Ups-N-Downs - Hatchet Logo

[Tomahawk Leader]

By Larry Tobin

Okay, Elizabeth Burmaster is a nice lady. The Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction and her husband own property near here and visit the area often. That is why I find her letter to the Tomahawk School District concerning our “Hatchet” logo so … befuddling at best.

There is politically correct and then there is ridiculous. Asking the “Tomahawk” school district to change its “Hatchet” nickname is ridiculous. Can you imagine our cheerleaders chanting, “Go Small Hewing Instruments”?

Certainly, there are Indian nicknames that are offensive. I find it ironic that our nation’s capitol has one of the most offensive nicknames available, the Washington “Redskins.” Just as using the “N” word to describe Blacks is despicable, so is applying Redskin to American Indians.

There are some school nicknames in Wisconsin that may not even be offensive, but they are silly. For example, “Apaches” – as one team is referred to – is stupid. Apaches are a Southwest American tribe, not even Southwest Wisconsin. How is “Apache” meaningful to the school or area that chose the nickname.

For much the same reason, I wasn’t as opposed to my alma mater, Marquette University, changing the school’s nickname from Warriors as I was to the name they chose – Golden Eagles! Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area are known far more for bald eagles than they ever were for golden eagles! I think nicknames should be something meaningful to the area they represent. And the way athletes like to shave their heads these days, Bald Eagles wouldn’t even be that bad a choice.

But then, there are even places in Wisconsin that are more offensive than the Tomahawk Hatchet. For instance, Squaw Creek travels through Price and Lincoln Counties. To Indians, a “squaw” is not the kind of woman that a man would take home to meet the family.

A hatchet – even a “tomahawk” – is simply a small cutting tool. How can that be offensive to a Native American? Does Libby Burmaster want us to change the map, too? Does she want us to rename our city? The term, “Tomahawk” is more apt to be offensive than is Hatchet.

If the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction wants to truly eliminate images that might be taken as offensive to Native Americans, then we must go further than asking school districts to take trivial, meaningless steps. Let’s rename the whole darned state! How about “Landmass Between Two Big Lakes?

We’d certainly have to rename Indianhead Technical School to Cheesehead Tech!

But why stop with mere schools? We’ll have to change the names of at least 20 counties, including the most populated – Milwaukee! Next we go for cities, villages and towns. There are at least 70 of those that will need to be retrofitted with new titles! And those are just the Indian names!

We have to be fair to all so we can’t stop with just Indian names? Blacks probably don’t appreciate “Coon Valley,” nor are gays liable to like “Gays Mills.”

Also, why should places in Wisconsin … er, Landmass Between Two Big Lakes … be named after other countries and foreign cities? People in Germany may not like us having our own Berlin, New Berlin or even Rhinelander.

Nor should Landmass Between Two Big Lakes have a New Lisbon or Cuba City or Denmark or Tripoli.

As you can tell, I think this whole politically correct thing has gotten out of hand. You should hear Larry the Cable Guy’s politically correct version of “The Night Before Christmas.” You can’t even say “Ho, Ho, Ho” anymore for fear of offending ladies of the night!

Frankly, I think our school district and the whole community should tell Libby and the Department of Public Instruction to take our logo and go sit on it – preferably blade first!

[Deb Richardson]

I can't imagine cheerleaders at THS chanting "Go small hewing instruments", especially since THS has no cheerleaders, well, not since the "Mom Squad"!!!!!

[aphephilia]

Mom Squad? what is that?

[Deb Richardson]

The "Mom Squad" was a group of foolish middled aged Moms that cheered circa 1997-2001, possibly a year or two beyond. (For football.) They were also known as the "Pillow People". (For basktball.) If they only knew how ridiculous they looked and how embarrased they made their sons, I'm sure they wouldn't have done it. Yeah right!! I know they had fun!

[titltn21]

Since when is Hatchet (even with feathers tied to it) something to do with Indians? Indians had Tomahawks (stone) and westerners had Hatchets (metal).

Per Free Dictionary.com
Tomahawk:
A light ax formerly used as a tool or weapon by certain Native American peoples

Thank God we have people that understood this and did not support changing the logo.

[1sg2339]

The way to solve these people is to not even acknowledge them. Most want to "fix the worlds problems" Check them out, you will find they can't even take care of their own selves. IGNORE the people like that and I assure you they will go away.

