I admit to being completely wrong about something
Just when you thought I would never update this dead blog, I come back to bring the internet some of the awesome that it so desperately needs. And to make things even more interesting, I have stopped by to let you all know how completely wrong I am about something that annoys me.
I know! I have never been wrong before and I sure hope to never be wrong again.
It goes like this. I am one of those uptight do-gooders that is often upset about things that I find mean and insulting. Especially things that can be interpreted as racist and sexist. The latest atrocity that the world has inflicted me with is this:
This picture is the logo for Bedford Road Collegiate Institute the high school that my eldest child currently attends. When you walk around the school, you see this logo absolutely everywhere. The school team name is “Bedford Redmen”. The “men” part of the name excludes half the population, you may or may not notice. I suppose I thought it possible that there could be a more fitting, more positive logo could be chosen. I felt that it is yet another example of white culture stealing a First Nations image.
But then I got some schooling! Apparently I am not the only person in the neighborhood that disliked this logo and wanted to go with something more positive. When the gym was built in the school, there was a big debate about whether the Redmen logo should go on the gym floor. I was informed by someone who knows better that all sides were heard during this debate and people voted on whether to use this image. There were even some native people that thought this image was just fine and it is tradition after all. The issue of the logo was put to a vote and the majority prevailed. Democracy in action and democracy is awesome.
My fear that the more things change the more things stay the same has to be crazy, right? It’s not possible for a majority of people to willingly choose a racist and sexist image to represent their school could they? Racism and sexism are both things of the past. I must have been crazy to think that such a thing is possible.
TRADITION TRADITION TRADITION THAT MAKES IT OK!
I am so glad that I am surrounded by so many smart people that can tell it the way that it is. So excuse me for ever having had a problem with this logo.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I happened to walk by a powwow at Oskayak High School on Broadway during the fine weather last week, and I’ve got to say what a pleasant and attractive ceremony it was – there were a number of children, women and men in fancy dress and they looked great dancing. There are definitely more positive and attractive images.
I wonder how large the native population at Bedford is – I’m sure it is a small minority, and not far from troubled neighborhoods either.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
And first nations people deserve better than that ridiculous caricature. That logo really burns my grass.