A.S.Who?
If you live anywhere near this end of the internet then you’ve probably heard so much about Arkansas State University changing its mascot that you’re probably ready to scream. Well, brace yourself, because here I go again.
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or at the other end of the internet), the reason for the mascot change boils down to the fact that somebody decided that the name “Indians” wasn’t politically correct, that “Native Americans” might somehow be offended by seeing people dressed in traditional “Native American” garb, and that ASU should change their mascot.
My personal opinion, since you asked, is that the whole thing is a childish load of crap. Whether you use the word “Indian” or the term “Native American”, it expresses the same concept. It’s just a word. Shakespeare had it right when he wrote about “a rose by any other name”.
Well, as a way of saying how little my opinion matters, ASU has changed their mascot. They’re now the Red Wolves. Think about this. To begin with, the Red Wolf pictured in their new logo has no pupils. Throw in the fact that the whites if its eyes are smeared down the sides of its head and the only thing that helps (a little) keep this thing from looking like it just arrived from the bowels of Hell itself is the fact that it’s sporting Groucho Marx’s eyebrows. All it needs is a stub of a cigar and a mustache made of black tape.
Now let’s talk about the reason for choosing that name. According to ASU Chancellor Dr. Robert L. Potts,
“The Red Wolf is a noble species of wolf that once inhabited Arkansas and still exists in small numbers in other states. They are vicious and very aggressive, and they run in packs.”
However, on the other side of the coin, while researching that name, I discovered that the Red Wolf is on the Endangered Species list and is under federal protection.
Putting all those facts together, I envision a creature that is more than willing to attack you but will run and get Big Brother if you try to fight back. Where I come from, that’s called a spoiled little kid - not an image I’d want to associate with myself.
Methinks that ASU should do a little self assessment if that’s the image they want to project.
