DEVIL DEBATE - PART 2

[The discussion and "current" decision phase]

15 JUNE 1999

The school advised me today, that today they added two inserts to their web site.

1 - A link to this page which you already had, but can now be used by others who perhaps did not know about our site on this issue, who can now connect directly without going thru the "process".

2 - Added a letter - dated 2 May 1999 - from the Principal addressed to the students of YOHI.  This is NEW and important information, and I urge you to visit the KHS site and read it.  You can go there by the normal process and you will find the letter in two places, or you can use this link   [NKHS web site at http://203.181.114.211/japanschools/kinn/mascot.htm] go directly to the alumni page and then click on the letter.

LETTER INSERTED HERE ON 13 FEB 2002 FOR CONVENIENCE

  12 October 1999

Kathleen (Fletcher) Standridge, YO-HI Class 1970, attended 1968-1970, hi2u2@ysa.attmil.ne.jp, appointed by Nile C Kinnick High School officials as the Alumni Representative to the Mascot Board to debate the matter of retention or changing of the school mascot. Kathleen is currently living in the Yokohama/Yokosuka area.

The first meeting will be held on 4 November 99.

It is Kathleen's intent to inform the Web Site of all events pertaining to this issue as they occur, and they will be posted here on this page -- in journal format -- for all to see. You need not ask questions such as "when is the next meeting", "when will the decision be made", "who said what", etc -- she will provide us all with information as it becomes available -- and it will be posted here.

I have no intention of controlling or monitoring any input you may have for Kathleen -- or anyone else involved in this issue. You may, of course, contact anyone directly if you choose -- including the "school" or anyone else. However, Kathleen has other responsibilities, and I suspect she would not appreciate being bombarded with a lot of individual e-mail messages with questions, suggestions, or recommendations - especially if they are duplicated. Thus, with only that objective in mind -- may I suggest:

1 - That if you have "private" matters to discuss with Kathleen, that you send your mail directly to her - or to anyone else you desire.

2 - That you not sent "general and public" comments/questions to Kathleen, but send them to me for consolidation and forwarding to her - for viewing here on this page. I can ease her burden by eliminating duplicates by consolidation / combining, and perform other enhancements that would permit her to receive all of your comments in simplified form -- making it easier for her to react - and not have to reply to each and every one.

3 - That you not restate your desires "for or against" the change if you have already made one in the "Alumni Comments" obtained earlier this year, and as posted on the previous page. Those comments pretty much say it all, and although your input is appreciated, to restate them is redundant. Your voice has been heard and understood.

On the other hand, if you have not made any comments previously, or have something to add, that is SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT than the thoughts and ideas already mentioned in "Alumni Comments", then please so state. The alumni position is already well known, but new ideas and concepts are welcome.

4 - That unless you indicate otherwise, I will post your comments / questions / recommendations to this page -- for all to see -- but will however remove your name. Since they will be posted by date, all anyone has to do is view the page to get a perpetual update.

* * *

To contact the school

- "http://203.181.114.211/kinn I suggest you link into the Official Kinnick Web Site, and select from the options available there - for example the "Kinnick Public Relations" OR the Webmaster (owner). However, alumni are reporting the Kinnick Public Relations e-mail address is invalid. I have confirmed that! I have asked the Webmaster for assistance.

  14 Oct 99

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In reading your suggestion of not overloading direct E-mail to Kathleen or the school, may I suggest that you help us all by creating a table summary of the various viewpoints taken so far. It would greatly help new alumni recognize if they have comments that are indeed significantly different (as you say) than those already stated.

[Note: An excellent suggestion; however cannot be accomplished at this time. New significant comments -- as this one is--from alumni will continue to be added however.]

For starters, I feel that these are those that I and others have already addressed. I, of course, have restated these in the way I see it from reading the earlier comments.

1) Cosmetic- The fact of the matter is that it is only a cosmetic change and most are not greatly influenced by the fact that a "Devil" mascot necessarily represents evil. (I would say that the majority of arguments, including those from past alumni, take this stand in one form or another.)

2) Cost - Are the costs to make the change justified against the "need" to please those against the existing "Devil" mascot? (See also item #4 addressing the issue of being politically correct.)

3) Short term fix only? -The change possibly to a Hawk mascot....is it conceivable that there also may be a group against the Hawk that may rise in the near future? A change should be forecast as something that will last long term. If it and any other fix is subject to contest, perhaps the change is futile to avoid future conflicts. In other words, if you can't please all of the people all of the time, why waste this effort on something that has traditionally stood for so many years?

4) Wasted efforts by the School Advisory Committee or Council - Considering other important problems such as drug abuse, teen pregnancy, etc.....is the committee spending too much time focusing on an issue that should have less priority? If being "Politically Correct" is the main issue at stake, be certain that if we are to please these Christians against the Devil's symbolism of evil, then we also have to answer to other religions as well as non-religious atheists. Are we prepared to respond to this Pandora's box of being politically correct to everyone?

15 Oct 99

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Principal, Yo-Hi, [this letter was sent direct to the Principal by the author]

I never attended Yo-Hi since I was too young. However I attended two elementary schools which fed Yo-Hi and I'm told I'm an honorary member of the class of 1961 and am so listed on the Yo-Hi Alumni web site. At Homecoming'99 I was treated as a Yo-Hi alumnus by those who actually attended the school.

