More National Press on Sioux Name

[star2city]

This story, Headline in Colorado campus paper angers American Indians, has been in the national wire services today. The issue does not seem to be negativity toward the Sioux name, but rather how is was used (Mavs scalp Sioux 31 -24). Hopefully, the focus will stay that way, as I believe the headline was inappropriate. But notice in the article whom a Mesa State professor believes can and cannot be sensitive to minority concerns.

Miami Herald

The Denver Channel

[Goon]

The faculty adviser to the paper, Morris Brown, also apologized to the Indian student club. He said the paper would print a front-page retraction.

Brown cited his status as the only black professor on campus as reason for the club members to believe his apology.

"If I were white, yeah, you could be skeptical, but as a black man and a brother, I know how you feel," Brown said. "If I were Caucasian, I wouldn't expect you to listen."

Plain and simple its a mistake that should have never happened. There is no other way of putting this, point blank and to the point the newspaper editor and the faculty advisor should have caught this mistake, there is no excuse for this happening. That being said, why can

[Goon]

Here is an interesting poll in that the Denver Channel web page sited and it can be found next to the article.

Do you think American Indias are too sensitive or are justified in being offended?

Choice Votes Percentage of 240 Votes

Too sensitive. 148 62%

I'd be mad too, if I were them. 71 30%

I'm not sure. 21 9%

[CoteauRinkRat]

Really don't want to get into this again, but that professor believes that since he is black, he could get away with saying whatever he wants and that his race should make him more trustworthy and believeable in the eyes of Native Americans?

lol, needed a good laugh this morning

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

What an idiot. Did he honestly think that the headline would be OK, just because he is black? That's pretty naive and arrogant (even more so than a Goopher fan ), if you ask me. Things like that headline should be banned, not the names,

[choyt3]

What an idiot.  Did he honestly think that the headline would be OK, just because he is black?  That's pretty naive and arrogant (even more so than a Goopher fan ), if you ask me.  Things like that headline should be banned, not the names,

I didn't read that as what he was saying. I thought he meant that his apology would have merit because he was a black man.

Personally, I think he should have understood that the headline was asinine because he is, frankly, a human being!! Hello!!

[Goon]

Plain and simple the newspaper story makes them look like they are a bunch of Dumb A$$es. There was no excuse for that head line.

[Riverman]

I see that Prof Meckenzie is in the mail bag today.Can someone add the link from the Gf Herald today? Many of our Fighting Sioux fans might want to read what the treacherous Scotsman had to say.

[PCM]

Here's the link to McKenzie's letter in the Thursday GF Herald. Thanks for pointing it out. I didn't have time to look at the editorial page today.

Gee, a letter to the editor about the Sioux name just in time for the start of hockey season. Who could've predicted that?

[DamStrait]

What an intellectually bankrupt putz. What does the Farmer's Almanac have to do with NDSU's nickname?

[CoteauRinkRat]

"Here's another recent example. The much-celebrated inaugural issue of "Fighting Sioux Illustrated" features prominently a comic list of "Top 10 Reasons to Read" the publication. The top reason, understandably, pokes fun at our rivals to the south: "Because there is already a Bison Illustrated. It's called the Farmer's Almanac"

If that above quote isn't comical, I don't know what is. They are so pissed off at the name issue that they have to bring our new magazine into the discussion. What a joke, I read the blurb in the Herald and almost fell over laughing.

[ScottM]

Gee, "Cryin' Jim" McKenzie, a white, liberal academic feels badly about 'SU being made fun of. Wait until they get their asses handed to them at D1. Maybe Cryin' Jim should grow a spine and stop being the bottom in life. Quite possibly the most idiotic rant I've seen from him in awhile, which says a great deal.

The mere fact that the editoral board of the Hurled allows this clown to continually pound on the name issue, while giving them props for "courage" in publishing an AP article, shows that these "guys" sit around stroking each other and crying into their wine spritzers about the wicked, cruel world around them.

I suppose with Ralph gone the white liberal set at UND will be hard-pressed to shake their little fists at anybody in particular except their own employer. Then again, if these dinks had an iota of the morality they speak of, they would not perpetuate such a "perversity" of ethics by continuing to provide their services to such an evil place.

[Goon]

The mere fact that the editoral board of the Hurled allows this clown to continually pound on the name issue, while giving them props for "courage" in publishing an AP article, shows that these "guys" sit around stroking each other and crying into their wine spritzers about the wicked, cruel world around them.

Every week Doren Yellow bird writes one of her touchey feely articles on the Opinion page for the Sunday Heraldo and she always asks the person (always ussually an anti-name person + altrua liberal) what they feel about the name.

[Speez]

Early last season Tom Ranfranz & I and a few other fans were discussing the upcoming Sioux game that evening. We all gave our opinions on what the team needed to do to come away with the sweep.

I asked Tom what were his feelings of the Sioux Logo. He had no reply.

He opened his coat & pointed to his shirt proudly displaying the Sioux Indianhead.

That was all I needed to see to know how he felt.

[Goon]

You know Speez that is perfect, classic. I look at the logo with Pride and know what it stands for. Some of these people just don't get it. The Fighting Sioux logo is a symbol of strenght, dominance, winning tradition and determination, but also the logo represents/honors one of the toughest native American tribes/nations to walk the face of the earth...

[Taz Boy]

..and she always asks the person (always ussually an anti-name person + altrua liberal) what they feel about the name.

That's her first mistake. She should rather ask them what they think about the name. Liberals always struggle with that.

taz

[PCM]

To some degree, I think McKenzie has a valid point. Why is it okay for us to make fun of other teams' nicknames, but nobody can make fun of UND's or use it in a derogatory manner? This idea is hypocritical and endorses a double standard.

But that's as far as I'll go in agreeing with McKenzie. He thinks the answer is to ban all words and images that could be used in a manner that somebody, somewhere finds offensive. That's like hunting rabbits with cruise missiles.

The problem isn't with the words and images, but with our hypersensitivity to them. We have come to believe that certain elements of society have a right to be protected from "hurtful words," that their feelings trump others' rights. Unfortunately, many people -- both on the left and right -- buy into the basic premise of this idea.

For example, I noticed that some UND fans who are rabid defenders of the Sioux name jumped on the Mesa State newspaper for using the words "Sioux" and "scalp" in a headline. Why?

Was the headline tacky? Possibly. Was it in bad taste? Maybe. But is it national news? It shouldn't be. Must we subject the newspaper's editor to today's equivalent of a public flogging by demanding that he apologize for his "mistake?" I think not.

Why should we assume that people are incapable of understanding the difference between the literal and figurative use of words? Why should we coddle those who believe any reference to Sioux sports teams is a personal attack on the Sioux race itself? Why must we protect people from how they choose to interpret and feel about certain words?

The answer is not to ban the use of words that the minority of a minority chooses to believe are offensive, but to demonstrate that their position is unreasonable, impractical and a threat to free speech.