Maybe a way out for Benson re. nickname?

School administrators probably never fall into a "lull" with their work. 

We're falling into mid-summer of 2023 and you'd think everything is quiet on the school front. Lock up the doors, everyone take off for personal R&R, right? Maybe in typical times some of this outlook would apply. The news suggests very much otherwise for Benson High School. 

Benson is of course "down the road" from our Morris MN. The distance away is equivalent to a marathon run. Clontarf breaks things up a little. 

Dad took me to the orthodontist in Benson when I was a kid. I was junior high-age and needed those cotton pickin' braces. And then a "retainer." It appears the job was done fine. I wouldn't even want to know the cost of that today. 

I remember the shock I felt as I noticed dentists' prices soaring into the stratosphere. Our Morris newspaper, then under Forum ownership, ran a syndicated cartoon about that. But the shock value appears over - we now accept what dentists charge, or we surely have to deal with it. Dental insurance? I have read some very skeptical things about that. So I don't have it. I have not gone to the dentist in a couple years, but I really go out of my way to take care of my teeth. That's really the best approach, right? 

My orthodontist in Benson was Dr. Albani, an engaging sort of guy with his personality, as I recall. Many years later I sent my mother on a motorcoach trip to Alaska that included Dr. Albani. She mentioned the name after she got home, was not aware during the trip that he had a background with me. I was happy to learn that he was healthy and active of course. 

The Alaska trip was very shortly before the 9/11 disaster. A portion of the trip was with air travel. The Alaska trip was the last of several I purchased for my mom. I concluded she had done enough with this and it might be best to just stay safe at home. She was becoming more limited by age anyway. My dad did not have the same interest in traveling. Maybe he had done enough of this in WWII? 

So Dad, myself and our dog took care of things at home when Mom was gone. A few more frozen pizzas than normal. 

So my thoughts are on Benson. If you're from Benson and reading this, first of all thanks a bunch, and secondly, thanks for wading through the extraneous material I have shared thus far. The thrust of what I am addressing has to do with Benson High School and the very real pressure it is under now. This is a major issue. That is because we are talking about an "unfunded mandate" from the government. 

This is a real specter. It is hard, as I am writing this, to size up just how serious the state government is going to be in pushing this. I have read a couple of the current news articles. They seem shall we say "sketchy," or let's say the government is being sketchy. Just what is the state going to force Benson to do? 

We might sympathize some with Benson on the apparent plight it is now facing. The big bad government, eh? On the other side of the coin, let me say with great emphasis that Benson could have seen this all coming. Do you surmise what I'm referring to? Cutting to the chase, I'm referring to Benson High School's Native American sports nickname. Of course it's "Braves," has been for time immemorial. So here we go again. 

Seems like ages ago when I wrote about University of North Dakota's huge issue with this. So memories float back some. Some people are irritated who maintain there's nothing personal or prejudiced about a nickname like "Braves." You may sincerely believe that. If you're in this category, I will not point fingers at you. I will point fingers at you if you argue the issue will just go away. It absolutely will not. 

So I might criticize the Benson school administration for not doing something preemptive quite some time ago. For God's sake, they must have seen the writing was on the wall. One by one, states have been passing laws on this. Typically there's an emotional outcry from defenders of tradition at a particular place. Then, change happens and in a surprisingly short time, everyone gets over it. 

Why? I think the main reason is that we all realize that sports nicknames in their essence mean nothing. During the whole UND flap, I wrote a post where I wondered why colleges even need these nicknames for their teams. Why not just say "University of North Dakota men's basketball team?" What does the nickname add? Seems silly, kind of Neanderthal and antithetical to what an institution of higher learning stands for, n'est-ce pas? 

So UND appears to have completely gotten over its once emotional, wrenching debate over its now-retired Native American-themed nickname. The few alums who want to remind us of the old nickname just look ridiculous now. 

So what of the Benson Braves? If you're from Benson and still reading this far into today's post, well my goodness God bless you. I am "taking the long way around the barn" here, as is my occasional habit. (That's a quote from John Wayne in his final movie, "The Shootist.") 

 

What to do?

Now I'll get down to the essential point I wish to make today. I really think the Benson school administration should pay attention to this one: my suggestion. Let me start by saying that even if Benson was going to try to stick with "Braves," it could have dropped any imagery that might be associated with the USA Native Americans. 

To sneak by with just "Braves?" I would suggest this approach would have had merit, at least a chance. My evidence for this assertion? The closing scene of the 1964 movie "Zulu" comes to mind. The movie portrayed the ugly Anglo-Zulu war of the late 19th Century. It focused on the battle of Rork's Drift where the British were thrown on their heels and nearly wiped out, nearly massacred down to the last man. 

The closing scene was very moving. The Zulus assembled en masse at the top of some nearby high ground. It looked like the final preparation for swooping in. The two top British officers observed with a grim feeling of fatalism. They are with the Zulu cultural expert who was a non-uniformed person. 

The Zulus began a chant and a song. 

Actor Michael Caine made his debut in "Zulu." He is one of the two top officers. Finally he shouts "What are you waiting for?" 

The Zulus continued singing and with some gestures with their spears. The cultural expert finally realizes what's up. The Zulus are not going to come charging down. They are in fact going to depart, peaceably. 

The cultural expert drops to his knees and just laughs. 

The nervous officers are eager for an explanation from him. So he shares. The Zulus' demonstration is "a salute to fellow braves," the guy says. Let me emphasize here, of course, that the term used was "braves." I repeat: "braves." And this movie had nothing to do with the North American Indians. It was in Africa of course. 

So "braves" existed or were acknowledged as such in Africa. This was a movie that sought total authenticity. Yes there was some poetic license here and there like in all movies. But the essence was to reflect actual history. And so the term "braves" had currency. 

So Benson High School might argue that "braves" is a term not exclusively associated with the North American Indians. But Benson should have gotten rid of the cotton pickin' feathers on the logo a long time ago. I'm afraid that's a giveaway for the Indian context. It might be too late to do that now. Or is it? 

If action were to be taken now, maybe Benson could have a really sharp lawyer make the appropriate argument. Get one of Donald Trump's lawyers, or should I say former lawyers, because so many are forced to withdraw from that scoundrel. Trump's lawyers are essentially hired to delay, confuse, obstruct, obfuscate, appeal, the whole nine yards. Maybe our legal system should not give so much slack to that strategy. Maybe that's a lesson we'll all take from the Trump circus that never ends. It's like "Groundhog Day." 

"A salute to fellow braves," eh? In Africa? I just want the Benson school administration to be aware of this background. Benson could be forced to spend a ton of money to make a change. The emotions are the least of their problems.

 

A hats-off to Benson

While Morris has allowed our summer Prairie Pioneer Days to just up and die, Benson sits proudly with its Flag Day "Pioneerland Band Festival." The 2023 spectacle was on Thursday and what an event it was. I got photographic evidence from a friend. I share photos below. 

"Huge crowd," my friend said. Can't Morris organize anything like this? Rhetorical question I guess.

The photo immediately below is especially fun to appreciate: the trumpet player coming out of the genie's lamp! Before concluding, let me remind all that I was the champion of the 1985 Benson Kid Day 10K run!

(photos by Del Sarlette)

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com