Frat Fails and Admiral Ackbar - The Progression of Ole Miss

It could have all been so sweet.  The nerd in me was HYPE!  In 2010, there was a petition at the University of Mississippi (more commonly known as Ole Miss)  to choose a new, more PC mascot.  Why?  Because the team name is the Rebels.  Mississippi Rebels.  In Mississippi.  Rebelling against what you ask.  That would be that overbearing greedy as Abraham Lincoln and his forces in the North, naturally.  Now, there's a time and a place for everything, and well, Mississippi in 1936 was probably ideal in chooses such a, decisive mascot as "Colonel Reb" for your school.  But in 2010, it seemed to have worn out it's welcome.  A campaign was started to update the schools mascot to something, well, more awesome and less racist.  The said "forget a Colonel, let's get an Admiral!"  What Admiral?  Only the MOST IMPORTANT ADMIRAL OF ALL TIME!

He'd still wear the hat. Compromise.

This would have been the coolest thing to happen in the history of forever!   But I'm a card carrying geek like that.  But truthfully, is it any more ridiculous to have the Mon Calamari (lazy naming, Lucas!) leader of the Alliance as the school mascot than a heavily stylized Col. Sanders???  Probably not, but I'm not from Mississippi, and don't make the rules out there.

They get it.

But this notion being dismissed immediately lends credence to an incident that recently took place.  On campus, there is a statue of James Meredith, the first Black student admitted to Ole Miss.  Three members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity had the bright idea to hang a noose on the statue, and leave behind a confederate flag, just in case you didn't get the picture.  This particular chapter of the frat was shut down, and the reasoning given was that this was the final straw in a long series of mistakes.  That makes perfect sense, given that racially influences defamation of property typically isn't your first offense.

He's no Space Amphibian, but a clearly better choice than "Col"

Now, to give credit where it's due, they got Colonel Reb the hell up outta here, and replaced him with Rebel Black Bear, (who may be from Louisiana) a much better choice.  While not the leader of the most significant military fleet in a galaxy far ,far away, he's still pretty cool.  Things that we feel are CLEARLY outdated and wrong can take a long time to die depending on who's in charge.  But it is comforting to see that there are limits on wrongdoing, where even if crimes are committed against a single person, even certain gestures can carry harsh, necessary penalties.  Here's hoping that more and more organizations take firm stands on this type of behavior.  And that we get an awesome fictional character as a mascot for a major university soon (Looking at you, Maryland Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapins!)

A (Small) Bit about a Bully, A Prom, and the Black vs. Mexican War.

I can remember getting picked on by a kid once.  I was in the 7th grade, and I lived down the street fro ma kid named Colin.  Colin was much taller than me, and if I remember right, I was probably 5'4 and under 90 lbs.  Soaking wet.  With work boots on.  One day, after riding the bus home, i was walking down my street, and Colin, who lived a street over, started following me and pushing me in me back.  he pushed me the entire way home, but for the life of me, I can't remember what he was saying.  I lean toward it being something racial, because he proudly displayed a confederate flag on his faux letter jacket.  So I ran in the house, and told my step dad what had happened, and 10 minutes later, we walked down to his house, my dad had a conversation with his dad, and from that day this now, I've never had a problem with Colin.  I'm not sure what was said, but it clearly made a strong impression.  Outside of that instance, I can't think of a time I thought I was being bullied.  And from the first time i saw "Carrie"

I knew I'd leave people the fuck alone, cuz i'm not going up in flames.  It just never made sense to me, "picking" on people. But that doesn't make me "superkid" or anything... my mom is still looking for my 8th grade report card (tossed that shit in the trash after hiding it for months, cuz if she found it, i'd accept the punishment).  So I come across this story about the little boy with the "My Little Pony" backpack getting picked on, beaten up, and called out his name, and I feel for him.  I was never victim to, or a party to, the gang mentality of seeing a different kid and attacking him from all angles.  From 7th grade till graduation, I was to high school in San Antonio, TX, and while I can think of instances kids were hounded, it wasn't prevalent to the point that kids left schools, or kids were suspended, or parents came up to the school.  We just weren't wired that way.  You never heard about "jocks picking on nerds" or "popular kids ganging up on losers" because it didn't happen.  There was that whole "Black vs. Mexican" War, but that was niggas being niggas, nigga standing in for "jackass of any ethnicity or gender".

Grayson Bruce decided to rock his MLP backpack, and was harrassed for it being "girly".  Ya know.... My little Pony is girly as hell.  Girly to the point that if I saw a kid right now with a My Little Pony backpack, I'd think "THAT SHIT IS GIRLY!"  If my son wanted the same strap... I don't know if i'd buy it.  But if i did, I'd let him know that kids will have opinions, so he may have to deal with criticism.  But criticism aside, if anyone touches him over his personal taste, he have every right to touch them back.  And if you aren't comfortable with that... Your Dad can have a talk with any other kid's Dad. Fro mthe Looks of it, people are showing their support for the little guy.

Have an opinion on The plight of Grayson Bruce, or bullying in general? we can talk about it here and here.  Thanks.