OUR OPINION: Vote stamps ‘Answered’ on nickname questions
June 18, 2012 at 6:45 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Count that as one more in a list of key questions that the referendum answered. And all of the answers point to the same conclusion: Any further effort to force UND to use the Fighting Sioux nickname almost certainly will fail. Continue Reading
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Well said Tom. Agree 100%.
AlwaysErectForTheName, Spearman, Tim, and Mato (who, with Tim, I respect the most in this rogues gallery) will try to justify, rationalize, and muddy the waters with false arguments and Rush Limbaugh-esk arguments (I am surprised Always or Spearman has not called me a harlot yet), but in the end their arguments were heard, considered, and rejected.
Many on the supporter side are very sincere in their beliefs. I do not discount their motivations. In the end, North Dakota has spoken.
What ifs, could have beens, should of beens, and preschool cries of “its not fair – FSU and IL get to keep their brand; why not us” will not change the outcome.
The name is gone. The Phoenix will not rise again. North Dakota will be a better place because of it.
The most important thing is this is almost over. The supporters may or may not get the issue on the November ballot. Regardless of if they do or they don’t, they are free to bring it back year after year; as many times as they like until they can no longer gather enough signatures to get it on the ballot (a very low bar – as it should be).
It is time to move on. To plan for the future and assess responsibility for the ill-conceived decisions of the past. Uncle Al needs recalled and the SBHE needs a thorough house cleaning (their lack of leadership in this issue is unforgivable, regardless of the outcome).
ND is at the crossroads. It will be nice to look through the windscreen, instead of the rear view mirror.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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As I said above, you could be right. See you at the polls
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“North Dakota will be a better place because of it.” The end of an endless fight is the only reason ND maybe a better place because of it. The shove it down your throat style of political correctness is a new type of intimidation because it has been taken to extremes. Will the retirement of the “Fighting Sioux” suddenly make flowers bloom, end the poverty on reservations or the alcoholism, child abuse or other problems? Not at all. In the end it will MAKE NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. The majority of people, I believe, voted against continuing use of the name not because it was hostile and abusive as some claim, but rather they were not willing to destroy athletics at UND to keep it.
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Glen,
If you re-read my gazillion posts on this subject, besides my belief that the name and logo are in fact hostile and abusive, I have been taking people to task for concentrating more on a symbol than the people it represents.
I have been saying all along if you want to “honor” Native Americans, do something to make their lives better; something the name and logo cannot do.
Give me a way to increase Native American graduation rates and improve their health statistics and I will be on the front line. Up close, personal, and very very visible.
When I was part of the management team at Altru I got hauled into the bosses office for participating in a march on campus (UND) in support of a cause I believe in. Out of the 200-300 people there, guess whose mug made the news?
I don’t mind being identified with causes that are worthwhile. I don’t even mind being called on the carpet to answer for them.
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You want a solution I have it. End the reservation system NOW. Shut it down close it.
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I agree & have said so many times. Be forewarned Always is going to jump you. He thinks the Rez is to be emulated, not dismantled.
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I’m not trying to be mean here, but do you not have a job or anything else to do? I visit this website just about everyday to see the news from back home, and on the occasion that I do view comments, it seems you always have multiple comments on each story. Its kind of annoying.
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http://www.lipstickalley.com/f50/montana-gop-conventions-crude-attack-president-obama-michelle-405754/
Montana GOP convention’s crude attack on President Obama and Michelle
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A very, well written article by the Herald’s Tom Dennis. Dennis actually does get it, as far as, what the vote meant to North Dakotans and the University of North Dakota.
It is time to move on, and hopefully, time will heal the dissention and allow North Dakotans to unite behind UND in the years ahead.
I posted a link above that goes beyond campaign professionalism and decorum, which some revert to when hatred or party ideology gets the best of them and people lose reason to make their point.
Take care.
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I actually clicked “like” on one of Alwayscorrect’s postings. Strange. However, the vote is now 40-12 in favor of alwayscorrect being quiet (see comments from another Sioux story).
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Thanks for the link. I read some of the comments about the Ob@ma outhouse photo. Some seem to think Republicans are okay with such trashing. I have a cousin who questions the president’s citizenship. As Republican as I am, many of us are to the left of alwayscorrect. Most Republicans are offended by this humor and most aren’t questioning our president’s citizenship. Some Democrats don’t believe this and believe that Republicans are the only people investing in our country, getting tax abatements and benefitting fom a robust economy. How did it ever come to this?
