Dear Tell All: I'm shocked to see the issue of Indian mascots rearing its head in Wisconsin again. I thought we'd settled this a few years ago, when the state decreed that high schools must change their Indian team names if the Department of Public Instruction orders them to in response to citizen complaints. But now that Republicans are in charge of the Capitol, there's a movement to preserve these racist names. Nutty districts like Mukwonago are insisting on their right to keep "honoring" Indians, as they put it. Never mind that Native Americans don't feel honored at all, but insulted by the demeaning mascots.
The white people defending these team names claim not to understand what's so bad about them. Let me help them out with an analogy. Let's say Native Americans had won the war with America's pioneers and remained the dominant culture. Would the minority white population feel honored by a Native American high school team called the Mukwonago Caucasians?
Embarrassed Cracker
Dear Cracker: I'm trying to visualize the team mascot for the Mukwonago Caucasians. A bank vice president with a plaid suit and bowtie?
Dear Tell All: This is in response to Available, who wrote about sexts she received from her boss at a convention ("Sexting Hits Home," 8/8/2013). She was attracted to the guy but had reservations about his sexting after the Anthony Weiner scandal. Unless Available wants a whole lot of workplace drama, including possibly getting her boss fired for sexual harassment, I suggest she not go to Human Resources, as you ill advised. She willingly engaged in fairly minor text flirtations with her boss, who does not deserve to be compared to Weiner.
If it continues and she is uncomfortable about it, she should request that they both stop. But running to HR first will only make things worse. It will put them both under the workplace microscope and could ruin at least one career.
He's Not a Weiner
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