I am a practicing Episcopalian, active in my church in many capacities. I understand what the devil is. I also understand the nuances of the English language and know full well that "devil" and Satan are not always synonymous. I have never been to a church pot luck that did not have deviled eggs and frequently there was both deviled ham and devil's food cake. At no time did the cross on the wall tremble or the priest exorcise anything.

But that's not important. What is important is that I understand how powerful is the mystique of the "Red Devil" by how it did touch me as a sixth grader at Camp McGill elementary school in October, 1954. That month I turned eleven and on my birthday two boys appeared, telling me I was now eligible to join the Boy Scouts and was welcome in the Camp McGill patrol, since we were too small for a troop. So I joined the Blue Devils. I am sure it was the only patrol in the Boy Scouts of America with such a name. I am sure that it was named to go with the Yo-Hi Red Devils. We were proud of our patrol and our name and we carried it from Troop 48 in Yokohama to Troop 33 in Yokosuka.

Camp McGill is gone and I understand the Blue Devils went with it. But Yo-Hi is still there and the students are still Red Devils.

That is as it should be. Keep the Red Devils.

16 Oct 99

At 11:20 AM 10/16/1999 EDT, you wrote:

Alumni are complaining they cannot get thru to the school using the address

provided on the Official Site - at Kinnick public relations.

What do I tell them?

Tell them that we migrated to Outlook, are having server problems, and

that the KHS_Public_Relations address was eliminated in the transition.

We are awaiting permission to reinstate it as

khs_pr@pac.odedodea.edu

17 Oct 99

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When I read the letter from the principal, I became more alarmed than I had been previously about this issue. She stated "Because the issue of the mascot continues to surface, I believe the time has come to consider seriously the issue of whether or not to change the school's mascot." To me that sounded as though the decision-makers might be getting so weary of this issue dogging them, that they may cave in just be RID of the annoyance, no matter WHAT anybody has to say about it. Kind of like when a kid nags you to death and you finally say "yes" just to put a stop to it. That would be a BAD mistake!

It must be understood that all the logical and heartfelt arguments we make to preserve the Devil mascot will not change the minds of those who are clamoring for this change. Their fears of the devil image and word are deeply engrained and constantly reinforced by their religious teachings. Any attempt to 'educate' them or change their minds is a waste of time. You may as well try to convince an arachnophobe not to be afraid of spiders.

Our efforts must be most strongly directed at those who will make the decision. Information, logic, the alumni position, and thoughtful persuasion will hopefully be effective there. In addition to all the excellent points made by so many of our alumni, (which I will not rehash), I think it should be pointed out to the administration that if they give in to this fringe group's haranguing tactics, their headaches will NOT go away. If this group wins, they will soon be trying to exert their muscle to control reading lists and curriculum topics. So a word to the wise would be to hold the line on the mascot issue or be prepared for a long string of new demands as this group advances its agenda.

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Here is an interesting find from the Net that puts some legal perspective on the continuing Devil mascot debate. "Secular origin" and "secular fashion" are the two keys for me.....

Blue Devils win! by Adam C. Miller, staff attorney

The most recent OSBA Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) victory occurred when the U. S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the validity of Western Reserve Local's (Mahoning) "Blue Devil" mascot. The LAF participated because of the costly statewide effects of a decision requiring schools to change long-standing mascots and uniforms.

In Kunselman v. Board of Education of the Western Reserve Local School District, 1995 FED. App. 0358P (6th Cir.), the parents of three students sued the district claiming that the blue devil mascot was an improper establishment of religion and a violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The issue before the appeals court was whether the principal or primary effect of the use of the blue devil mascot was to advance or inhibit religious beliefs in the eyes of a reasonable observer.

The rule in Establishment Clause cases is the three-pronged test created by the United States Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971). To pass constitutional muster, the government practice at issue must clearly reflect a secular purpose, have a primary effect that neither inhibits nor advances religion, and avoid excessive government entanglement with religion.

The focus of the dispute was the second prong, or the degree to which the blue devil mascot had the effect of endorsing or disapproving religious beliefs. The plaintiffs relied on a 1994 Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision prohibiting a school from continuing to display a portrait of Christ in a hallway outside a school gymnasium, Washegesic v. Bloomingdale Public Schools, 33 F.3d 679 (6th Cir. 1994).

* * *

Duke University underwent a similar challenge to their mascot by a Baptist minister. A news release is posted at:

http://www.news-observer.com/daily/1998/07/21/tri12.html

20 Oct 99

(from Kinnick High School)

khs_pr@pac.odedodea.edu is now active, and the link has been changed on the Kinnick home page

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This URL (http://www.odedodea.edu/sites/japan/) has information regarding the Japan District of the Department of Defense Dependent (DODD) School-Pacific Area. In it are details about the curriculum, mission statement, etc. Perhaps some of this can be useful in stating to the board of what kinds of issues they should focus on or be responding to as part of this meeting's agenda.

When I think about what relevance a mascot has to a school, the primary relationship is to the school's sports program. If a student has no interest in the sports program in any manner, he/she should not be affected by what ever mascot a school chooses to take. we are not talking about a schools uniform that requires a devil's patch, we are talking sports here.

If it was an economical issue in that to maintain the mascot was impractical or would cost the school money it could not afford then that would be a different story. To state that maintaining things as they are is economically sound is one possible point that can be stressed. Obviously, there has been rumors to the effect that "the opposition" is trying to raise funds to cover the change over.

The basic challenge to them is to "prove that there is a need to make the change". You are right, however, when you state that we are fighting against political correctness and religious fervor. I intend to forward future E-mails with comments of why I believe that their position of P.C. or the devil's symbolism of evil is invalid in this situation.