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It came to this because the GOP got swallowed whole by the radical right-wing including the tea party and the Grover Norquist anti-tax believers. Karl Rover engineered Bushes win in 2004 by basically giving the radical right everything they wanted. In order to battle against Obama in 2008, they had to go all in with right-wing groups and the tea party. Moderates fled in droves, many of them voting for Obama. Now we have the situation where the radical right is calling the shots, and the scary thing is that nobody in the GOP dares to contradict what is going on. Even Romney is silent when the most egregious stuff gets said including the birther nonsense. He even stood next to Trump the same day the Donald reiterated his birther stances. Romney also went right along with the anti-contraception crowd in endorsing the life begins at conception nonsense that would outlaw the pill. He even said heckling was good when the rude reporter interrupted Obama’s news conference. Seasoned reporters were aghast at that, but Romney thought it was just fine to heckle the President in the Rose Garden. With that kind of leadership, no wonder the GOP has a huge image problem.
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Thanks for the link. I wish it received greater coverage. The vast majority of Americans are decent, hard working people who are smart enough to think for themselves. It is the minority who take their cues from party headquarters.
Overtly racist stunts like this simply reinforce what many people suspect: the present crop of Republicans simply is not up to the job. The GOP weeded out all the candidates which might have actually affected meaningful change.
Since the electorate is left to choose between the least of two evils, the Big O will win in November by 5 – 10 points. Not necessarily because the country believes in what he is doing, but because the country does not believe in what the GOP is doing.
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No different that the attacks the left made in the past on Bush and continues with current Republican office holders. Dont even try to pretend both sides do not use the same tactics.
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Must be some more of the Herald honoring the Sioux…By continuing to exploit every little nuget they can find…..Just too juicy to quit huh Herald?
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Some very interesting local drug caases in the news, but no comment section…….If only we can get one of them to yell “Fighting Sioux” Maybe then we’d get to comment on a far more interesting topic…
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Home made LSD….how dumb does it get?
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That’s prety much the way the real stuff was made though too. Back in the day though it was made y people like Olsey (Not sure of the spelling) who was a chemist and knew what he was doing. A lot of drugs were bade by either students or recently graduated students who actually understood something about what they were making. Unfortunately there’s always been those who tried to make knock off stuf or step on stuff with wonderful things like rat poison that would end up hurting a lot of people if not right out killing them……That was then, but from what I’m hearing now it’s a very dangerous world out there now for those trying drugs. Back during prohibition there were people geting hurt by drinking bathtub gin that had all kinds of nasty stuff…..I think today that the equilivant of bathtub gin makers is the rule rather than the exception.
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I’ve noticed the lack of comment availability on many recent news items that would generate lots of interest while Ann Bailey’s column invariably has a comment section, but zero comments ever. Makes you wonder who decides whether to have comments or not.
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Right now there’s at least thre or four stories that would get good comment, but no comment section. Yet they put commet sections on some of the mose trivial bits. Make you wonder if someone is sitting back thinking some stories might get too hot on the commets….Well it might be on the drug articles, and the articles about that huge mess on the res that gets kids back into dangerous environments……But so what? Maybe some things need to be said….Public opinion has helped change things throughout history so who knows…..It’s just damn tiring that the same few topics keep poping up on these boards…
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Hey, what do you want? Real news? We have lost representative government and corporacracy rules us all. One way that is done is to keep is all focused on the trivia and drivel of the tv talking heads. We will all wake up to this if (I hope not) we will NEED a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Until then, vote Republican, watch FOX news, and focus on the propoganda and the trivial. It not so bad here with the big screen tv, every modern convenience, a comfortable home, two car garage, and any man-toy available. Who has time to focus on the big issues? That gives me one BIG headache! Leave the mess for the kids. And so it goes…..
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Typcial simplistic self-supporting piece from the Herald.
The one in arguable fact not even mentioned–which at best blows the whole premise of this editorial out of the water–and at least ought to raise a huge question mark over how SR band members really feel–is this:
More standing rock members signed their name–not voted, but were willing to sign their name–to a petition to KEEP the nickname–than voted in the election.
There are reasons for that. Responsible journalists would at a minimum mention it. Good journalists would dig into why!
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Why don’t you get it? SR has a democratic elected tribal leadership. Leadership is not required to follow the reservation “majority”. As in any representative government, leaders may make decisions that are unpopular but are in the best interests of the tribe. That is why they were elected and why they are called leaders. That is the way the system works. The nickname is retired. So, get over it and move on. UND has. And so it goes…..
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