What’s in a name?
Friday, Jul 17, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Athletes at a southern Illinois high school will keep the nickname Freeburg Midgets, despite the objections of a group representing people with dwarfism who find the name offensive.
About 500 people gathered at the Freeburg Community High School late Thursday to urge the school board not to dump the name that was coined nearly 100 years ago by a reporter after he watched the school’s short basketball team beat much larger opponents. […]
Megan Sabourin, a St. Louis woman with dwarfism who grew up near Freeburg, told people at the meeting how offensive the name is to her.
“I’m hurt at the fact that they don’t see it as something negative. I’m hurt by the fact that we were in this community and we heard derogatory, disrespectful terms at the microphone,” Sabourin said.
* Tribune…
“We recognize that it’s not intended to have a negative impact,” Little People of America President Gary Arnold said. “But with all the history and baggage that comes with the word, it still does. It sends a signal to youth that the use of the word ‘midget’ to describe a small person is acceptable and humorous,” he said.
* News-Democrat…
But the overwhelming majority of the crowd was jubilant at the news that the mascot Freeburg has held so dear for so long wouldn’t be going anywhere. Most supporters of the nickname told the board their intent wasn’t to hurt anyone by using “Midgets” as a mascot. The name, they said, was a source of immense pride.
“It’s tradition,” Mary McGraw, a resident who wore a t-shirt that read “Don’t Mess with the Midget.”
“We’re not here to make fun of small people,” McGraw said. “I would have never realized how important (the mascot) was to so many people until just now when you see all these people. When someone messes with something like tradition, you decide something’s worth fighting for instead of letting it go.”
Another supporter, a man who told the board he was a Freeburg High graduate, drew loud applause when he said it didn’t matter what the board decided. “Once a Midget, always a Midget,” he said.
* The mascot…
- DuPage - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:04 am:
Almost any team name offends someone.
- chi - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:06 am:
It’s sad that people take so much pride in the name of their school mascot. It’s sad that changing the name of a school mascot makes people feel threatened.
School/community pride is a great and important thing, but it should be based on what the school does, how it treats people, teaches people, and improves the lives of people in the community. It’s not based on the name of your sports team. And if the name of your sports team is detrimental to the more worthy reasons a community should foster school pride, the name should go.
- SAP - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:06 am:
“Tradition” is just about the weakest reason for maintaining an offensive practice.
- AnonymousOne - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:07 am:
We can all think of words we’ve been called that cut to the quick and wish they were banned (at least for us). I suppose my child, who has always been way, way taller than others growing up and was called many names calling attention to how different she was, would chafe at the name Giants. Something to offend everyone, I’m sure. Maybe we shouldn’t use words.
- Just Me - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:12 am:
Are you kidding me? This is embarrassing for that school.
- Millennium - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:17 am:
Freeburg’s mascot even made an episode of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” where he offered a free Space Gecko (among others) as a replacement.
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:20 am:
Imagine the other choices when naming that team.
- The Colossus of Roads - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:25 am:
Many schools have changed their mascots names and lived to talk about it. This is their 15 minutes of ” shame”.
- Anon - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:37 am:
AnonymousOne: spot on.
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:38 am:
We live in a society today that is very sensitive and groups of people are constantly demanding an apology for this or that. As far as the name of a school mascot goes, I don’t care one way or another. Names of school mascots or sports teams would rate way down on the lists of priorities that need attention to improve this country.
- pundent - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:42 am:
=Most supporters of the nickname told the board their intent wasn’t to hurt anyone by using “Midgets” as a mascot.=
The litmus test should never be that the person using the offensive term doesn’t find it offensive.
- Century Club - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:48 am:
I’m saddened when people can’t distinguish between a word like giant and midget. We’re not talking about when kids tease each other. We’re talking about people who are discriminated against, humiliated for their stature and phyiscally bullied. There aren’t giant throwing contests. There isn’t giant wrestling at bars, or giant bowling. While things are changing, up until recently, the only depiction of little people in popular culture was that they are sources of derision and amusement for regular people.
