Snapshots of a Modest Life

Putting In My Two Cents

As I'm sure most people are aware, the NCAA has voted to ban the use of Native American mascots, imagery and nicknames in NCAA championship play. This decision has effected my school, the Florida State University. To say the least, I think it's ridiculous. The Seminole tribe of Florida has blessed the use of their name, the Indian head symbol, and everything else associated with them by FSU. Why trample on their rights as a tribe to be "politically correct." It's like the NCAA is saying, don't worry Seminole Indians, we'll protect you from being offended by something that DOESN'T OFFEND YOU!!! Oh, you like them using your name? Well, I'm sorry, you just can't do that, it's not politically correct. Frankly, NCAA, you need to take your nose out of where it doesn't belong. Why don't you fix things that need fixing, for example, the Bowl Championship Series, which I think everyone will agree sucks (to put it mildly), or perhaps the number of athletes who attend college to play sports, and don't end up graduating once their millisecond in the spotlight is over?

My question is this: do they really think that banning the Seminole head from Doak Campbell stadium will make it go away? Do they realize that college students are the absolute most stubborn group of people on that planet, and will doubtlessly wear the Seminole head with pride as soon as the NCAA tries to take it away? Do they want us to forget decades of being the Florida State Seminoles and suddenly become something else? Will they ask us to take down the Heritage Statue by the Union of the first African American Homecoming Queen wearing the traditional headdress of the Seminole tribe? Ask us to change the "Tomahawk" and "Renegade" bus routes? Take down the brand new bronze statue of Chief Osceola and Renegade on Langford Green? Change the street name of Chieftan Way?

I guess what they don't realize is that no matter how hard they try, there will always be Florida State Seminoles. There is too much heritage built into the campus and into the thousands of students who have been Seminoles for it to suddenly go away because they don't want to offend a tribe who is proud to lend its name to Florida State University.

They can rest assured, the Seminoles aren't going down without a fight.