What's the SNAFU?
[I]n Wisconsin... a Democratic governor and a legislature dominated by Democratic majorities in both houses passed a bill in 2009 that opened the door to force dozens of schools to change their Native American names.... In 2010, Republicans took control of both houses of the legislature, and this month they passed a bill that would require a complainant to collect signatures of 10 percent of the population of a given school district to change a name.
That's right, the new burden on mascot name changing is that you need to get 10% of the people in the district to sign a petition. And Gov. Scott Walker has to decide whether or not to sign it. His main problem with it seems to be that it's a "weird hybrid" instead of an outright appeal of the current law, which requires a hearing before before the state’s Department of Public Instruction if one person complains.
“What we found was that school districts in Wisconsin didn’t have a chance in front of the Department of Public Instruction in Madison,” said Sam Hall, a lawyer who represented Mukwonago [School District] in a lawsuit. “They had taken a position, and they were categorically opposed to all Indian-related mascots in all cases. It didn’t matter what the facts were. If DPI found that there was even the potential of a risk of harassment or discrimination based on a nickname, even if there was no actual harassment or discrimination inside the schools, they would rule against the district.”...
Political observers in Wisconsin said, however, that Walker is likely to sign the bill—it is red meat for his Republican base.
“This is like the nanny state cubed for the base."
Red meat... cubed... sounds like cube steak!
"This is the ultimate proof of the ‘we don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings’ mentality,” said Mordecai Lee, a professor of government at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a former Democratic state lawmaker. “People resent being told that the nickname of their high school is offensive. Compared to the eye-glazing public policy that is most of what government does, this is like the death penalty. There is a yes and a no, and everybody has an opinion about it.”
The Democrats should have had the nerve to
abolish all Indian mascot names, and the Republicans should have the nerve to
repeal the Democrats' pusillanimous legislation, so here we are, with one roundabout, blame-shifting, pandering law tweaked into a differently structured but also roundabout, blame-shifting, pandering law. I find I must agree with The Daily Beast. It is
Situation Normal All Fucked Up.
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35 comments:
We need to create a situation that makes Scott Walker look racist.
I can't believe the editor let that one go.
I guess most people don't realize that SNAFU is military lingo for Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
(and FUBAR is Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition)
The "Chieftains"? WTF you people up there got against the Irish?
I suppose the idea is that if the lefties are occupied collecting signatures on a petition to change the local high school mascot, they won't have time to do something more damaging, like recalling Republican elected officials. If so, that would seem to be in the public interest.
The battles are not "raging" and they are not "nationwide." This is a manufactured problem.
Perhaps, though, we should remove all Indian related names from every public place or team or mascot. Problem solved. The minute or two we now spend annually thinking about Native Americans could be spent on other things.
Yes, this is important. We must remove all record that, once upon a time, Indians ruled these lands.
It will be our little secret.
It would be very helpful to the liberal cause if we killed the last remaining Indians. It's the only way to be sure their feelings don't keep getting hurt.
Which committee is working on that?
Ah, the demonization of Scott Walker continues! You must realize, Professor, that if he gets on a national ticket, the left will delight in observing that at least Sarah Palin finished college.
Give them Some Fire-Water and This Will All Blow Over.
I doubt that Gov. Walker agonizes over such things, unlike other pot stirrers. BTW, wasn't Barack Obama a bit racist when he called slavery America's "original sin"? The Native American cause antedates slavery by over a century.
Oso Negro said...
Ah, the demonization of Scott Walker continues! You must realize, Professor, that if he gets on a national ticket, the left will delight in observing that at least Sarah Palin finished college.
The elitist Left is utterly out of touch with ordinary Americans and especially the new American demographic. They simply have no clue who is coming through the educational pipeline. They assume that any candidate should be anointed with a coastal poison ivy.