I thought Mr. Arnold’s quote was gracious and an attempt to build understanding with people who don’t understand his situation. I would emplore people to think about his point and the experiences of people like him.
And to Dupage, AnonymousOne and Anon, I think you can do better.
- Mama - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:53 am:
++“Tradition” is just about the weakest reason for maintaining an offensive practice. ++
You took the words right out of my mouth. Thank you
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:54 am:
I love the mascot. He is like the perfect combo of Yosemite Same and Mike Tyson’s Punchout character Von Kaiser.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:54 am:
*Sam, Yosemite Sam. Oy
- chi - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:56 am:
“Names of school mascots or sports teams would rate way down on the lists of priorities that need attention to improve this country.”
I agree that there are more important things. But that’s like finding a dollar bill on the ground and saying “why pick that up, there’s bigger bills around here somewhere”. If you have the ability to make a small change to help people, you should do it.
- Pat C - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:58 am:
Glad Aces aren’t offending anyone….
- Commander Norton - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 9:58 am:
In reading about these kinds of debates, I’m always struck by the double standard at work. Defenders of whatever-it-is ask, “Why be offended? It’s just a name/word/mascot/flag/symbol. It can’t hurt you.” But if it’s “just” a symbol, why is it so important to keep it? Why do people for whom a mascot or name or flag is so personal and deeply significant fail to understand how that same word or image could be equally significant (but in a negative way) to others?
I think we have to acknowledge that words and symbols matter. They can hurt; they can also be a source of pride and encouragement. The question has to be asked which is more damaging - maintaining something that’s offensive or taking away something that’s a source of positive emotions, and that’s a lot more complicated than trying to end the argument with, “Come on, it’s just a name.”
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:05 am:
A recent survey found that six out of seven Dwarves were not Happy.
- Just Observing - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:16 am:
=== Almost any team name offends someone. ===
So, per your reasoning, calling a team the N word would be fine?
- OneMan - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:19 am:
I guess perhaps due to having a fairly mainstream name The Falcons if my HS (for whom I played sports) decided to become something else (as long as it wasn’t the Thunderbirds since that was Thornwood) I would have an issue with it.
Then again I don’t live there anymore either.
- Archiesmom - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:30 am:
=. Freeburg’s mascot even made an episode of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” where he offered a free Space Gecko (among others) as a replacement. =
Just what I was thinking! Personally, I hope they took him up on it and grabbed the Space Gecko!
- Aldyth - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:50 am:
The Pekin Chinks realized there was a time to set aside the past, based on considerations of the present. Freeburg needs to do the same.
- AnonymousOne - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:53 am:
Century Club
Don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes. You have no idea what has happened. You’re as bad as those you claim have no sensitivity. You are now calling what is offensive and what is not? You can do better.
- AnonymousOne - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:55 am:
Best idea yet. Since so many team names offend so many people, why have them at all? Just have the school name or in the case of professional sports, the city name. Wouldn’t that solve everything?
- anon - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 10:58 am:
Change it to “El Chapos” the shortys.
- Willie Stark - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 11:04 am:
Really? “So many names offend people?” Like what? Tigers, Spartans, Colts, Huskies, Wildcats, Redbirds, Wolves, etc., etc. etc.? There’s no substance or logic in those arguments.
- Timmeh - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 11:16 am:
I’ve always felt people tend to be rather superficial about these sorts of things. Will parents stop cheering for their kids if they change the name? Will “southern culture” take a hit when local governments remove Confederate symbols?
- The Old College Try - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 11:30 am:
“It’s tradition.”
Congratulations, you have a tradition of hurting people just because you don’t feel like expending any energy on empathy.
- TGP - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 11:36 am:
I wish some of you had attended the meeting last night. I’m a parent of a student at the school, and spoke in favor of changing the mascot. I have never been so ashamed of my community. Not just the decision, but the behavior and comments of so many. Traditions are good and well, but when they are truly hurtful to others, it’s time for them to go.
