Leftists despise the Minutemen mascot due to their affinity for tyranny.

Leftist Activists and‍ the Cultural Undoing

Leftist activists have ⁢had a heyday dutifully marching through‌ America’s beloved institutions, tearing down ‍history and tradition. From‍ NFL teams to high school mascots, from band names to street signs, it‌ seems nothing ⁣is so sacred to escape the cultural undoing.

The 2020 fight to rename the Washington ⁢Redskins​ — which‌ became simply the⁤ “Football Team” (so original) for two years before landing on the “Commanders” moniker — was described at the time as a crusade for‍ wokeness, and that‌ was correct in ‌part. So-called social justice warriors love ⁣to signal their virtue on all things ⁢racial and ethnic.

But ⁣more ​than merely ‌having an affinity for wokeness, they love tyranny. If that weren’t ​obvious before, it is now with their⁤ latest target: the Minutemen ⁤mascot of a California ‍high school.

The board of the Bay Area’s Mount Diablo Unified‍ School District voted last ‌week to ​retire‍ its “Minutemen” mascot in favor of a new mascot: the “Bears.” The Minutemen aren’t gender-inclusive, some​ whined. Others ‌took ​offense at the mascot⁣ holding a musket, making a fantastical mental⁢ leap‍ from muzzle-loaded colonial firearms​ to school shootings.

“It’s time for new ‌attitudes,” said board member Linda ​Mayo. ⁣“And if changing a mascot will make students ⁢feel welcomed, embraced and empower[s] them to participate more at ⁣the school, then I will‌ support this.”

Bigger Fish to Fry

Listen, Linda. ⁤Empowering students is⁤ great, but ⁣the best way to do that is to educate and equip them ⁣for the real world — which ‍coincidentally⁣ is⁢ also ‌the primary purpose of schools. How ridiculous that any ‌district is⁤ talking about mascots⁣ at all when schools haven’t even come close to⁤ recovering from the massive learning ⁢losses suffered under‍ Covid‌ lockdowns.

Last ​year in California, the​ home ‌state of the Mount Diablo district, 2 in‍ 3 students couldn’t meet basic state standards for ‍mathematics, and more than half couldn’t meet them for English. These numbers were even ​worse among nonwhite students, broadcasting the hypocrisy of the ⁣virtue-signaling ed heads.‍ As the‌ Los Angeles Times reported,‍ “84% of ‍Black students⁤ and 79% ⁢of Latino and low-income students did ⁤not ‍meet state math standards in ⁢2022.”

Democrats and teachers unions see poor‍ outcomes like these and typically respond with chatter about the need for more “investing” in public education, which is code for‍ dumping more dollars into failing schools. It’s one of the reasons they ‌lobby so hard against budding⁢ school choice ventures. But oh, did ‌I mention that the price tag of swapping out the Minutemen mascot is $200,000? It’s ⁤hard‌ to⁣ take leftists’ woke ‍pandering and pleas for more tax dollars seriously when they spend them on a Bear costume rather than getting struggling black kids up⁤ to speed.

How About Some Cultural ‍Appreciation?

Something ⁤else doesn’t add up here: Leftists get mad when a team’s mascot is the “Chiefs” or the “Redskins”‌ or the⁤ “Warriors” because ⁢they say you can’t appropriate nonwhite culture. But now they’re just as mad about the‍ “Minutemen” ⁣— who were a bunch of white guys? You can’t win with ⁢woke‍ activists.⁤ They live to be offended.

In condemning everything as cultural appropriation,​ radical leftists fail ​to‍ have any cultural appreciation — or, in the case of the latest⁢ mascot, historical appreciation or literacy. Of course, Minutemen aren’t “gender-inclusive.” They were men. Of course, they carried guns. They were a militia. But if you look ⁢closely, you’ll see why‌ the left really hates them: They‍ existed to ​fight tyranny.

Cultural Iconoclasm

These mascot massacres aren’t occurring in a ⁢vacuum. They’re animated by the same impulse that’s motivated angry leftists to tear down historical monuments over the past few years. Back in⁣ 2017, ‍a mob vandalized a statue of an unnamed Confederate soldier. It was controversial, but to​ many, it was understandable because of the sins ⁢of the Confederacy.

But, of course, it was never ⁣going to stop there. There was no limiting principle. Soon the attackers came for Confederate officers and even Gen. Robert E. ⁤Lee, who, as Chris⁢ Bedford wrote in​ these pages, “died a ⁢nationally ​recognized champion ⁢of peaceful American reconciliation.” The iconoclasts escalated to attacks on the World War II Memorial, commemorating Americans who fought real fascists, and religious imagery,⁢ such as houses ⁤of worship and statues of⁢ saints. Ultimately⁢ they ⁢tore down a statue of an immigrant abolitionist.

As with statues, so with mascots and other sources of community⁤ and camaraderie. None are safe. In the culture ⁤war, leftists aren’t content with one ⁣win.‌ They’ll ⁣never stop with the Redskins or Confederates; they’ll always ⁤come for the⁢ abolitionists and proverbial Minutemen.