the TAB shows blind disregard for the feelings of pirates and their families. Shouldn't they be offended by this second-hand slur? And I still don't see how we raise ourselves up by trading the true Red Raider for the false Pirate Raider.

Note to TAB; here in Watertown, we name ourselves. We define ourselves. Our name is Raider, our color is Red and our mascot is a red-blooded American Indian. By what calculus does the TAB find insult in Red but not in Pirate?

Personally, I love that Indian profile. I'd put it on everything from sweat bands to book covers. After all, Watertown High School is an educational institution. If an educational institution can't raise the topic of our Indian connections, who can? Certainly not the TAB, which would smother that true past under a totally false one.

Sadly, the TAB reports on this town, but isn't a part of it. I miss the Sun. I miss the Press. Save the Indian!

Mark Swoyer
Putnam Street