As part of an effort to close what Washington state education officials call a "widening gap" between Native American students and their white counterparts, the Washington State Board of Education is asking all schools in that state to do away with Native American mascots.
Seattle’s King5.com reported, “Education officials point to studies that show self-esteem issues among Native American students.” Last May, neighboring state Oregon’s Board of Education voted to ban Native American mascots, nicknames and logos.
According to the American Indian Cultural Support website, in Massachusetts there are currently 29 high schools that have Native American mascots– including 16 Indians, nine Warriors, including Foxborough and King Philip in Wrentham, two Red Raiders, one Redskins and one Braves.
So Foxborough, we want to know ...
Call for Comments: Do you think similar efforts to ban the use of Native American mascots and logos should be made in Massachusetts? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
RJohnson
11:19 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I don't think they should be removed it is not a negative but a positive. If there where no Indian names how often would we thinking about native Americans if you keep the names people will think positively about Indians more often
Jimmy Boy Dial
2:13 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Would you need the same incentive, #RJohnson, to "think" about Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Japanese, Chinese....?
RJohnson
2:19 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I'm trying to figure out how being called a warrior is a bad thing?
Jimmy Boy Dial
7:09 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
When you give me a logical answer to my question regarding your first statement, #RJohnson, then maybe we can move on to your other impressions of a "mascot". It's not a reasonable debate if you just ignore my replies. One step at a time good sir. It is reasonable for me to wonder why you do not think any other of these honorable ethnicities wouldn't make as good a "mascot" as the current one.