As I am searching in this website, I find an interesting statement from the position of the Japan Superintendents' Office. It deals with core beliefs. I have extracted the part that I find possibly useful.

Core Beliefs of the Japan District Superintendent's Office

As a part of the community of learners that includes all stakeholders in the educational process, we ascribe to the following student outcomes:

All students acquire meaningful skills and knowledge with support from the community of learners. All students will be prepared to live in a world in which the ideas of democracy, tolerance for others, acceptance of differences, multi-cultural awareness, and the need for global interdependence are essential.

The last sentence is the key one that discusses tolerance. True, it is possible that a religious group may try to plea that they have a right to our tolerance to their wishes. But I would counter that with the need for their tolerance and understanding to maintain a tradition that we have had for so many years.

Once again, I believe there is no factual evidence that by having this devil as our mascot has caused any students, past or present, to follow in satanic worship or have followed in any actions that were influenced by having the devil as a mascot. I further believe that by having had this mascot for so many years, we have a long standing precedence that should be respected as opposed to a "whim need for a change" based on flawed points that hold no water in proving that the devil mascot is in fact detrimental to the school.

21 Oct 99

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After 50 years of referring to YoHi and the Red Devils in the same breath, I see no reason to change such a long standing tradition. I also don't think that representing the devil as a cute little coopie doll is appropriate at all. A school mascot is supposed to inspire fear in their foes and courage in the school. Coopie dolls don't make it. If that is the compromise that is being considered then I give up and would settle for something else equally fearsome as the red devils. Since the school is under navy jurisdiction how about the sharks but no coopie dolls please.

Personally I never attached any religious significance to the Red Devil and still don't but there those knee jerkers who do.

My thoughts--keep the Red Devil and keep him looking fierce'!!!', not wimpy!!!!!

25 Oct 99

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It was interesting to research a related topic of Indians as mascots. It appears that many schools have changed from Indians, Warriors, Braves, etc. but the following article has some interesting legal perspectives. Creating a "racially hostile environment" is the key here, and I don't think the devil does that. Also, the article notes that "No team has ever been directed by an administrative or judicial body to change its Native American mascot."

Justice Department targets small town - Accused of creating 'hostile environment' with Indian mascot WorldNetDaily February 5, 1999 By Dana Davis

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- What do education, school mascots, allegations of discrimination, closed meetings, exaggerated rumors of a division within a community, and the United States Department of Justice have in common?

To live in Buncombe County, North Carolina, is to know the answer to that question. For concerned local residents, the number of questions regarding the Warrior/Squaw controversy far outweigh any logical explanation one might have at this point.

On Jan. 22, 1999, the Department of Justice wrote a letter addressed to Bob Bowers, superintendent of Buncombe County Schools, asking him to answer 14 detailed and, in most cases, lengthy questions in an attempt to determine whether or not the Clyde A. Erwin High School "warrior" and "squaw" mascots promote a "racially hostile" environment for the students enrolled, Native Americans in particular. The school board received the letter Jan. 26, 1999.

Lawrence R. Baca, senior trial attorney for the Department of Justice's Educational Opportunities Section signed the letter in which he wrote: "This letter is to inform you that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has received a written complaint from the parents of American Indian children who attend schools in the Buncombe County Public School District alleging that their minor children are being denied an equal educational opportunity on account of their race national origin, American Indian, in violation of applicable federal law. Specifically, they allege that at Clyde A. Erwin High School male students are called "warriors" and female students are called "squaws," which terms are offensive to their minor children and create a racially hostile environment. They also allege that the District allows the use of American Indian religious symbols at Clyde A. Erwin High School that demean American Indian religious practices furthering the racially hostile environment there."

Legally, the DOJ can do nothing further than "request" that these questions be answered. Should Bowers decide to answer the questions and submit them to Baca, and if after investigation, the DOJ finds that Clyde A. Erwin High School is promoting a racially hostile environment by using a Native American mascot then the DOJ could nothing more than file a complaint with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The DOJ cannot force the school system to change its mascot regardless of the outcome of their investigation. According to a legal analysis written by attorney Daniel Trainor, published in the University of Illinois Law Review in 1995, "Schools that have changed their Native American mascot have done so voluntarily, only after being prodded by Native American activists."

Trainor adds, "No team has ever been directed by an administrative or judicial body to change its Native American mascot."

"Generally, mascots are changed because school officials are lacking backbone," said Joe Beard, an attorney for the Center for Equal Opportunity in Washington, D.C. The Department of Education, however, does have the authority to withhold federal funding from a school should they decide that a school's Native American mascot is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to Trainor, to do that the Department of Educations OCR must prove that the schools mascot is in violation of Title VI because it creates or is responsible for creating a racially hostile environment, by instigating harassing conduct that is physical, verbal, graphic, or written.

The OCR can declare that a school has created a hostile environment only if it determines the conduct of a school is severe enough to adversely impact a student's "enjoyment" of some aspect of the school's educational program, extracurricular activities included.

In Title II of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Supreme Court has interpreted "enjoyment" to mean access, or "to have the use or benefit of." Under this definition, for the OCR to find that a legitimately racially hostile environment exists, Native American students would have to be denied access to Erwin High School's educational programs due to the fact that they have a Native American mascot.

Also, in Baca's letter he stated that he had received a written complaint from parents of American Indian children concerning the mascot. According to the limitations of ORC jurisdiction, though, since it is the students who are the ultimate recipient of the federal funds, they are the only individuals who can assert that a racially hostile environment exists, as it applies to Title VI, not the parents.

