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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Fightin' Whities swamped with T-shirt requests |
Current rating: 0 |
by Coleman Cornelius
(No verified email address) |
14 Mar 2002
Modified: 17 Mar 2002 |
The UNC team was frustrated that pleas for tolerance were misunderstood or discounted, they said. So the players decided to use some provocative humor to stir up the debate.
"Walk in someone else's shoes, and then you can make a judgment," said Ryan White, 22, a team player and member of the Mohawk Nation. |
Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - The Fightin' Whities, an intramural basketball team of American Indians at the University of Northern Colorado, has been flooded with requests for T-shirts since news broke of the team's satirical mascot protest.
On Tuesday, the student basketball team set up an e-mail account to start taking orders - even though players have not yet figured out exactly how to mass-produce their shirts.
Would-be buyers may send T-shirt requests to fightingwhites (at) hotmail.com. The team will send back acknowledgments and more information. The system is meant to gauge demand while the team irons out copyright issues and checks university guidelines, said Jeff Van Iwarden, 21, one of the team's few Anglo players.
The Fightin' Whities expect to charge about $20 for their shirts and will donate all profits to a Native American cause that has yet to be determined, Van Iwarden said.
In the course of just two days, as news of the team has exploded nationwide, the players have gained countless fans across the country.
Many are clamoring for T-shirts bearing the team mascot - a 1950s-style caricature of a middle-aged white guy - and the phrase "Every thang's gonna be all white!"
The intramural basketball team's official name is "Native Pride." But the team calls itself the "Fightin' Whites" - and is widely known by the more in-your-face "Fightin' Whities" - as a jab at nearby Eaton High School.
School officials in Eaton, a farm town north of Greeley, have refused to discuss the school's mascot - the Fightin' Reds - despite complaints from area Native Americans who see it as a degrading stereotype.
Eaton High School's mascot is a caricature of an Indian with a misshapen nose, wearing a loincloth and eagle feather.
The UNC team was frustrated that pleas for tolerance were misunderstood or discounted, they said. So the players decided to use some provocative humor to stir up the debate.
"Walk in someone else's shoes, and then you can make a judgment," said Ryan White, 22, a team player and member of the Mohawk Nation. |
See also:
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0%2C1002%2C53%7E458922%2C00.html
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fightin whities |
by Terry Quinn
tqwuinn6 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: -1
14 Mar 2002
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I wish I could start of by saying that I am appolled by the name the " The Fightin Whities", but the truth of the matter is I think it's kind of cool. For years I have listened to Native Americans do nothing but bitch and complain about shcools useing names like the warriors, redskins and the braves. I am half Indian along with Irish and I don't see anything wrong with useing them as team names. It's not like they are using the name in a way that dishonors the Native Indians. I could see if they used it in a since that degraded them or thier way of life. Yet, I don't think they see it the way I do, in most cases the name comes with pride and honor both for thier school and the indian way of life.
If this keeps up I see down the road we will have names like the Fightin Daisies of Notre Dome or the Duke Blue Skies, that is until Green Peace get involved. Names like the Bears and the Seahawks wil be game for animal rights and then there will no turning back. Being part Indian I take pride in team names, I can say that the only time I was ever offended was I seen a sign on TV when the Redskins were playing the Cowboys and the sign read scalp those Redskins. I took an minute to think that was wrong, just like when a black man is called "boy". Then I thought to myself just consider the source. Being that they were in Texas the state with wide opened spaces especially between their ears, I took comfort in knowing that brothers and sisters can reproduce and move to a place were people don't think twice about it.
In closeing I would like to say I think they are on to something at UNC and I would like information on were to get a t-shirt and a hat if they have them to sale.
I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time. |
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Fightin Whities are all red faced |
by Dean Ginther
Dean329556 (nospam) aol.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
15 Mar 2002
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With all the causes one or a group could stand up for or fight for...this is about as "weeny" as it comes. I have travelled all over the world several times, and believe me, there are groups of folks in other parts of the world that would trade places with the Native American's any day of the week. I grew up feeling sorry for the indians and all that they as a culture has went through....not any more. After this display of BS, and this group (fightin whities)picking on a group of kids and I mean kids that grow up believing in a school AND what it stands for "Pride, trust..ect" (very rare into days world); Just goes to show you that different groups will never live in true harmony as long as this kind of crap is allowed. Go pick on bigger issues, look at the whole state of North Dakota..every road sign has a big nosed indian on it, same for OK with it's signs...don't hear the local native americans making a stink about that... Yeah, Yeah pick on a bunch of kids to make a point but don't tackle something challenging "because it's too hard". You guys are a joke and you just set the Native Americans back 100 years in building a case for their cause. I love the overall response from the community (greeley, eaton...ect), they think your cause is a joke and think your as stupid and the team you formed. Just keep doing what your doing...and we will end up with a good laugh and nothing accomplished in the end.
dean |
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look at which part of the country the orders are coming from |
by robert crouch
righthanddrive (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Mar 2002
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I know the original entent was to make a statement about how ridiculous it is always having to be politicly correct,but the end product is just another tool to promote racism.I know this was not the origanal entent,and i know that everybody gets excited about making money,but think about how your origanal message is going to be twisted.How are you going to feel when you see a film clip on television ,where a non-white is murdered,and when they pull the defendents from the vehicle and the cameras are rolling,thier wearing a 'fighting whites T-shirt |
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It's about time |
by James MacQuarrie
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
16 Mar 2002
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I've been waiting for years for this.
But then I've always thought it would be funny to get a group of white people together to protest all the OTHER ethic slurs teams use--Tartans, Fightin' Irish, Vikings, Spartans, Conquistadors, Saxons are just a few of the ones I've seen on high school buildings. Most feature a derogatory cartoon of some sort. There's a lot of possibility for satire there.
I gotta go order one of those shirts.
MacQ.
www.monkeyspit.net |
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Just Satire |
by Chris
cmorrisz (nospam) hotmail (unverified) |
Current rating: -1
17 Mar 2002
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Now, don't get your undies in a buch here. This was just a little satire that found it's way into the news. I don't think that it's enough to make judgements about anyones causes. |
