Is this an offensive mascot?

The Satellite
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/father-sues-school-over-spartans-mascot-symbol-of-white-supremacy/ar-AA1C5Bfi?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=8a0dbe3092f54f5daca3d193991bb967&ei=3

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Just Aristomenes looking for his 5 minutes

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Everything is offensive in NYC


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Some people do the same thing every morning

  1. Wake up
  2. Put their feet on the floor
  3. Think “let’s see what offends me today”
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Laughably ridiculous. The Spartans enslaved other Greeks (slavery was common in the ancient world), and only a tiny few civilizations in history have had women in their militaries.

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This father should reimburse all court costs and lawyers fees. Moreover, this father should apologize to his son, children, wife that his stupidity got the better of him.

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So we’re all on the same page here it seems. I mean if he could point to the Spartan imagery being used as symbols of white supremacy in the same way other symbols have been used I could at least see the connection. But he doesn’t even do that.

Wastes of time and money.

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Yeah, this is ridiculous.

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Is it totally ridiculous though? We don’t idolize slave holders openly after all as most would object to a mascot name such as ‘the Confederates’ I imagine.

He’s correct in that the Spartan way and that society was absolutely abhorrent on many levels that we do not accept today. I don’t have a problem with someone pointing that out and, after all, aren’t there a lot of other mascot names that could be better?

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See you could make that connection, I still wouldn’t agree, but “all slave holding societies should not be glorified” is a valid point to make

It’s a symbol of white supremacy is a very tenuous connection at best and not supported in his argument. That’s the issue I’m having with it, a claim currently unsupported by evidence.

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The Spartans enslaved a more numerous people, known as Helots, in their region, but slavery was a common practice at that time. The Athenians had thousands of slaves working in silver mines. The Romans enslaved millions. We’ve differentiated between the positive aspects of the ancient world and the deplorable elements. The Alamo defenders had slaves, but we focus on their courage.

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Slavery was only acceptable to the dominating slave holders.

I understand we celebrate the victors of the past and ignore many transgressions, most for those from ancient history.

I just don’t have a problem with pointing out the egregiousness of their beliefs at the time. They had a choice not to be horrible people. I don’t see why we should continue to celebrate them or complain about people who don’t.

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Not saying you are wrong, but I look at mascot choices not so much a “celebration”, but just as a simple choice (like choosing school colors).

Examples: I don’t tend to think Maryland is trying to “celebrate turtles”, nor Texas as “celebrating” livestock that is aimed to become a hamburger.

I get it, not every mascot choice is necessarily quite as “clean” (for lack of a better word) in the view of everyone. Nor that everyone feels the same.

But I do contend that associations don’t necessarily have to run so deep with overly scrutinized meaning (without risking being offended)

Put another way
I don’t feel that Elmer Fudd must be banned for being a 2A advocate for carrying around a shotgun. Or that Houston must change our school colors to not match the colors of the Japanese rising sun flag and all it represented to some. Because to me, that’s NOT what those mean.

To be clear, I welcome anyone to feel differently.

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I think it’s time we start using natural images for mascots. I, for one, would be proud to root for the “Fighting Pansies.”

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Many people consider this to be a symbol of slavery that you don’t have to reference history to discuss:
Symbol of Slavery.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it could be found in the closets of Mr. Moss and his children.