What are you thinking?

Dear Editor

How can you change the name of the high school mascot? I spent the first 16 years of my life in that town and was proud to be an athlete associated with the school district. One of my brothers, Lito Castro, created and painted the Indian head in the gymnasium about 1977 and the other brother, Pres Castro, was the mascot for a few years while he danced the “Indian Hoop Dance” at the games which he learned in the Boy Scouts (Troop 9) Order of the Arrow.

How can a hand full of people make a change so critical to the history of the city? Politics you say? Personal agenda I’m hearing! It is a mockery of power and not political correctness as it is disguised to be. We are far past the historic times of being offensive to any of the Indian tribes. It is obvious that the community was not PROPERLY informed or that this agenda was advertised. A small ad in the paper is poor justification.

Now you may have to change the Colusa seal and the name of the river that runs through it.

I’m glad that I moved away but sad that my classmates live with those prudish politics there in Colusa. If you really cared the name should have been changed in the 1930s, ‘40s or ‘50s when the simple farming community of Anglo-Saxons (rednecks) were socially abusive to all other races in the neighborhood. I hope we are past that infant stage of society and have moved into the future of knowledge, cultural diversity, understanding and tolerance equals a degree of acceptance.

I’m sure these words won’t undo the vote that was so swiftly passed across the committees table but your community should hear them. Are you truly attempting to help someone with this change OR is this a conspiracy to tie up marketing rights and keep the future funds in the family? Hhmm! This effort is channeled in the wrong direction and is sixty years past its maturity date and I will ask you where does this book burning, censorship end?

Give us back our history. Give us the Colusa Redskins!

Genuinely,

Class of “81”

M. Phillip Castro

Seattle