Still, a handful of parents are complaining and their voices are being heard by the DOJ which in return is delegating authority on the whim of an "acting" assistant attorney general who holds no legal credibility for his position; a position which includes heading up the United States Civil Rights Division.

Bill Lann Lee was nominated for the position of assistant attorney general by President Clinton in 1997. The Senate rejected the nomination on the basis that Lee's ideas were too radical in wanting to establish race based preferences across the board, ignoring the Constitution in doing so. Nevertheless, Lee was soon appointed first assistant to assistant attorney general by Attorney General Janet Reno, making him eligible to fill the vacated position so he could become "acting" assistant attorney general. However, the Constitution states that an "acting" position is valid for no more than 120 days. Lee was appointed Dec. 15, 1997, by President Clinton, who stated, "I have done my best to work with the United States Senate in an entirely constitutional way. But we had to get somebody into the Civil Rights Division."

Since getting Lee into this position, the Civil Rights Division has threatened lawsuits against defendants nationwide for failing to adopt racial preferences. The city of Torrance, Calif., was recently targeted by the Civil Rights Division because it refused to institute racial preferences. In fact, the City of Torrance dared the division to litigate, which it did. Judge Mariana Pfaelzer found the suit so frivolous, unreasonable, and without foundation that she fined the U.S. government close to $2 million.[WorldNetDaily.com]

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The following was extracted from

http://www.freedomforum.org/speech/1999/5/19faandfashion.asp

But seriously folks, First Amendment fights shouldn't be frivolous

By Douglas Lee Special to free! 5.19.99

What do you think? Have your say in The Forum.

Sometimes it's difficult to take the First Amendment seriously.

Recently, for example, amid important stories about v-chips and X-rated videos, two reports came out of Indiana about people who had won the First Amendment right to look silly.

One report was from Indianapolis, where a federal judge upheld a male student's First Amendment right to wear a dress to his high school prom. The other originated in Goshen, where a different federal judge preserved the constitutional right to wear masks.

Both rulings undoubtedly are solid First Amendment decisions, based on fundamental free-expression principles. I'd probably be one of those screaming the loudest if either had been decided the other way. I can't help but think, though, that the First Amendment deserves cases better than these two.

Dale Stewart might be a fine young man. But if my son announced that he planned to wear a black formal dress to his prom, my primary concern would not be whether someone might attempt to interfere with his First Amendment right to do so. Rather, I probably would be relieved to learn that the school administrators had adopted a dress code that prohibited such juvenile behavior. And I can't imagine any circumstances in which I - no matter how devoted I was to my son or to his First Amendment rights - would allow him to file a federal lawsuit to challenge the school administrators' decision.

What disturbs me most about this case is that, to me, First Amendment cases should be based on issues of principle. When a speaker asserts free-speech rights, he should do so because he believes the speech is important. When a speaker instead uses the First Amendment to prove only that his right to speak is superior to someone else's right to stop him, the right of free expression is trivialized. There might be something about Stewart that I don't know, but it appears that he cared about the First Amendment only to the extent that it allowed him to openly defy school officials.

People like Stewart unfortunately do not have a monopoly on trivializing the First Amendment. Governments mock free-speech rights as well, especially when they restrict free expression while pretending to accomplish some other legitimate goal. Such was the case in Goshen, when the City Council passed an ordinance banning masks.

Goshen City Council members didn't adopt this ordinance to stem an epidemic of bank robberies, rowdy Mardi Gras parties or out-of-control superheroes. Instead, they were attempting to find a way to prevent Ku Klux Klan rallies. They passed their ordinance after masked KKK members started attending council meetings and later asked to participate in the city's 4-H fair parade. The council members, however, denied that they were directly targeting First Amendment rights. Their action, they claimed, was necessary to reduce the expenses associated with policing Klan demonstrations.

(Alumni comments: Perhaps these right wing christians are attacking our devil mascot much in the same as this group found an underhanded way of doing away with the KKK's right to have their rallies. Much as I oppose the KKK's actions, they do have the right to rally. In fact, their rallying allows the "normal" citizens to see that are a dangerous group for what they represent. We, on the other hand, are supporting a symbol that these christians oppose. However, it is totally unfounded that we represent danger in much the same way as the KKK and as traditions shows we have withstood many years and should be allowed to continue doing so.)

Three other Indiana cities - South Bend, Elkhart and Logansport - passed similar ordinances around the same time. These ordinances make it illegal for anyone 18 or older to wear a mask, hood or other device in public to conceal his or her identity, unless the identity is concealed for religious, safety or medical reasons. Violators face a $2,500 fine if convicted. As obvious as these cities' intent was, they might as well have voted to ban Klan speech.

The federal judge had no difficulty seeing the Goshen ordinance for what it was. His ruling almost certainly will be used to strike down the ordinances in the other three cities. Such clearly unconstitutional ordinances never should have been adopted, however, and the cities' willingness to so disingenuously disregard important First Amendment rights sends a regrettable message to their citizens.

It's difficult to know which is worse: Dale Stewart's use of the First Amendment to prove a petty point or the Goshen City Council members' conclusion that the First Amendment doesn't apply to them, at least when the KKK is involved. In both cases, the parties were more than willing to drain the First Amendment of its meaning for personal and political gain. The Indiana federal court rulings last week were necessary, but the lack of principle involved renders both victories relatively hollow.

