Then there is the issue about sports teams (ie Redskins). I guess I can see that it is kind of like musicians in blackface acting stupid.... I am glad that there are women out there who don't look or act like barbie dolls any more. But I think there is a line somewhere between making reference to a past and pertetuating it...
Dana On 10/23/05, Dawson, Michael <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I graduated from a high school whose mascot was a "Southern Rebel" hence > the name South Spencer Rebels. > > The mascots colors were red, white and blue. The rebel also waved a > confederate flag. Well, as you can guess, some minorities were offended > by this. > > My dad still works for the school corp and I remember him telling me, a > few years ago, that due to political issues, the corp had to remove the > confederate flag completely. I also think the rebel man was to be > retired as well. > > They still retain the name "Rebels", but without the history of the > mascot. > > Get over yourselves, people. It's just a sign/flag/name/etc. > > What about the people that move to Santa Claus, IN? If they don't still > believe in Santa Claus, why don't they sue the town to change its name? > "It sends a false message to our children that Santa Claus really > exists." > > M!ke > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 1:37 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: a twist on the separation of church and state > > Just curious as to what people think of this. The city of Las Cruces is > named for three crosses that used to stand on a hill along the Camino > Real in territorial times. Its logo has, you guessed it, three crosses > in it. > Dana > http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/32902.html > Lawsuit seeks removal of crosses from Las Cruces city logo (63 > comments; last comment posted October 6, 2005 03:48 am) > print<http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/32902.html#>| > email<?subject=%20%20sent%20you%20this%20article%20from%20The%20New%20Me > xican&body=Lawsuit%20seeks%20removal%20of%20crosses%20from%20Las%20Cruce > s%20city%20logo%0Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.freenewmexican.com%2Fnews%2F32902.htm > l%0D%0D>this > story > > By ASSOCIATED PRESS > September 24, 2005 > > LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The city of Las Cruces' official emblem has > three crosses that a federal lawsuit alleges are unconstitutional > religious symbols on public property. > > The lawsuit, filed Sept. 16 in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, seeks > the removal of the crosses. > > "The crosses serve no governmental purpose other than to disenfranchise > and discredit non-Christian citizens," said the lawsuit filed by Paul F. > Weinbaum, who lives in the Las Cruces area, and Martin J. Boyd of Las > Cruces. > > Defendants include city officials, city councilors, Mayor Bill Mattiace, > District Attorney Susana Martinez, state Attorney General Patricia > Madrid and Gov. Bill Richardson. > > "We have had to defend ourselves before and we're ready to do it again," > Mattiace said. > > "The crosses have a basis for being in our logo. We will hold course and > will defend that," he said. > > Las Cruces is Spanish for "The Crosses." > > Fermin Rubio, city attorney, said the lawsuit did not raise any new > issues since attempts were made in 2003 to prevent the city from using > the logo. > > The state Highway and Transportation Department, now the Department of > Transportation, had announced that the logos would be removed from two > state highway underpasses. > > But Richardson ordered the agency not to remove the logo from state > roads, saying it represents a historical event and is a point of pride > for Las Cruces residents. > > Jon Goldstein, a spokesman for Richardson, said Tuesday the governor's > office had received a copy of the lawsuit, but he declined comment until > staff members and attorneys for the governor reviewed it. > > The lawsuit alleges the emblem violates the First Amendment by placing > religious symbols on public property and spending public money to > promote religion. > > The lawsuit also accuses the city of violating the Civil Rights Act of > 1964 by requiring prospective employees to sign job applications that > include a religious symbol. > > Weinbaum and Boyd accuse the city of invading the privacy of their homes > with government-sponsored proselytizing. > > Weinbaum and Boyd said they have been made to feel excluded from public > participation in government activities. > > "This symbol serves no governmental purpose other than to be divisive, > to alienate, and disenfranchise Weinbaum, his minor daughter and Boyd," > the lawsuit says. > > Weinbaum said he just wants the city to quit using the logo. > > "The point here is that this is not for profit whatsoever," he said of > the lawsuit. "We want our First Amendment rights back, our full rights > as citizens." > > The City Council never has voted on adopting the symbol for official > use, the lawsuit says. > > City officials cannot provide any historical documentation to back its > claim that the crosses represent the history and people of the city, the > lawsuit alleges. > > The lawsuit has been assigned to U.S. Magistrate Lourdes Martinez of Las > Cruces. No court hearings have been scheduled. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:177814 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