Now, off to make some Freeburg Space Gecko t-shirts for my family…
- Lil Squeezy - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Cardinals, cubs, bears, bulls….do we need to continue the list of names that offend no one?
- Allen D - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:18 pm:
FYI it was in the paper this morning Freeburg voted to keep the mascot…
- CardinalsNation1 - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:31 pm:
lil Squeezy - The name Cubs offends me…
- Allen D - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:35 pm:
@ CardinalsNation1 - it does me too… always has…
- Wumpus - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:51 pm:
Willie, I will never respect a team that goes by the name “The Dolphins”. They are horrible animals.
I want the Hoopston Cornjerkers to change their name.
Overall, people are way too sensitive, but change the name.
- Ethan Hawk - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:55 pm:
I will have to admit that “maybe” this name could be construed as “mean-spirited” and “offensive” to many people. It makes the Washington “Redskins” name pale in comparison (no pun intended). Where will political correctness start and where does it end? The San Francisco Gender Benders?
I would think a local referendum would pose the best solution for any school or organization’s nickname. That way at least more than 50% of the people (who got off of their butts to vote) would be okay with the final decision.
- Southside Markie - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
I agree with so many on here, but Commander Norton makes the most insightful point I’ve heard about this topic. I’ll be using that one with my friends who are fans of Washington’s NFL team the next time they tell me about the importance of a tradition that isn’t intended to offend anyone.
- Bogey Golfer - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 1:19 pm:
About 15 years ago Lemont went from “Injuns” to “Indians”…….baby steps.
- 6'9 tall man - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 1:32 pm:
I don’t know what to say about this…….
- Filmmaker Professor - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 1:44 pm:
Exactly the same as the fight against American Indian mascots. Here’s the story: www.inwhosehonor.com
- Jake From Elwood - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 1:59 pm:
I suggest the “Freeburg Freebirds” but hold the Confederate Flag please.
- illini97 - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
@Wumpus
As a proud Cornjerker, I struggle to imagine what could be offensive about the personification of the State Vegetable.
- Century Club - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 2:16 pm:
AnonymousOne, I apologize for the part of my post that insinuated that what happened to your daughter wasn’t a big deal.
Let me rephrase to say that I think that abuse of little people is widespread, cruel, and partially sanctioned by society through derisive mascots and other means. And that I believe that if most people understood that, they would see why tradition is less important than the chance to end those practices.
- Buddy - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 2:37 pm:
I agree that our society needs to be more aware of the names we call things and more respectful of other people’s values and traditions. For example, as an Irish American, I continue to be insulted by the nickname used by the University of Notre Dame, “the Fighting Irish”. What is the implication? Irish have bad tempers and are not civilized. It bothers me every time I hear it. Also, as a Christian, I am disturbed every year during the Christmas season with the approach businesses and government uses to violate and exploit Christmas. They won’t call a Christmas Tree a Christmas Tree, it is framed as a holiday tree (how many Muslins and Jews put holiday trees up in their homes?), but will exploit the X-Mas season to it commercial fullest. It does not matter that many devote Christians find this fully inappropriate. As a society it is time we start showing respect for each other. I am sure that this school can come up with nickname that is not hurtful to so many people.
- DPGumby - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
Maybe they could change to the “Calhouns”!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
LOL, DPGumby!
- Jeff Trigg - Friday, Jul 17, 15 @ 3:44 pm:
Grow up people of Freeburg. Stop bullying a minority of people just because you can still get away with it. Being ignorant is not a noble tradition to continue.
Almost all of these derogatory and dehumanizing mascots & names were put in place during a time in which mainstream (white) society/culture didn’t care if it offended anyone else. Times have changed and these mascots and names need to be left in the past.
The Washington Redskins lost their case trying to protect their trademark just a couple weeks ago. It won’t stop there or with the Confederate flag. No sports team should be allowed to own and profit from the symbols and reputations of another minority culture.
http://www.notyourmascots.org/
If these schools or corporations won’t change, cut their funding at the very least. Our Declaration of Independence may have called them “merciless Indian savages”, but we should be better than that in this day and age.