[cgessler]

Larry is correct. These people should be focusing on getting the schools up to par academically, rather than worring about whether or not our redundant logo is p.c. WHO CARES??? Someone needs to tell these people to shut up. When they start bringing our schools & Acadenmics to the top globally, then they can talk. I am so sick of these people,like the ACLU screwing up our country, and telling me what I can or can not do. I know there are millions of soldiers who died honorably to defend our freedoms, and these people are just taking them away, and the sad thing is we allow it. Our Mayor needs to reprents Tomahawk and stand up to them and tell them to shut up and go do their jobs and leave us alone because there is nothing offensive about our logo. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Brian]

I believe that, with feathers and other symbolic adornments removed, the Hatchet logo is only offensive to our opponents, who long ago learned to fear the power of the mighty, mighty Hatchets. Go Big Blue!
As for some of the opinions voiced by the writer above, I'd like to clarify a few things with some facts...
*Less than 'millions' of soldiers died in defense of our freedoms - substantially less .
* The ACLU exists to preserve the liberties that are guaranteed us as Americans - not take them away. Heck, even some of the most hardcore, right-wing, ACLU haters have swallowed their pride at times and asked them for help (ain't that right, Rush?!).
* Negotiating differences in political views and working toward a solution is seldom accomplished by telling the other side to just 'shut up'.

[Dopey Dwarf]

.

[abnerman]

Although I agree that there is NO justification for having to change the name OR the logo, on a different note.. I'm curious: How honestly ridiculous is the name in the first place, and who is the decidedly redundant genius that came up with it?

<small>[ April 10, 2006, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: abnerman ]</small>

[logic1]

abnerman...do you mean the "Hatchet" logo is ridiculous or logos in general?

[abnerman]

I meant "Tomahawk Hatchets"..
Although I love the town, and enjoyed being a "Hatchet".... am I the only one who thinks that it was just a plain.. BAD name.. to choose in the first place?

(I personally would have chosen something more like.. the "Tomahawk Tomahawks".. or the "Tomahawk Axes".. )

[logic1]

Tomahawk Hatchets is a fine name. I do not think it is a BAD name.............

[abnerman]

Well, it's just a matter of opinion.. that's all. You think it's a fine name, I think it was a silly name to choose.

(I'm not saying it should be changed of course, just that.. whoever named it in the first place wasn't very creative in my opinion)

[cgessler]

The past few entries have got it right, there is NOTHING wrong with our logo or name, that is the point. It never was offensive, but for SOME reason it is now. 50 years go, it wasn't, but it is now. That's a bunch of horse hooey. It's these far left wing wackos that have nothing better to do but to stick their nose where it does not belong, and now they deem it offensive...please. Leave us alone and worry about test scores, and spending my tax dollars wisely in the education system. And Brian, true, it wasn't millions that have died in American wars, but 650,000 (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004615.html) is plenty enough it illustrate my point, and secondly
the ACLU is destroying this country by the policies and laws it uses and fabricates to destroy the very fabric that is America. Case in point, the Ten Commandments out of everywhere. Countries and governments for 2000+ years have been based on these very commendments and the ACLU says its offensive, it's examples like this that will one day destroy this country, and it starts with changing one High school logo; and Brian, that isn't hyperbole.

[Dopey Dwarf]

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[Dopey Dwarf]

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[logic1]

nice refreshing post Dopey Dwarf....it brought a smile to my face!

[Joe Hackl]

I thought a Tomahawk was a Cruise Missle????

[Dopey Dwarf]

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[cgessler]

You got my vote for the Ligers.

[jamrio]

Originally posted by Tomahawk Leader:
By Larry Tobin

Okay, Elizabeth Burmaster is a nice lady. The Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction and her husband own property near here and visit the area often. That is why I find her letter to the Tomahawk School District concerning our “Hatchet” logo so … befuddling at best.

There is politically correct and then there is ridiculous. Asking the “Tomahawk” school district to change its “Hatchet” nickname is ridiculous. Can you imagine our cheerleaders chanting, “Go Small Hewing Instruments”?

Certainly, there are Indian nicknames that are offensive. I find it ironic that our nation’s capitol has one of the most offensive nicknames available, the Washington “Redskins.” Just as using the “N” word to describe Blacks is despicable, so is applying Redskin to American Indians.

There are some school nicknames in Wisconsin that may not even be offensive, but they are silly. For example, “Apaches” – as one team is referred to – is stupid. Apaches are a Southwest American tribe, not even Southwest Wisconsin. How is “Apache” meaningful to the school or area that chose the nickname.

For much the same reason, I wasn’t as opposed to my alma mater, Marquette University, changing the school’s nickname from Warriors as I was to the name they chose – Golden Eagles! Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area are known far more for bald eagles than they ever were for golden eagles! I think nicknames should be something meaningful to the area they represent. And the way athletes like to shave their heads these days, Bald Eagles wouldn’t even be that bad a choice.

But then, there are even places in Wisconsin that are more offensive than the Tomahawk Hatchet. For instance, Squaw Creek travels through Price and Lincoln Counties. To Indians, a “squaw” is not the kind of woman that a man would take home to meet the family.

A hatchet – even a “tomahawk” – is simply a small cutting tool. How can that be offensive to a Native American? Does Libby Burmaster want us to change the map, too? Does she want us to rename our city? The term, “Tomahawk” is more apt to be offensive than is Hatchet.

