A public request for answers from Mulian Smith

Opinion, rights,
By

Mrs. Smith,

After the recent Bangor Daily News Article, “Skowhegan coach’s ‘scalp towel’ Facebook post rekindles mascot debate”  (http://bangordailynews.com/2015/09/17/news/mid-maine/skowhegan-coachs-scalp-towel-facebook-post-rekindles-mascot-debate/) you and I have discussed Coach York, and his facebook post for a couple of days. Many people have weighed in on both sides, and a few people have taken to insults, and name calling.

This is my attempt to clear the waters a bit.  I have some specific questions I would like answers to, so we can understand what your intentions are.

Just what exactly would you like to happen to the coach for posting a picture of the “scalp towel” on his personal facebook page?

Do you want the man fired from his job for exercising his freedom of expression?

If so, what good would that be to you?

What has the man done to you personally?

Has what he did on his own page caused you to lose sleep?

Has it caused you to fear for your financial well-being?

I understand, as most of us probably do, that you find Native American themed school mascots to be derogatory. If you succeed in eliminating their usage, will you then seek out to eliminate other offensive mascots?

For example:

  • Brewer Witches – In history witches were thought to devour children, and cause the destruction of crops.  They were thought to be aligned with evil.  Because of this, people suspected of being witches were hunted down, tortured, and eventually killed.
  • Calais Blue Devils – The Devil is thought by many to represent all evil.  He is believed by many to rule over Hell, and torture the souls of the damned for all eternity.
  • St Agatha Pioneers – We all know it was the pioneers that started taking land from the native inhabitants in the first place.

I am sure I could come up with many more.  But I would really like to know where you stand and what you, when and if Skowhegan backs down, plan to do about other potentially offensive mascots.

Lastly, I would like to know if you have EVER used any the following terms:

Fag/faggot, homo, queer, gay (as in you are/that is so gay), retarded (as in you are/that is so retarded), or retard?

If so… Is that OK with you?

 

Again, these are direct questions, and I would like specific answers.  You are free to ask me questions, and I will answer them directly as well.

 

I look forward to your reply, so that we may understand one another better.

Doug Alley

About Doug Alley

I grew up in Bath, Maine in an upper lower class family with 3 step sisters, a step brother, and a little sister. After high school I spent 3 years serving in the USAF at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage AK. I've competed in, and won, demolition derbies. I've competed in, and never won, stock car races. I am the 47-year-old father of an 11-year-old boy who is pretty sure he is smarter than I ever was. We live on a little less than an acre of land in a 1973 mobile home in Stetson with my wife Jen, some cats, a few chickens, and rabbits, and a couple of goats. I hunt, fish, camp out, dabble in photography, gardening, and I cook in variable degrees of near success.