Changing Drake High name and mascot misguided

I am a 1976 graduate of Sir Francis Drake High School. My two brothers, sister and mother (who was in the school’s first sophomore class) also graduated from Drake.

As a Drake Pirate student, I relished the Pirates nickname and mascot as a symbol of exploration and learning. Pirates are adventure-seekers, gutsy and resourceful rebels who symbolize the questioning of authority for a greater good.

Any consideration about changing the name or mascot should be truly inclusive. It should consider the feedback from a wide sampling of alumni and the community. The community should be polled using an online data collection form that more accurately measures everyone’s preferences. It should be more than a vocal group of activists who are jumping on “the cancel culture” bandwagon.

I am all for social justice, but I believe there are much better ways to accomplish it without spending approximately $430,000. The school needs to start from within. How many staff members are of people of color? Who among the staff is willing to be replaced so the school can be an exemplar of inclusion, belonging, diversity and equity? Is the renaming a token gesture or are supporters for change really committed?

Why not honor Drake, an accomplished pioneer who was the first English explorer to circumnavigate the world, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I and was on friendly terms with the Native Americans? Preserve his name and legacy based on what I believe is the historical truth, rather than cater to inflamed misinformed fanaticism.

Where does “the cancel culture” end?

— Scott Chapman, San Anselmo