Fixing problems that don’t exist

One of the catchwords of the second-wave feminist movement in the early 1970s was “the personal is the political,” which basically meant that someone’s personal experiences in life were rooted to their position in society, and therefore had some political overtones. It made sense then, and still does, to an extent.

But we’ve gone overboard with that theory in recent decades and especially in the past few years as cancel culture and virtue signaling have taken hold of our institutions. The fact is, there are some things that we value personally, but that have absolutely no larger political significance beyond the kind that we fabricate to advance a desired narrative.

A particularly glaring example of that is taking place in our own backyard, in Radnor.

Over the past year or so, the Radnor School District has been engaged in what they’ve called a “rebranding” of the school name and mascot. In the mid-1930s, the school adopted the name “Raider” for their sports teams, and other nonathletic purposes.

Generations of Radnor graduates have proudly identified as “Raiders” well after they’ve left the school. One alumnus from the Class of ’74, Mike Falcone, described it to me this way: “When you live in a community where the vast majority of folks you grew up with (parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins, and friends) have gone through the Radnor school system, the name Raiders is in your blood almost from Day One . ... It’s more than a name. It’s a spirit that has lived on for many years.”

This is personal.

Now, for the political. In September of last year, the Radnor School Board voted unanimously, 9-0, to remove the Native American mascot that had represented the school since the 1960s. Everyone in the community and at the board were in agreement that the imagery was archaic, and should be retired.

But there wasn’t that same sense of unanimity when it came to the name “Raiders.” While the board voted 8-1 to remove the name, with member Nancy Monahan being the only dissenting vote, many in the community were opposed to erasing a name and an identity that had pre-existed the Native American imagery by over three decades.

I spoke with Kyle Addis, a member of the curiously named “Rebranding Committee” which has been charged with updating the name and image. Kyle explained to me that the committee was comprised of 41 members who had been chosen from a pool of over 130 applicants, and included teachers, parents, alums and current students. They had all demonstrated a great love for the school, and a desire to find a name and an image that would satisfy these general principles:

(1) Represent the school colors of maroon and white

(2) Exude positive qualities (3) Promote school pride and generate excitement

(4) Honor Radnor history and traditions

(5) Reflect the standards and values of the Radnor School District and

(6) Represent all stakeholders (members of the community)

When the Rebranding Committee

asked for the public to provide their name preferences, out of 1315 submissions, an overwhelming majority of 992 votes went to … Raiders.

This posed a bit of a problem for the school board, which had already voted against the name. It would appear that even though Raiders satisfied all six of the markers set out by the Rebranding Committee, there was a definite campaign to get rid of the name that over 70% of the “stakeholders” preferred.

Which brings me to the point of this column: Why do we insist on fixing problems that do not exist, in the furtherance of some misbegotten desire to “evolve” our way into social perfection? Why does a name that for over three decades had no connection to what some perceive as offensive cultural imagery (remember, the Native American icon did not appear until the 1960s) have to be removed because it annoys some people?

Cackie Martin, a current sophomore and member of the rowing team, tells me “Being a Raider in Radnor has never been about the Native American imagery, which we all united behind retiring. The Raider in Radnor symbolizes inclusion, respect, determination and courage. It is a symbol that has united so many of us for generations and this is the history that we would like to honor.”

And that’s the crux of the problem. Try as I did, I couldn’t find one person who told me that they were triggered or offended by the name “Raider.” It appears that the Radnor School Board has decided to teach us all a lesson in tolerance by showing intolerance for the views of the community it serves.