Regarding the mascot controversy at Turners Falls High School, I feel the need to make a few points.
Many good points have been made, so I don’t want to run over too much of the same ground.
Here, I would like to address the idea of “political correctness,” a term, not unlike the term “feminism,” that has become dirty words for some. I have to ask those of you who are angered at the idea of losing a mascot over the idea of continuing a pattern of institutional racism what you want to leave your children?
Many of you, and certainly nor I, will be here in 50 years. Do you want to leave a legacy of intolerance, boorishness and insensitivity to an entire people? Or would you wish the opposite?
Some of the recent letter writers want to make note of what they believe historically. I can guarantee, everyone, our history was written by those who sought to eradicate us and take everything — land, children, culture, even our women’s fertility.
Sso I don’t expect clarity to come from those quarters and neither should anyone else.
I know many of you don’t see us much, except in mental caricature, or don’t even believe we still exist, but I assure you we do. I wouldn’t expect the general population to understand us or what has happened to us as cultural trauma survivors.
What I do expect is simple respect as another human being. It is not “political correctness” to find better ways to respect those who are racially different or fall into any other category of minority who have had negative labeling — it’s just being a decent human being.
Cris Stormfox
Greenfield