I’m a Fightin’ Red
Not really. My son plays varsity baseball for the University Bulldogs in arguably the most difficult league — the Patriot League in Northern Colorado. I am no fan of the Eaton Fightin’ Reds because they win all the time. They are like the New York Yankees. But I’ll be darned if I am going to let a bunch of yahoos at the state capitol try to destroy legislatively a tradition, a culture, an icon of Northern Colorado.
Typically, I’d simply laugh off SB 107 “Concerning the Use of American Indian Mascots By Public High Schools.” But this ridiculous bill is dangerous. It intends to legislate political correctness by requiring any public high school or charter school that
uses an American Indian mascot to either cease using the American Indian mascot or obtain approval for the continued use of the American Indian mascot or another American Indian mascot from the Colorado commission of Indian affairs…
If a public school doesn’t comply, the state will fine the school district $1000 each month. The money goes into the state education fund.
The bill’s primary sponsor in the Senate is Suzanne Williams, who claims to be one quarter Comanche. Williams told the Denver Post that
she’s concerned with American Indian mascots that are caricatures — ‘with a funny nose or something’ — and wants communities to have a ‘healthy dialogue about their heritage.
What Williams and the other misguided legislators sponsoring this bill (see list below) don’t know is that the Fightin’ Reds mascot, described as “an Indian with a misshapen nose, eagle feather and loincloth” is a symbol of pride and instills fear in the hearts of their opponents. Yes Eaton is that good.
The legislators sponsoring this legislation should be ashamed of themselves. First, the state faces much more pressing issues such as how to close a billion dollar budget shortfall. State Senator Scott Renfroe, a former Eaton School Board member and an Eaton Red himself, explained ”It’s such an overreach in a year when we are faced with budget challenges.”
This bill is a classic example of why legislators should not be granted five bill titles. It’s a waste of time. Legislators look ridiculous spending time arguing high school mascots when our state unemployment rate just increased six-tenths of one percent to 7.5 percent.
Second, legislating morality and political correctness are non-starters and divisive. Third, the school district mascot is something the Eaton community should decide. SB 107 abuses local control.
My suspicion is that this ridiculous piece of legislation at least will pass out of the Senate Education committee, where it has been assigned, because four of the Senate sponsors are members of the committee.
As long as legislators threaten one of our own in Northern Colorado, I will be a Fightin’ Red. Consider joining me or join one of the several other rural Colorado high schools – Yuma, Lamar, Montrose — caught up in Denver’s moral righteousness.
But come baseball season, I hope my Bulldogs rip the Reds to pieces! Go Bulldogs!
Sponsors of SB 107 and their contact information:
Senator Bob Bacon, 303-866-4841, bob.bacon.senate@state.co.us
Senator Rollie Heath, 303-866-4872, rollie.heath.senate@state.co.us
Senator Nancy Spence, 303-866-4883, nancyspence@qwest.net
Senator Pat Steadman, 303-866-4861, sen.steadman@comcast.net
Senator Abel Tapia, 303-866-4878, abel.tapia.senate@state.co.us
Senator Suzanne Williams, 303-866-3432, suzanne.williams.senate@state.co.us
Representative Mike Merrifield, 303-866-2932, michael.merrifield.house@state.co.us
Representative Su Ryden, 303-866-2942, su.ryden.house@state.co.us
Representative Sue Schafer, 303-866-5522, sue.schafer.house@state.co.us
Representative Judy Solano, 303-866-2918, judy.solano.house@state.co.us
Representative Nancy Todd, 303-866-2919, nancy.todd.house@state.co.us
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:48 pm
[...] Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora) has come to senses. She pulled her Indian mascot bill. SB 107 was a silly attempt to force public high schools and charter schools to get permission to use any [...]