Posted on 03/16/2002 4:07:20 AM PST by JohnHuang2
DENVER (AP) - The idea started among some University of Northern Colorado students as a satirical commentary on a local high school's American Indian mascot.
The students named their intramural basketball team, made up of American Indians, Hispanics and whites, ``The Fighting Whities.'' They printed up jerseys saying ``Every thang's going to be all white,'' with a caricature of a middle-aged white man.
``The Fighting Whities,'' however, have taken on a life of their own.
More than 1,600 e-mails have flooded into the university in Greeley, north of Denver. Some say it's about time that a white person is made a mascot for a sport team. Others complain the idea as perpetuating yet another racial stereotype.
``It's obvious some of the people are taking it the way it's not supposed to be taken,'' said team member Jeff VanIwarden.
Team members have gotten phone calls from around the country and invitations to appear on television. They were mentioned by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show on Tuesday. The American Indian Movement has weighed in supporting the name.
The team chose the name after it couldn't persuade nearby Eaton High School to abandon its nickname, the Fightin' Reds, and the American Indian caricature on the team logo. The students say the logo is offensive.
The school superintendent denies the logo is derogatory and called the group's criticism insulting.
Some e-mails said the mascot image should be even more derogatory than a middle-aged white man with a tie.
``Some people online were saying that the mascot should be ... a fat guy with buckteeth kissing his sister,'' said Tom Crebbs of Oakland, Calif., who heard about the idea and started his own Web site selling spin-off shirts, hats and mugs.
Others, like Michael Gonsalves of New York, disagreed: ``If you are fighting against a perceived injustice, is the proper recourse to go out and do the very same thing?''
With all the publicity, the team plans on printing new T-shirts. VanIwarden said they will have a message condemning racial stereotypes to dissuade people from making light of the shirt.
On the Net:
The University of Northern Colorado: http://www.unco.edu
The American Indian Movement: http://www.aimovement.org
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Actually it should read: "American Aborgines and non-Europeans". Though I admit, it's not quite as catchy. But seriously, a "native American" is anyone born within the national boundries of the United States-- no matter what their color, physcial back round, or whatever. A full blooded Sioux whose mother gave birth to him while visiting friends in Canada is NOT a "native American".
Well, they’re not too upset about it!
My email to them:
Please send me a price list for your shirts. I am a delegate to the Republican District Convention in SE Texas (Tom DeLay's hometown) in three weeks and can sell at least a hundred.
Their REPLY:
Thanks for asking about shirts! We finally got a store online where you can
get them. It's at:
http://www.cafepress.com/fightinwhite
We're working on a Web site too (it's not up yet but will be soon). It will
be at:
http://www.fightingwhites.org
Thanks for your support,
The Fighting Whites Team
What are they gonna do? Sue me?
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Maybe we could get Registered to produce a sample?
And the little known second line:
"... that way, when you DO judge him, you'll be a mile away, AND you'll have his mocassins."
If he is serious about this, he'll offer to EXCHANGE names. Let the Eaton high school take the name 'Fighting Whities'.
Just wait, this is going to swing around again. The Libs are going to get REALLY PO'd over this. They have no sense of humor, and are pi$$ed if they cann't be pi@@ed.
Does anyone else think it is stupid to use the term "Anglo" to describe all white people? Many white people have Celtic, Slavic, Latin, or Germanic roots, and little or no Anglo-Saxon ancestry. To me, using "Anglo" this way is like calling all indigenous Americans "Commanches," even if he is actually a Mayan, Incan, or Apache.
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