Richland Rebels

Like John Gandy, I am a Richland High alumnus, Class of 1972, and have very fond memories of my time as a Rebel. (“Richland High should say goodbye to the Rebel mascot,” July 19)

I fully agreed with dropping the Confederate battle flag and other icons of the slave era.

But what’s wrong with the Rebel name?

There are all kinds of rebels in this world.

We even deem that a very worthy thing, depending on your point of view.

The dictionary defines rebel as a person who “resists any authority, control, or tradition.”

It seems like that fits our Founders.

It also applies nicely to most of my generation.

If we do away with “Rebel,” do we eliminate “Vikings”?

I’m sure many of my ancestors in England and Scotland were killed by that bloodthirsty bunch.

How about “Yankees”? Many a Southerner dislikes them for killing families and burning homes.

I will always be a proud Richland Rebel!

— Terry Cunningham, Arlington

Kudos to John Gandy. I’m proud to see a number of fellow alumni bucking the status quo regarding the revered Johnny Reb.

However, I still see too many people clinging to the symbols of white supremacy that have littered the school throughout the years, claiming obliviousness to how they contribute to a hostile learning environment for people of color.

It’s true that one of the fundamental ways racism hurts white people is by robbing them of the chance to learn from the experiences of people of color by focusing on experiences of whiteness and creating blinders of privilege.

There’s a chance someone may have graduated from RHS without understanding the meaning behind the personification of the Confederacy and the celebration of all things “Dixie,” but ignorance on this issue is now willful, at best.

Let’s take the blinders off.

If more alumni would emphatically reflect on the ways they were separated from their classmates of color as a result of these symbols, and the hostility and alienation they foster, this could be a time of healing for a community raised under institutionalized racism.

— Allison Davis, Fort Worth

Excellent article by John Gandy.

I also graduated from Richland High and completely agree with everything he said. Thank you, John.

— Mary McEntire Anderson,

Fort Worth

One incident with a Confederate battle flag causes hysteria and we throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The flag at the South Carolina Capitol should have come down, but not all of the statues, flags and historical landmarks around the nation.

We need to pause and reflect, not erase history.

— James S. Caddell, Benbrook

I saw the Rev. Kyev Tatum on TV telling everyone that the Richland High School Rebel, Dixie Belles and Johnny Reb logo need to go.

Maybe he doesn’t know how things work in Texas.

We’re proud to be Southerners and proud of our heritage.

Tatum needs to move to Yankee Doodle-land if he doesn’t like the way we do things in Texas!

— Leonard Tipton Jr., Richland Hills

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Richland Rebels."