Hollow victories, of course, are better than none at all. They exact a price, however, when they bring the First Amendment down to the level of a boy who insists on wearing a dress to his prom.

Douglas Lee is a partner in the Dixon, Ill., law firm of Ehrmann Gehlbach Beckman Badger & Lee and a legal correspondent for the First Amendment Center.

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When the devil showed up at church

Tuesday, October 19, 1999

By JON HAHN

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

You probably couldn't get away with it in today's terribly correct climate, but I went to church dressed as the devil when I was about 7 years old.

My twin sister, Nancy, went along -- as a witch, no less.

We are about to find ourselves awash in the annual hogwash of alleged paganism, with various so-called adults charging that any celebration of Halloween --especially for kids -- is devil worship of one sort or another.

Of course, I knew about the devil even then. When you're 7 years old, your imagination fills in all the blanks. And it's aided by your big brother who wanted you to believe there was a boogeyman at the bottom of the basement stairs, right where you had to pass when your mother sent you downstairs for a bowl of sauerkraut or a jar of pickles or whatever.

And I pretty much knew what the devil looked like because my Catholic friends had literature in which the devil was depicted in all his horny horror. Without knowing they were in league with my big brother and the boogeyman, my Catholic friends repeatedly told me that I was going to be grabbed by the devil because I was a (gasp!) Protestant.

Or maybe it was because my grandmother, with whom we lived, was a Republican precinct election judge. A real one, not a sidewalk Democrat recruited to serve as an ersatz GOP election judge so they could meet the statuatory requirements at the polling places. It was a given, in our Chicago neighborhood, that any "good Catholic" was also a "good Democrat." It's written somewhere on a tablet.

But there I was, in all my 7-year-old innocence, getting my face rouged at the kitchen table and my papier-mâché horns adjusted inside my devil's helmet while I played with my hand-sewn devil tail. And I thought I was the coolest guy on the block.

Witches like my sister would be a dime-a-dozen, along with a whole carload of Roy Rogers and Dale Evanses and hobos and, of course, a squadron of bedsheet ghosts. But dyed-in-the-wool-union-suit devils! I was awesome long before young people learned the word. And I was going to Tabor Evangelical and Reformed Church to be the baddest devil at the annual Halloween party.

Yes, brothers and sisters, in the very same building where we celebrated Easter (and had a mouthwatering family-style breakfast after sunrise services) and Christmas, when the costuming for 7-year-olds leaned more toward cherubs and shepherds.

Of course, Halloween parties weren't held in the sanctuary; all social events were in the gym, which is easier to say than Fellowship Hall. Besides, what do you think of when you see basketball backboards and hoops . . . fellowship? And especially when the backboards were covered with cardboard ghosts and pumpkins and the hoops were festooned with black-and-orange crepe streamers.

The best part of the Halloween parties at Tabor Church was the food games. Everyone went home with a caramel taffy apple on a stick, but apples played a more important part in Halloween parties: They helped spread disease!

No one thought so then, but consider the games.

In apple-dunking, dozens of sniffling little goblins, witches, cowboys, ghosts and even devils got on their hands and knees in front of a big ol' galvanized washtub filled with floating apples. Your hands were kept behind your back as you repeatedly opened your mouth and tried to bite and retrieve a floating apple.

Not many could do it in one try, so it took repeated bobbings, water running out of kids' mouths and noses, until they were able to put enough germs into the water as they retrieved their apples.

The apple-on-a-string timed race was another method of making the common cold even more commonplace.

A boy and a girl -- and at 7, no one seemed to mind -- stood opposite with an apple suspended by a string between them. When the whistle blew, they were to bite into the elusive apple until an adult judged it fully eaten.

The winners got some sort of prize -- in addition to exchanging DNA and various viruses.

And there was a costume contest. As it happened, another devil showed up that year. But his flimsy store-bought costume lacked the pizazz of my cut-down and dyed union suit. And his tail was nowhere as formidable as mine. I know they tell you later in life that size ain't everything, but to a 7-year-old devil, you either got it or you don't.

Honestly, I cannot remember what the prize was, but I cherished it . . . at least all the way home. And I let Nancy have my little paper bag of Halloween candy because, after all, we still had Beggar's Night and Halloween trick-or-treating later in the week.

Those of us, that is, who didn't come down with bad Protestant colds.

P-I Columnist Jon Hahn can be reached at

206-448-8317 or e-mail him at

jonhahn@seattle-pi.com

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From: The Hermit Hacker scrappy@hub.org

Newsgroups: lists.freebsd.chat
Subject: devil (fwd) Date: 31 Jan 1997 16:44:29 -0500

The following is a true story.

Last week I walked into a local "home style cookin' restaurant/watering hole" to pick up a take out order. I spoke briefly to the waitress behind the counter, who told me my order would be done in a few minutes.

So, while I was busy gazing at the farm implements hanging on the walls, I was approached by two, uh, um... well, let's call them "natives". These guys might just be the *original* Texas rednecks -- complete with ten-gallon hats, snakeskin boots and the pervasive odor of cheap beer and whiskey.

"Pardon us, ma'am. Mind of we ask you a question?"

Well, people keep telling me that Texans are real friendly, so I nodded.

"Are you a Satanist?"

Well, at least they didn't ask me if I liked to party.

"Uh, no, I can't say that I am."

"Gee ma'am. Are you *sure* about that?" they asked.

