A number of schools have given up Native American images & mascots, slowly, but surely. One Long Island district doesn't want to, and guess who's trying to help them?

 A fair number of school districts in New York have given up Native American, or, Indigenous, mascots and images due to the fact that some activist groups believe the imagery, mascots included, promotes negative stereotypes.

A Long Island school district is one of a few that has defied the State Education Department's 2023 edict, and now, they're getting help from Washington.

President Trump sent Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the former CEO of the WWE, to Long Island Friday to demand that the state rescind its ban, or else federal funding for schools would be cut off. McMahon was accompanied by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, himself a Trump loyalist.

Photo courtesy Spectrum News 1.

Trump, of course, has whined about the name changes of a baseball team in Cleveland, and Washington, DC's NFL franchise, but those teams have thrived since the name changes, despite the whining from Trump, who gives the perception of being a traditionalist, except when it comes to political traditions.

High school teams in upstate NY's Section II have also thrived after making name changes in the last couple of years, and those schools are the usual suspects when it comes to sports, schools like Shenendehowa, Averill Park, Niskayuna, Fonda-Fultonville, Colonie, and Glens Falls, just to name a few. 

Let us not forget, of course, that McMahon's estranged husband, Vince, when he ran the WWE, used Native American stereotypes for years, but often used men of other ethnicities to play the parts (i.e. an Italian wrestled as Chief Jay Strongbow). It wasn't until the 90's when Vince McMahon actually had a wrestler who was legitimately a Native American (Chris "Tatanka" Chavis). This is why the GOP thinks it's okay to continue with the stereotypes, even though they've long been passe, and now, no longer wanted by the mainstream. Predictably, the GOPers are being perceived as the villains (heels in wrestling parlance) for trying to force those same outdated stereotypes back on New York schools.

I've often said in this space that Vince McMahon has been out of touch with reality for years. Seems that Linda shares those same outdated ideas. It's the carny way, and the GOP are largely carnies now, don't you think?