Carpinteria keeps ban on high school mascot
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Compelling letter to all Warriors
The Warrior’s Last Battlefield
May 14, 2008
"The school board has taught you a difficult but valuable lesson. The battle for your mascot was lost the moment Elias appealed to Authority to get his world sanitized, instead of to Justice or Compassion or to Truth. If this was about those things, the school board would have set the field of contest in your hearts and minds, and not on the physical grounds of the school. This is about Authority. Authority does not listen to people; it only hears its own gears grinding, and the stamping of boots."
The Independent laid out the Carpinteria situation in the following:
Warrior’s Cry
"Amidst a cacophony of cheers and honking horns Friday afternoon, dozens of Carpinteria High school students and alumni crowded onto the corners of Linden and Carpinteria Avenues to protest the school board’s recent decision to remove all Native American images and icons from school property."
Never one to miss an opportunity to pontificate her POV on the word 'warrior', Laura Schlessinger writes about Carpinteria High's mascot in Wendy McCaw's Santa Barbara News-Press on Sunday 4/27/08. Laura has her own design ideas to offer the community. To greet students at school she wants the head of a "soldier, Marine, police, fireman or Coast Guard". Maybe that's an improvement from her "Calling a Muslim a Terrorist" 9/13/07 column? After calling out and misconstruing Mayor Blum and the City Council, she didn't have the chutzpah to face council and suggest in person that they $pend time impeaching bin Laden.Whether you agree with one Native American student, who feels offended or the many students with strong feelings toward the mascot, both are asserting their rights. The school board made a decision without a discussion between the two sides. The students and alumni are asking for a recall.
The carpetbagging problem seems to be in the mix. The wounds of Santa Claus Lane's Santa are not reconciled, how do you explain those things to alien forces? Santa Claus or warrior, I look at these old world icons in a more architectural way. I'm disgusted with what the "negative imagery" represents to some. I'm also disgusted with disneyfication. While Santa wasn't as beautiful as say Hillary Duff's Santa Claus Lane, he does keep his clothes on. There is much to be said for honoring the democratic process, students and the traditions they honor. These old architectural pieces are rare and what a shame to forget them and the lessons they teach. Hopefully, we'll grow and be able to look at our past with discussions and respect for all. The mascot warrior has tapped deep feelings on both sides. Let them have it out without an authoritarian take over or lawsuits.
Carpinteria does need a NEW SCHOOL BOARD.
It's outrageous to disrespect the students. How American is that? Next 'design experts' like Laura Schlessinger will favor a 'military' warrior look! If she believes "The Art of Peace" why not start with her son, Deryk Schlessinger. He needs to remedy his MySpace disaster, he might as well be hiding in mommies basement if he's not warrior enough to speak truth to power. Parents set an example, teach truth and accountability. Heal the lies told that took soldiers to an unnecessary war. And don't trivialize or overlook the student warriors who are standing up for their voice.
Laura would sign them up for a war on Iran. In her column she goes on to justify lower standards for Army recruiting [they accept more felons]. She uses that to promote her MANDATORY [DRAFT] 2 year military service. What about the peace corp et al?
Her ideology is not geared toward better public schools. It's more like destroy public schools. She will sell books.[ 4/27/08: this is no longer in her CALLS TO ACTION ]
Back in the day many adobes [above] in Santa Barbara looked like junk. They could have all been destroyed.
Old Montecito was a treat for Southern Californians. Today those reminders are extinct.
Will Carpinteria lose it's character?
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