I put on my biggest, brightest Dallas Cowboys cheerleader smile and said, "No, I'm positive. The closest I've ever come to Satanism is watching Geraldo." "Hmm. Interesting. See, we was just wondering why it is you have the lord of darkness on your chest there."

I was *this close* to slapping one of them and causing a scene -- then I stopped and noticed the T-shirt I happened to be wearing that day. Sure enough, it had a picture of a small, devilish looking creature that has for quite some time now been associated with a certain operating system. In this particular representation, the creature was wearing sneakers.

They continued: "See, ma'am, we don't exactly *appreciate* it when people show off pictures of the devil. Especially when he's lookin' so friendly."

These idiots sounded terrifyingly serious.

Me: "Oh, well, see, this isn't really the devil, it's just, well, it's sort of a mascot."

Native: "And what kind of football team has the devil as a mascot?"

Me: "Oh, it's not a team. It's an operating-- uh, a kind of computer."

I figured that an ATM machine was about as much technology as these guys could handle, and I knew that if I so much as uttered the word "unix" I would only make things worse.

Native: "Where does this satanical computer come from?"

Me: "California. And there's nothing satanical about it really."

Somewhere along the line here, the waitress has noticed my predicament -- but these guys probably outweighed her by 600 pounds, so all she did was look at me sympathetically and run off into the kitchen.

Native: "Ma'am, I think you're lying. And we'd appreciate it if you'd leave the premises now."

Fortunately, the waitress returned that very instant with my order, and they agreed that it would be okay for me to actually pay for my food before I left. While I was at the cash register, they amused themselves by talking to each other.

Native #1: "Do you think the police know about these devil computers?"

Native #2: "If they come from California, then the FBI oughta know about em."

They escorted me to the door. I tried one last time: "You're really blowing this all out of proportion. A lot of people use this "kind of computers". Universities, researchers, businesses. They're actually very useful."

Big, big, BIG mistake. I should have guessed at what came next.

Native: "Does the government use these devil computers?"

Me: "Yes."

Another BIG boo-boo.

Native: "And does the government *pay* for 'em? With *our* tax dollars?"

I decided that it was time to jump ship.

Me: "No. Nope. Not at all. Your tax dollars never entered the picture at all. I promise. No sir, not a penny. Our good Christian congressmen would never let something like that happen. Nope. Never. Bye."

Texas. What a country.

*  *  100  *  *

Hi devils,

Found an interesting book available re: educational administration (published by prentice/hall) which has a chapter called "The Red Devil: tradition vs. religion".

See the following website, then look under "problems for the front office": http://www.prenhall.com/books/ect_0133526356.html

Book Title: Educational Administration: A collection of Case Studies; by Robert E. Kirschmann, Univ of Bridgeport; Nov 95; published by Prentice Hall Career and Technonogy; Copy Right 1996. ISBN 0-13-352635-6.

Book includes a "case": Problem 48 - The Red Devils, Tradition vs Releigon, 2 pages.

Book cost: $28.75 plus S/H.

*  *  101  *  *

Jim, the message below is just in from Jeffersonville, another home of the Red Devils. Mr. Troy Danner seems to have a real common sense attitude about it all.

From: Jeffred123@aol.com

Subject: Re: Devil Challenge

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 19:51:45 EDT

TO: Omitted

I hope I can help.

We have had questions raised in the past about or mascot. Jeffersonville is by and large a Christian community our kids do not behave like little Devils or big Devils. It was thought, but not really talked about much, that being "Red Devils" prevented us from winning a state championship in Basketball. That was quickly laid to rest after our 1993 State Championship year.

Hopefully common sense will prevail in your case. You can always find something wrong with anything you wish to. If you go with the Hawks. Well they kill little helpless rodents. What does this group have against the mice? You can call them the cream puffs how Sweet.

We are the red devils but we don't kill people, we try not to sin, we go to church on sunday and our mascot is just a figure head not an Idol or something to worship. I think if kids are going to worship Satan it will not matter if their school mascot is the Devil.

If you make them into hawks then are the kids going to start worshiping Hawks? NO!

My advice is to get a larger group together raise more money and ask the authority, who will decide whether or not to make the change, to use their best judgement. Site reasons why it should stay the same.

Good luck and God Bless,

1 Nov 99

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While the problem of evil and its personification appears in many faith traditions, the writer of this document approaches the matter from an explicitly Christian position. This is done so for two reasons. The writer is a Christian and a pastor within the Christian tradition. To attempt to articulate this matter from any other faith tradition’s perspective would be gross misrepresentation on the part of the writer. Additionally, it appears that the objections to the use of a devil as the mascot for Nile C. Kinnick High School, aka YoHi, come from those within the Christian tradition.

Historically within the Christian tradition, the problem of evil has been taken very seriously. The Christian readily acknowledges that things are "not the way they’re supposed to be" and recognizes that this is directly attributable to creation’s fallen state. Additionally, the source or author of evil has often been personified using various images and names such as "the snake, Satan, the devil, the evil one, Lucifer, Beelzebub, et. al. For a Christian to discount the reality and presence of evil would be a serious misunderstanding and disregard of the biblical witness.

The reality of evil notwithstanding, the question must be asked "what kind of power does evil exercise in the world today?" Is the power of evil unrestricted, without boundaries or limits? Or is the power of evil in our world, although real, not autonomous. Beginning with the Old Testament, also designated the Hebrew Scriptures, it appears from the outset that evil, or its personification thereof, does not operate without God’s permission. In evil’s first appearance in Genesis 3, the serpent is designated as the craftiest of all the wild animals God had made. It is in the book of Job that Satan makes his most prominent appearance in the Old Testament. The disruption, disaster and devastation Satan brings into Job’s life is terrible and real. Nevertheless, the entire thrust of the message of Job is that the power exercised by Satan is a permissive power, operating under the limitations imposed by God.