We shouldn't stop with high school mascots; we should prohibit colleges from continuing their disgusting appropriation of the following Native American names in their team monikers: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
The "if only one person is offended" rule does not apply for the person who is offended that you are claiming offense (i.e., most of us, with more important thins to do).
I really don't see a problem with the Republicans establishing a 10% threshold to the process rather than just throwing it to an unelected board.
BTW, "appeal of the current law" should say repeal; it reads like the DPI hears appeals of the law itself, not whether a name can be use.
The Badgers are getting restless. They will come out from hiding any time now.
They Already Name the Stadiums after Businesses, Why Not the Teams. The Kansas City Home Depots vs. the Washington Cinnabons.
How about the Valley High "Vikettes"?
As a native born Norwegian, I amd outraged! Outraged,I say!
Several polls have been taken among American Indians about what terms they prefer to be called by, and the general preference is for the specific name of the tribe or nation the respondent belongs to, and if you must use a general term, then "American Indian" is preferred over "Native American" by a large margin.
So, if you are so concerned about the Indians' feelings, how about using their preferred term when writing about them?
I was born in New Jersey. That makes me as Native American as Sitting Bull. I don't see why it matters that his ancestors came over from Asia before mine came over from Ireland.
"They were here first" is, apart from incorrect, an argument not even its proponents really believe.
Aren't a bunch of states named after Native Americans?
Activists shouldn't rest until Massachusetts is renamed!!
And what's a university mascot compared to the state of Oklahoma, which means "red-people" in Choctaw. Every time you mention it or call people an Oklahoman you are racist. Call them an Okie and you're a not even fit for human society!
Ah, the demonization of Scott Walker continues! You must realize, Professor, that if he gets on a national ticket, the left will delight in observing that at least Sarah Palin finished college."
Walker-Palin in 2016. I seriously would contribute ten grand to that campaign just for the entertainment value of watching lefties have seizures.
don't forget Indiana!
virgil H@10:49/
Or how about all the thousands of lakes, mountains rivers, etc., named in honor of Indians, e.g., Lake Huron readily comes to mind. Or how about cities like Seattle, Wa named after the great Indian Chief Seattle? Or Indianapolis, Ind? (you forgot the State of Indiana, btw) To take the absurd logic further, should we forbid the registering of "Indian" names to "non-Indian" babies? Would/should General William Tecumseh Sherman be allowed to keep his name were he alive today?
But "Moon Unit" is 'jes fine..lol
To Quote General William T. Sherman: "I saw some good Indians..."
No, no. That was Phil Sheridan.
The Seminoles have been on the rampage as of late!
This sure pulls the rug out from under the professional grievance mongers, doesn't it.
Wisconsin Democrats are ethnic cleansing native American culture.
How about renaming a team The Casino Gamblers?
That is a vulgar term for wealthy tribes.
The Small Pox Survivors is another good idea.
Seriously, the original Thanksgiving 3-Day Feast itself was Wm Bradford's Pilgrims diplomatic outreach to Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag Tribe who had saved their lives by sharing farming methods, along with Bradford's day of Fasting and Prayer that had ended a 16 week drought that summer.
I am offended by the racist name "Zephyr". I want the State to demand my alma mater change
I'm offended that nobody commemorates my heritage!!
What high school wouldn't want to have the Welshers as their mascot??
The Small Pox Survivors is another good idea.
To be strictly honest that would apply to just about anyone living at the time.
How about re-naming Wisconsin? Maybe an Anglicization of the Algonquin phrase for "Land-stolen-by-shameless-white-men".
That should make y'all up there feel better about y'rselves.
Where in the US Constitution does it say you have the right to be "offended"? No where that I can remember. Political correctness will be the death of this nation and the 1st Amendment will be its first casualty. With all of the real problems and issues that this country faces, why are we focusing on distractions? ...and that is exactly what this is. A distraction.
We have far too many things to worry about than this people. Get over it.
Ah, The Daily Beast: Beastly, Daily.
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