September 30
...serving up your daily dish.
Football players in Caldwell just wanna have fun, and part of that fun is doing tomahawk chops before the big game. That may or may not change, depending on whether Superintendent Daniel Gerardi gets his way. From the Star Ledger:
"The war chants, the tomahawk chop, are not respectful or responsible," Gerardi said yesterday. "We don't feel that's appropriate."
Gerardi added that school cheerleaders would no longer use "the reservation cheer," which ends with the words, "Beat those tom-toms, boom, boom, boom."
Parents in the high school booster club, known as the Gridiron Club, are starting a petition to have the decision rescinded, said Kim Sirvan, president of the club. Sirvan said besides disagreeing with the decision, parents and students are angry they weren't consulted before the cheers and songs were taken away.
"Why wasn't this brought to us as a town?" she asked. "Why wasn't it brought to the kids?"
Some parents are so upset, she said, they have threatened to protest the decision by wearing Native American costumes to tomorrow's home game against Montville and by playing the Florida State Seminoles' theme music from the bleachers.
Now that might be worth a trip over to Caldwell. Meanwhile -- what's your take -- is it harmless or harmful?
September 30, 2005 in Controversy | Permalink
Oooh, that's a good idea. Protest an inconvenience to you with an action (wearing costumes) that is well-known to be offensive to Native Americans.
Posted by: butchcjg | Sep 30, 2005 11:13:03 AM
So I guess dressing up as Pocahontas is out this Halloween...
Posted by: princess | Sep 30, 2005 11:20:59 AM
I will be there banging the drums. The liberals who started PC are arguably the most insidious group in America. Who gave them the right to tell me what I should say, how I should refer to groups of people and what is appropriate? I am infuriated at the fascist tactics of PC puppets like Al Sharpton use the race card whenever they run out of ideas.
Go Chiefs, scalp Montville.
Posted by: John L | Sep 30, 2005 11:27:13 AM
John L. you might want pack some syphillis under the shoulder pads while your at it.
Posted by: lc | Sep 30, 2005 11:29:13 AM
I think the school should change the name altogether.
The Caldwell Imperialists.
Posted by: lc | Sep 30, 2005 11:42:51 AM
Hmmmm. I Can't understand why this issue wasn't brought to the kids or parents. They seem to be sensitive to the feelings of others.
Posted by: dsg63 | Sep 30, 2005 11:51:35 AM
So, John L...you have no right to state what you'd like to be "called." Isn't it about respecting an individual or grou's right to self-identify?
I don't like "PC" either, just because it makes it harder to sort out the bigots and jerks. But, I also believe in respecting an individual or group's right to self-identify. If someone told me that something offended them, no matter how silly it might sound to me, I'd try to respect it and honor it.
Posted by: butchcjg | Sep 30, 2005 11:56:16 AM
My kid was an indian princess last year for halloween - is this more or less offensive (or not offensive) than the geisha girl/arabian princess costumes?
Posted by: ADR | Sep 30, 2005 12:02:02 PM
Butch, I totally agree with your below statement. I object to some self- appointed PC punks telling me what to say or how to say it. I absolutely respect a persons right to self identity. I don't need someone else 'preaching' to me.
"I also believe in respecting an individual or group's right to self-identify. If someone told me that something offended them, no matter how silly it might sound to me, I'd try to respect it and honor it."
Posted by: John L | Sep 30, 2005 12:03:58 PM
John L - unfortunately a lot of people DONT respect the right to self-identify, and instead belittle it, mock it, ignore it, etc. What would you do in those instances?
Posted by: butchcjg | Sep 30, 2005 12:08:05 PM
Is it offensive to witches when trick-or-treaters dress up as such?
Posted by: grme | Sep 30, 2005 12:10:15 PM
grme - it might be. who knows. ask one! but i think the main way in which people often belittle an individual or group's sensitivities is to start throwing out other examples as an attempt to prove their feelings are silly or insane. (The anti-gay people do that all of the time..."If we let gays marry, then why can't you marry your dog, or your sister?). That's not the issue at hand, so why go there?
We're also not talkign about Halloween, but rather an ongoing year-round ordeal.
Posted by: butchcjg | Sep 30, 2005 12:17:22 PM
Some mature parents there in Caldwell. I'm gonna dress in drag, get a bullhorn and sing show tunes to support them. Free expression, right?
Posted by: magic rat | Sep 30, 2005 12:20:35 PM
Hooooooooo-ohhhh-hooooooooo
Hooooooooo-oh-hahaooooooooo!
Ask the Seminole Nation in BOTH Florida and Kansas who wrote to the NCAA about overtunring their decision to ban Chief Osceola from riding into Doak Campbell on his painted horse with spear ablaze what they think of "political correctness!" Ask these tribes about their heritage when they set up casinos and sell tobacco tax free what they think about political correctness.
Posted by: MyManMisterC | Sep 30, 2005 12:23:56 PM
I should clarify, the Seminoles ASKED the NCAA TO OVERTURN the decision.
Posted by: MyManMisterC | Sep 30, 2005 12:24:50 PM
Where are the Knights of Hibernius protesting the Fighting Irish references?
I assume Tulane will change it's name from the Green Wave to something else in efforts to rid Cajuns from remmebering Katrina. Yeah that may work.
Posted by: MyManMisterC | Sep 30, 2005 12:33:28 PM
"John L. you might want pack some syphillis under the shoulder pads while your at it."
Not sure what that means, but the PBS series "Secrets of the Dead" had a fascinating episode where the discovery of a syphillitic skeleton in Europe that was older than the era of Columbus spurred researchers to take a look at the validity of the new world-to-old journey of syphillis. Their conclusion was that the virus (bacteria?) had existed in a mild form in all parts of the world for ages, and that it was changes in hygiene and clothing styles that caused the European / old world form of syphillus to mutate into something more lethal.
Posted by: skippy | Sep 30, 2005 1:03:27 PM
Where is all the indignation from the PC police for the Notre Dame motto..."fighting Irish".
Posted by: John L | Sep 30, 2005 1:31:49 PM
From Letterman in 1997:
Top Ten Least Popular College Football Team Nicknames
10. The Fighting Oprahs
9. The Fumble Bunnies
8. The Really, Really Wide Loads
7. The Nittany Poodles
6. The Trouser Pilots
5. The Career-Ending Knee Injuries
4. The Drunken Swedes
3. The Gorgeous Ladies of Football
2. The Draft-Dodging Pot-Smoking Pants-Dropping Presidents
1. The Philbins
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Sep 30, 2005 1:54:20 PM
If I was Carl Icahn, I'd be very uspet with the name Oakland Raiders.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Sep 30, 2005 1:59:24 PM
Conan,
Your posts continue to make me chuckle...I like #6
Posted by: John L | Sep 30, 2005 2:03:59 PM
I believe that some witches (Wiccans) take offense at Halloween.
Shouldn't it be about 'intent?'
Posted by: Kevin Lee Allen | Sep 30, 2005 2:05:01 PM
Conan,
The Blohards Grand Pub referenced the Doormatt in his email today, did you see that?
Where are you watching tonight?
Posted by: MyManMisterC | Sep 30, 2005 2:06:28 PM
