Posted on 03/05/2002 5:03:33 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
North Dallas suburb's school board changes nickname from Coons
03/05/2002
The Associated Press
FRISCO, Texas — The Frisco Fighting Coons are no more.
Some students and parents in the North Dallas suburb had complained the nickname was racially offensive, and the Frisco School Board agreed Monday night, voting unanimously to change the nickname from Coons to Raccoons.
Superintendent Rick Reedy recommended the change.
Of several dozen people at Monday night's board meeting, many were vocal in their desire to keep the nickname the same as its been for 78 years. Some wore T-shirts and had signs in their yards reading, "Don't Rac my Coons."
Supporters said they had never learned to use "coon" as a racial slur and were proud of the nickname, created in 1924 when no one attached any racial significance to the name.
But school trustee Jimmy Gaffney said Monday night that it's time for a change.
"My dad thought it was the greatest thing going, and he is a racist, I'll be honest with you. I never taught this to my children. I don't want them to be a part of it. And I think our children today don't want to be a part of it," Gaffney said.
"I don't see any walls built at our school between our children, and I don't want to start that," Gaffney said.
Coon Memorial Stadium already had been changed to FISD Memorial Stadium. Frisco's water tower will have to be repainted, and T-shirts, bumper stickers and other signs will have to be changed to reflect the new nickname.
Students' reactions varied. "No one has ever said anything, ever, that I know of," said Jenny Forwark, who is white.
But black student LaVaughn Oliver, a sophomore, said, "I have a friend whose grandfather was killed by a Klan member, and he had that etched in on his chest, and it bothered him."
Valarie Blackman, another black student, said, "A lot of what's happening, you have new people moving in who have a tendency to take offense to that, as compared to the people who have always been here."
Track coach Steve Anthony, who is white, told Dallas television station WFAA: "If we're the Powder Puffs and we win football games and track meets, I don't care, that's my opinion. But for the kids to be made fun of, I don't think it's the appropriate thing."
Trustee Jane Whitledge said earlier, "I'm hoping that people understand that using the word raccoon in its full spelling is a way to maintain the tradition."
The superintendent late last week recommended the change, adding, "I feel that all decisions we make must come down to what is right for kids. It's important for students to be able to be proud of their school, and that includes its mascot. If one student is made to feel uncomfortable, that is one too many."
(ap.state.online.tx 0800 03/05/2002 01:36:02 )
Those ba$tards!
Wow! Now that’s calling a Spade a Spade!
Wrong!
This is a North Plano suburb ...
(Stupid AP story writer)
Going North from Dallas you encounter the following communities: Richardson, Plano, Farmers Branch, Carrolton, Addison, Frisco ...
It's been a couple of decades since I heard the word "coon" used in any context other than a shortened version of "raccoon".
The name is axed by the equally ignorant PC crowd. I'm offended that one of our popular native wildlife species has been denigrated so.
What's next? Will we change the name of the raccoon? Does our illustrious government make the use of the shortened nickname "'coon" illegal?
SAY, how about we get rid of the word "pig"? We all know who THAT word has been used to describe! How about "cow"? Some obese woman might become offended. OOOooo...and DOG, too!! Where the heck does this P.C. B.S. END??
Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Coon
101 entries found for black.
black[1,adjective]black[2,noun]black[3,verb]black Etymology: Middle English blak, from Old English blæc; akin to Old High German blah black, and probably to Latin flagrare to burn, Greek phlegein Date: before 12th century 1 a : of the color black b (1) : very dark in color b (1) often capitalized : of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin (2) : of or relating to the Afro-American people or their culture (3) : typical or representative of the most readily attended parts of black culture 3 : dressed in black 4 : DIRTY, SOILED 5 a : characterized by the absence of light b : reflecting or transmitting little or no light c : served without milk or cream 6 a : thoroughly sinister or evil : WICKED b : indicative of condemnation or discredit 7 : connected with or invoking the supernatural and especially the devil 8 a : very sad, gloomy, or calamitous b : marked by the occurrence of disaster 9 : characterized by hostility or angry discontent : SULLEN 10 chiefly British : subject to boycott by trade-union members as employing or favoring nonunion workers or as operating under conditions considered unfair by the trade union 11 a of propaganda : conducted so as to appear to originate within an enemy country and designed to weaken enemy morale b : characterized by or connected with the use of black propaganda 12 : characterized by grim, distorted, or grotesque satire 13 : of or relating to covert intelligence operations - black·ish /'bla-kish/ adjective - black·ly adverb - black·ness noun
Thanks for the info, folks.
Yeah, I'll be interested to hear that too. . .
"Coon" on the other hand,when used loosely, is an obvious racial slur and should be replaced by Raccoon. This is not catering to political correctness, its eliminating a blatant racist term.
Coon Hound is the recognized name of several brreds of American hunting dogs used on Raccoons, bears, cougars, wild boar and four-footed game. Generally preceeded by Black and Tan, Redbone, Plott, Treeing Walker, etc. Not likely to be confused with a racial slur.
Pass another friggin' law, silly.
Hyperbolize much? People like you are concerned with symbolism over substance. If people really are bothered by the name, why not modify it? What great history is being lost? They won't even have to change mascots.
I'm off in my own little world I guess. The only negative terms I can think of for black people is the "N" word. I didn't even know "Coon" was a negative term for blacks.
My neighbor got a ticket for shooting a fire arm off in the city limits where we live. A Coon got in the house and they couldn't get it out, so they shot it. What else where they suppose to do? It was scared to death and was tearing up the house. How did I get off on that tale? Gotta go pack!
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