The Christian tradition finds its roots in the Old Testament and is fulfilled in the New Testament. Again, evil and its personification thereof is conspicuously present throughout the New Testament message. At the same time, the New Testament witness paints a picture of evil which is even more limited than that existent in the Old Testament. The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) tell the reader that immediately after Jesus’ baptism, he was sent into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights where he was tempted by the devil. In each case, Jesus triumphed over the allure of the devil. Later, in one of his teachings Jesus proclaimed, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (NIV)

The Apostle Paul in his explanations of the Christian gospel and its consequences dealt honestly and seriously with the reality of evil in the world and in the life of the Christian believer. At the same time, the apostle was keenly aware of the power which Christ held over evil and the evil one. In the second chapter of Colossians he writes, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (KJV) Paul was clear in his understanding that, in the person and work of Christ, evil had met its ultimate defeat.

It is in the apolyptic imagery of the Revelation of John that the struggle between evil and the devil and Jesus Christ receives its most dramatic portrayal. As one reads Revelation the identity of the victor seems uncertain, the full power of Jesus Christ seems to hang in the balance. It is only at the conclusion of this book that the ultimate victory is fully revealed as John writes, "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (NIV)

The biblical witness makes the compelling case that evil, though real and powerful, does not hold ultimate power. While the Christian deals with the reality and power of evil daily, nevertheless he/she is already assured that evil has met its defeat. The outcome is certain. God has won the victory over evil because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

Perhaps an analogy would be helpful. When this writer was a sophomore at Nile C. Kinnick High School, he was a member of the 1968 Far East Basketball Tournament championship team. The championship was not won on the evening we played Kubasaki High School in the finals. The championship was won two nights earlier when we beat ASIJ after having been behind by 25 points at half-time. After that victory, we knew that no one would be able to defeat us. So it is with evil. While evil is pervasive and powerful, we know what the final score will be.

It seems that one other consideration must enter our discussion about the use of the devil as a school mascot. One of the pillars of the Hebrew-Christian tradition is the Ten Commandments. The second commandment states: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." (NIV) The King James translation speaks of making no "graven images." The intent of this command was to prohibit faithful people from investing spiritual authority in animate and inanimate objects. Only God is worthy of such authority. From this writer’s point of view, it appears that to invest such authority in a school mascot, interpreted as a symbol of evil, could be deemed a violation of the second commandment.

In no way is this writer questioning the validity and depth of spiritual commitment of those who would desire to have the devil symbol removed as the mascot of Nile C. Kinnick High School. Yet, the logic behind this effort is specious. Based upon the aforementioned biblical and theological witness, this writer would hope that this matter would be settled once and for all as a non-issue.

A YoHi Red Devil and proud of it

*  *  103  *  *

No body seemed to mind about the Red Devils name. Also, Duke University, in North Carolina, are known as the Blue Devils, and I am sure you know that the New Jersey Pro Hockey team is the NJ Devils. If people do not like the name, either beat us in a fair game, or keep quiet. Good luck, and I hope the mascot stays well with you.

*  *  104  *  *

THE ORIGINAL VOTE FOR THE RED DEVIL

It is almost impossible to totally recall events that happened that long ago.

The school opened 15 September 1947. At some point after that, obviously the subject of school and class colors, motto, alma-mater, team names, mascot, etc............were addressed. The principal, Capt Loren McCartney, was a democratic person as we soon found out. I'm sure these matters were handled in that fashion.

How often in a persons life is one given the opportunity to create those important identifications for your school. This was an exciting and important occasion for every one - students and faculty alike. Obviously, we sought guidance from the Faculty ("home room" teachers)- always wiser in these matters - and obviously we were given many suggestions / nominations for many reasons. Surely, Coach Glaab, made a nomination for Red Devils as he has said, but there were other nominations as well. Everyone had a voice in the issue. Besides, we students had some very strong ideas about these matters - it was our nature in those days. Also we came from schools whose names we were fond of for one reason or another. I had a favorite myself, which did not survive the process.

Events involving these discussions probably occurred during the later part of Sep 47, or maybe even as late as early October - no one remembers exactly.

However, Iva and I are reminded by the Oct 17, 1947 Echoes (Volume 1, Edition 1), that debates pertaining to those matters were made by the students prior to decisions on the nominations made.

The following extracts from that document are provided below. The first talks specifically about the School Colors and the Echoes. It clearly shows that an internal "CLASS" debate had taken place, the class voted on class matters, and made nominations on "school" issues. All classes participated in this democratic process. Although the "Red Devils", are not specifically mentioned in this extract, nor is the name of our "teen club" for example -- the Neet-Nac -- it is believed that the same process was used at the same time.

* * *

Page 5:

SENIOR SCOOPS

The Senior Class elected the following to represent respective offices:

President: Biff Barnes

Vice President: Francis Hagan

Sec Treas: Jim Hyatt

Student Council Rep: Tony Craver and Sharon O'Hanlon

The Senior Class decided on blue and white for their class colors, while they nominated red and white for the school colors, which became the official colors. Also the Senior Class in selecting the winning name of the school paper, "Yo-Hi Echoes" was rewarded with ..................

