MetroWest Daily News
Saturday, February 10, 2007

Wake up, Natick

I am responding to a letter published in MetroWest Daily New, Jan. 24, 2007, by Jerry L. Pierce concerning the issue of changing the Natick High School Redmen.

Mr. Pierce apparently attended the Natick School Committee meeting on Jan. 17, as did I. He reports that he found the meeting "very encouraging."

I found it quite the opposite. The presentation of the school system budget forecast for FY '08 was somber and disturbing. The anticipated budget shortfall of $1.7 million will require the combined sustained energies, talent and focus of the school committees in the coming weeks and months in order to solve the problem. Yet the name change issue continues to take up an inordinate amount of time.

I have read and listened to thousands of words written and spoken about this issue by School Committee members, residents and others. The comments and statements range from political correctness to the absurd. At the top of this list, however, is a statement attributed to Mr. Pierce: "I feel that if the name hurts even one fellow human being, that is one too many."

One fellow human being? Taking this statement literally, any organization, social institution or foundation could be forced to change its name and logo if one "offended" individual steps forward and complains. This is political correctness gone mad.

Citizens of Natick, wake up. If you don't immediately let your feelings and opinions become known to fellow townspeople and the School Committee, the decision will be made by the forces of political correctness and outsiders and 50 years of tradition and history will be scrapped. Save the Redman.

SILVIO MANDINO,
Holliston