Racists in our midst

Oregon's decision to ban Indian mascots at its schools brought forth ridiculous arguments that the state isn't doing anything about the Vikings, Irish, Scots or Highlanders among other ethnic mascots across the Beaver State.

Critics harped on the notion that the state board of education was practicing "political correctness" at its worst.

Well, it's time to for a little schooling.

Let's say the U.S. invades Norway, conquers the indigenous people and herds them onto reservations.

Then we appropriate their mascots, with horned helmets, and use them for our own entertainment purposes.

Let's see, the English did invade Ireland and, to this day, the Irish have the gall to whine about it.

Can you imagine if we landed in Galway and proceeded to expand across the Irish landscape all the way to Dublin while forcing the native people to live on land once deemed inhospitable? Then, we could start public schools and use a mascot of a drunken Irishman? (I say this as one who is proudly half-Irish).

In case you don't get my drift, the deal is this: There is absolutely no similarity between the use of a mascot of a Viking at an Oregon high school and using an Indian head with the name of "Savages" at another Oregon high school.

Only a racist couldn't differentiate between the two.

Sadly, there are still too many racists among us.