To: Terry Grier, Superintendent
Not all Cardinals are red
Not all cardinals are red and the fact that Bellaire High School uses a red cardinal creates a stereotype that all cardinals are red. Stop this stereotyping and change the Bellaire cardinal mascot! http://atree1138.wix.com/cardinalrights
Why is this important?
I write as the President of the United Cardinal Liberty Union and all members of the Cardinalis genus who have been degraded by the stereotyping that occurs all too often in today's society. Not all cardinals are red and yet schools like Bellaire High School who have a red cardinal as a mascot promote a stereotype that is not true! As an avid supporter for the rights of Cardinalis Sinuatus, more commonly known as the Desert Cardinal or Pyrrhuloxia, I find it extremely saddening that schools such as Bellaire High School are allowed to have such a derogatory mascot that stereotypes my most beloved friends. Please stop the bird racism Superintendent Grier before it is too late.
The mascot that Bellaire High School uses is in fact not a cardinal, for cardinal or Cardinalis is a Genus of the family Cardinalidae, rather the mascot is a male northern cardinal. The use of the male northern cardinal to represent the entire Cardinalis genus has led many to the assumption that all cardinals have red feathers, while the reality is quite the opposite. I dream of a school district where cardinals are not judged based on the color of their feathers, but on the content of their character. The mascot of Bellaire High School is in direct opposition to equality among all the members of the Cardinalis genus, be their feathers red, brown, or otherwise. The mascot of Bellaire High School is currently the only representation Cardinals have within the city of Houston, and being portrayed a stereotypically red denies other cardinals of equally valid feather colors representation and makes them feel as though they are lesser for not conforming to a certain feather type. By using the Red Northern cardinal to represent the Cardinal genus as a whole makes it impossible for outsiders to the Cardinal community to look past the aesthetic differences in the Cardinal population, leading to the judgement of cardinals based on whether or not their feathers are red.
My request to you is to include the derogatory cardinal mascot in your list of mascot names that need to be changed. If schools such as Bellaire change their name to the Northern Male Cardinals I will find no offense to this name as it specifically states which cardinal is being represented and allows for the community to realize that not all cardinals have red skin or feathers. While I represent a small minority of people who take offense to this, seeing as the Native American population is also a small minority of the American population I, along with the rest of the Desert Cardinal community, would be extremely offended if you do not include the cardinal mascot on your list of mascot names to change.
The mascot that Bellaire High School uses is in fact not a cardinal, for cardinal or Cardinalis is a Genus of the family Cardinalidae, rather the mascot is a male northern cardinal. The use of the male northern cardinal to represent the entire Cardinalis genus has led many to the assumption that all cardinals have red feathers, while the reality is quite the opposite. I dream of a school district where cardinals are not judged based on the color of their feathers, but on the content of their character. The mascot of Bellaire High School is in direct opposition to equality among all the members of the Cardinalis genus, be their feathers red, brown, or otherwise. The mascot of Bellaire High School is currently the only representation Cardinals have within the city of Houston, and being portrayed a stereotypically red denies other cardinals of equally valid feather colors representation and makes them feel as though they are lesser for not conforming to a certain feather type. By using the Red Northern cardinal to represent the Cardinal genus as a whole makes it impossible for outsiders to the Cardinal community to look past the aesthetic differences in the Cardinal population, leading to the judgement of cardinals based on whether or not their feathers are red.
My request to you is to include the derogatory cardinal mascot in your list of mascot names that need to be changed. If schools such as Bellaire change their name to the Northern Male Cardinals I will find no offense to this name as it specifically states which cardinal is being represented and allows for the community to realize that not all cardinals have red skin or feathers. While I represent a small minority of people who take offense to this, seeing as the Native American population is also a small minority of the American population I, along with the rest of the Desert Cardinal community, would be extremely offended if you do not include the cardinal mascot on your list of mascot names to change.