If the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction wants to truly eliminate images that might be taken as offensive to Native Americans, then we must go further than asking school districts to take trivial, meaningless steps. Let’s rename the whole darned state! How about “Landmass Between Two Big Lakes?

We’d certainly have to rename Indianhead Technical School to Cheesehead Tech!

But why stop with mere schools? We’ll have to change the names of at least 20 counties, including the most populated – Milwaukee! Next we go for cities, villages and towns. There are at least 70 of those that will need to be retrofitted with new titles! And those are just the Indian names!

We have to be fair to all so we can’t stop with just Indian names? Blacks probably don’t appreciate “Coon Valley,” nor are gays liable to like “Gays Mills.”

Also, why should places in Wisconsin … er, Landmass Between Two Big Lakes … be named after other countries and foreign cities? People in Germany may not like us having our own Berlin, New Berlin or even Rhinelander.

Nor should Landmass Between Two Big Lakes have a New Lisbon or Cuba City or Denmark or Tripoli.

As you can tell, I think this whole politically correct thing has gotten out of hand. You should hear Larry the Cable Guy’s politically correct version of “The Night Before Christmas.” You can’t even say “Ho, Ho, Ho” anymore for fear of offending ladies of the night!

Frankly, I think our school district and the whole community should tell Libby and the Department of Public Instruction to take our logo and go sit on it – preferably blade first!

[jamrio]

[You couldn't say it any better. Political correctness has long ago gone off the deep end of rational thinking. Originally posted by Jim Riordan:

Originally posted by Tomahawk Leader:
[b]By Larry Tobin

Okay, Elizabeth Burmaster is a nice lady. The Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction and her husband own property near here and visit the area often. That is why I find her letter to the Tomahawk School District concerning our “Hatchet” logo so … befuddling at best.

There is politically correct and then there is ridiculous. Asking the “Tomahawk” school district to change its “Hatchet” nickname is ridiculous. Can you imagine our cheerleaders chanting, “Go Small Hewing Instruments”?

Certainly, there are Indian nicknames that are offensive. I find it ironic that our nation’s capitol has one of the most offensive nicknames available, the Washington “Redskins.” Just as using the “N” word to describe Blacks is despicable, so is applying Redskin to American Indians.

There are some school nicknames in Wisconsin that may not even be offensive, but they are silly. For example, “Apaches” – as one team is referred to – is stupid. Apaches are a Southwest American tribe, not even Southwest Wisconsin. How is “Apache” meaningful to the school or area that chose the nickname.

For much the same reason, I wasn’t as opposed to my alma mater, Marquette University, changing the school’s nickname from Warriors as I was to the name they chose – Golden Eagles! Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area are known far more for bald eagles than they ever were for golden eagles! I think nicknames should be something meaningful to the area they represent. And the way athletes like to shave their heads these days, Bald Eagles wouldn’t even be that bad a choice.

But then, there are even places in Wisconsin that are more offensive than the Tomahawk Hatchet. For instance, Squaw Creek travels through Price and Lincoln Counties. To Indians, a “squaw” is not the kind of woman that a man would take home to meet the family.

A hatchet – even a “tomahawk” – is simply a small cutting tool. How can that be offensive to a Native American? Does Libby Burmaster want us to change the map, too? Does she want us to rename our city? The term, “Tomahawk” is more apt to be offensive than is Hatchet.

If the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction wants to truly eliminate images that might be taken as offensive to Native Americans, then we must go further than asking school districts to take trivial, meaningless steps. Let’s rename the whole darned state! How about “Landmass Between Two Big Lakes?

We’d certainly have to rename Indianhead Technical School to Cheesehead Tech!

But why stop with mere schools? We’ll have to change the names of at least 20 counties, including the most populated – Milwaukee! Next we go for cities, villages and towns. There are at least 70 of those that will need to be retrofitted with new titles! And those are just the Indian names!

We have to be fair to all so we can’t stop with just Indian names? Blacks probably don’t appreciate “Coon Valley,” nor are gays liable to like “Gays Mills.”

Also, why should places in Wisconsin … er, Landmass Between Two Big Lakes … be named after other countries and foreign cities? People in Germany may not like us having our own Berlin, New Berlin or even Rhinelander.

Nor should Landmass Between Two Big Lakes have a New Lisbon or Cuba City or Denmark or Tripoli.

As you can tell, I think this whole politically correct thing has gotten out of hand. You should hear Larry the Cable Guy’s politically correct version of “The Night Before Christmas.” You can’t even say “Ho, Ho, Ho” anymore for fear of offending ladies of the night!

Frankly, I think our school district and the whole community should tell Libby and the Department of Public Instruction to take our logo and go sit on it – preferably blade first!

[/b][/QUOTE]

[abnerman]

Although I find most Tomahawk Leader Editorials to be quite pompous, i agree with this one.

[cgessler]

Right on Jim!