Posted on 08/09/2006 8:48:54 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
MIDLAND, Texas- Directors of the Midland Independent School District discussed the possibility Tuesday of dropping Confederate references at two schools named for Robert E. Lee in response to a parent's complaint.
The board directed school officials to consider changing Robert E. Lee Freshman High School's yearbook to something other than "The Confederate." It also asked officials to consider changing the "Dixie" fight song at Lee Freshman and at Robert E. Lee High School.
Parent Shay Templeton, who is black, complained after noticing the name of her son's yearbook. She said she wants all references to the Confederacy eliminated from school clubs, events and publications, but did not suggest changing the schools' names.
"My son's face was in this (yearbook). I didn't know the name of the book when I bought it," she said in Wednesday editions of the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
"We support nothing Confederate in our home. It would be remembering a time ... oppressive to the black community," she said.
Lee Freshman Principal Larry Winget said students named the yearbook through a contest in 1979, the same year the school changed its name from Austin to Lee.
In 1991, the school board discontinued the schools' use of the Confederate flag. It also agreed to use a variation of "Dixie" for the fight song.
Board President James Fuller said he remembers when a compromise was struck in 1991 to ban the Confederate battle flag.
He said it did a "significant bit" to reduce community tensions and that he doesn't perceive the same level of tension over the remaining Confederate symbols. However, he said the original version of "Dixie" has been creeping back into use and needs to be addressed.
Board member Tommy Bishop said changing the name of the annual would be a "step in the right direction." He also said that playing "Dixie" when the band and sports teams go to other communities creates an image problem for the district.
Lee High Principal Patrick Jones said changing the name of Lee Freshman's yearbook would probably have to be voted on by the school's student body.
"I'm sure we will talk quite a bit about tonight and start immediately taking all this into consideration," Jones said.
Wonder if she's heard, read, or seen any news out of Africa lately?
If she had heard about present day Africa, it wouldn't even cross her mind.
I've been to Midland recently... They should change the name of the yearbook to El Confederado, and the school fight song to "La Cucaracha".
File this under "Oh fricken puhleeze!". History ain't always pretty, but it's history.
You mean to tell me she didn't know the name of her son's school until she BOUGHT HIS YEARBOOK?
Something tells me she never showed up for the parent-teacher conferences, either...
Ping
This is sheer racism that all the political correctness in the world won't eradicate. The Civil War, the confederacy and Robert E. Lee are parts of the history of this nation; just as Frederick Douglas, the Civil Rights Movement, and Rev. Martin Luther King are.
Each deserves to take its place in the panoply of our history because each is a compelling story that is part of the whole picture of America. Selectively eliminating a part because we don't like it, is akin to removing ingredients from a recipe - the end result isn't the same.
If we teach history with perspective (assuming the schools decide to start teaching history again), students can make their own decisions about events in America's past. Historical revisionism is not going to change our past, anymore than removing all of the highway signs will eradicate the impact of Route 66.
I don't think this parent wants to excise references to the Confederacy from history class. I think she simply doesn't want to glorify the parts that aren't pretty.
What I don't get is why she's after "Dixie" as the fight song. She should get Robert E. Lee's school name changed before that. Robert E. Lee is more emblemic of the Confederacy than Dixie.
DIXIE*ping
Paging H.K.Edgerton.
It's still that touchy-feely pc crap. I don't think they should cave in to her.
People need to stand up to these types!
I think everyone who's offended by this, that, or the other thing in public schools should be given a one-way ticket to private school. Problem solved.
Templeton appears to have an IQ well under 60 and is desperately trying to find a way to get national publicity. Awfully hard to teach about the Civil War without a mention of the Confederacy. And yes, Lee and Stonewall Jackson were noble men, much superior in character to Hooker.
Pandora's box sure has a big lid.
Nothing will ever satisfy raised from birth victims.
Ugh. This makes me sick. I graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge about 15 years ago. We were the Rebels and we waved large Confederate flags at our football games. Our school spirit stuff had Confederate flags all over them. We had a Robert E. Lee mascot at the games and the band leader wore a pretty gray Confederate-esque uniform.
They recently changed the mascot to the "Patriots" and so all of that is now gone. I imagine the name of the school will be changed before long. It just makes me sick.
> Nothing will ever satisfy raised from birth victims.
What, the neo-Rebels?
> Lee and Stonewall Jackson were noble men, much superior in character to Hooker.
Did Hooker fight to preserve the institution of slavery?
Would you rather send your kid to R.E. Lee High School or Hooker High School?
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