* * *

The second extract mentions a "Pep Rally". Wow, no one shall ever forget that event. A spectacular real fire in the parking lot with "pallets" and shipping containers burning against the Yokohama City skyline, singing, excitement abounds, seems like the place had no room left it was so crowded. Cars were even parked in the "gardens" next to the school. MP's directed traffic. Our very first "get together". Memories are fragile, but it is believed that all the winning nominations were mentioned during this event, and by acclamation were accepted with a lot of hoops and hollers.

* * *

Page 4:

PEP RALLY

On the 13th of October at 6:30 P.M., a pep rally was held at Y.A.H.S. They had a large bonfire out in the bus lot. The cheerleaders did a good job and yelled a lot for the team: the members of the team were introduced. The rally was over about 7:45..........

* * *

Someone seems to indicate that it was Coach Glaab who by himself made the DECISION for the Red Devil name - and thus on that basis they can justify changing it now because it was named by a single person (albeit a faculty member), as opposed to "students" - and all the misguided connotations that can be made with that false theory. The premise is incorrect to start with; and I do not believe that is what happened either. I believe that Coach Glaab made the NOMINATION as he has explained, and after discussion over time by everyone at school, we students made the decision, and it was approved on that basis along with the colors, "Echoes", etc. It was the right decision - as 52 years of proud history has shown. Everyone (except apparently a few) love our school, and all that identifies with it. Go "Red Devils", beat Meguro!!!!!!

If the question is: what was the basis for the decision for the "Red Devils" as opposed to other nominations? Was it because it had some local connection to current experience with Japanese culture -- another culture, or perceived symbols of "team spirit" and camaraderie, or because it sounded "just right" based upon our experience in life at the time. I could only speculate as to our thoughts. I will say however, that in those days we looked upon the world differently than today, it was in fact a more amicable, compassionate, cooperative and respectful environment.

   10 Nov 99

*  *  105  *  *

From the Dean of Students at Sesser HS in Illinois (another home of the Red Devils). rvanhorn@s-v.frnkln.k12.il.us

Joe, I am sorry it took so long to respond, but we have been in the IHSA state football playoffs and I have been very busy. I have been at Sesser-Valier for twenty years and during that time we have not had a challenge to our mascot, the Red Devil. My feeling is that it is simply a symbol and not something we are equating with religion. I have to many other problems to deal with in today's school to worry about something so trivial. Those who object need to worry about the breakdown of the family and the availability of alcohol and other drugs in our lives. You may want to contact Herrin Elementary Grade School in Herrin, Illinois (USA) because I know at one time this was an issue in their grade school. Hang in there and don't let such narrow minded people have their way. If I can be of any help please contact me here at Sesser-Valier, home of the Red Devils. Ron Van Horn.

13 Nov 99

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Joe, Sorry for the long delay in responding. We have really never had to deal with the issue of "Devil".

I would just comment that the name of the mascot no way implies the philosophy of the group. You might want to explain the history of the name. Hope this helps. David Gibbs, Executive Director, The Blue Devils dgibbs@bluedevils.org

The Blue Devils Concord, CA 94520 http://www.bluedevils.org

27 Nov 99

*  *  107  *  *

Joe, Sorry for taking so long to reply but I can only afford to logon at the weekend and usually spend all my time updating a website or having fun. As to the "Red Devil" mascot it really is only a cartoon character and has no religeous meaning. Considering the depths to which mankind has hit these days I don't think this is in anyway blasthemous or corrupting as the youth of today know full well what is right and wrong. Also this is not an animated character with any personality and as such is only a symbol much like those used by NFL clubs. Afterall it is only man who decided Satan had a pointy tail and a long fork and was red all over!! What ever name you call him-Satan/Lucifer/The Devil, etc. he like us was made in God's image and basically he is the leader of the fallen Angels whose purpose is to turn us away from the right path. When Jesus comes again only the true believers will recognise him.

Manchester, United Kingdom, United devil website http://members.tripod.co.uk/Stelig/

  10 DEC 99

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Political Correctness

"Native Americans have filed a court action to prevent the Cleveland Indians, and other sport teams from using the term "Indians".

The National Football League recently announced a new era. From now on, no offensive team names will be permitted. While the owners of the team rush to change uniforms and such, the National Football League announced, yesterday, its name changes and schedules for the '99 season:

The Washington Native Americans will host the New York Very Tall People on opening day. Other key games include the Dallas Western-Style Laborers hosting the St. Louis Wild Endangered Species, and the Minnesota Plundering Norsemen taking on the Green Bay Meat Industry Workers.

In Week 2, there are several key matchups, highlighted by the showdown between the San Francisco Precious Metal Enthusiasts and the New Orleans Pretty Good People. The Atlanta Birds of Prey will play host to the Philadelphia Birds of Prey, while the Seattle Birds of Prey will visit the Phoenix Male Finches.

The Monday night game will pit the Miami Pelagic Percoid Food Fishes against the Denver Untamed Beasts of Burden. The Cincinnati Large Bangladeshi Carnivorous Mammals will travel to Tampa Bay for a clash with the West Indies Free Booters later in Week 9. And the Detroit Large Carnivorous Cats will play the Chicago Large Mountain Mammals.

Week 9 also features the Indianapolis Young Male Horses at the New England Zealous Lovers of Country. "

12 DEC 99

Kinnick's web site has moved again; it's part of a regional effort to systematize school web sites with "approved" design and content. We will probably put the new pages up sometime before the first of the year. In the meantime, the current address is: http://203.181.114.211/japanschools/kinn/