Lest you think that moving to Fargo has removed every “political” bone in my body, let me assure you that is not the case. I’m writing about my (and some others’) day-to-day life in Fargo, and that is “politics.” Politics tends to invoke (or evoke) a Democrat/Republican/Some Other Viewpoint trichotomy, or maybe foreign and domestic policies, and/or government more broadly. But I and others find the above realms of politics too narrow, even in these crucially important election years. For me, “politics” also includes choices we all make every single day – like which grocery store one frequents and why (in Fargo, Cashwise, Hornbacker’s, Sunmart, Walmart, or smaller places like the Green Market or Yoshi’s); where people buy their clothes; if and where and how people practice religion; and whether they are for or against the latest farm bill. Jimmy Carter tried to raise awareness of the benefits of the bill, but those big corporate farmer interests won again.

In the big small town that it is, Fargo has a paper that focuses more on local people and events than on (inter)national events. Most front page stories are regional. The Forum Communications Company is owned and operated by a family and hence the paper is not flooded by your run-of-the-mill Associated Press stories. I discovered that for the Valley to the World series which I mentioned in a previous post about different communities of immigrants and refugees in F-M, The Forum editors gave some reporters six months to do research in the communities – a significant, and I think impressive, amount of time for a week-long report!

The Forum and local television stations provide me with ample opportunities to better understand local cultures and meanings of social citizenship here. For example, the paper prints weekly criminal reports (countless minor intoxication citations and DUIs), promotions and hires at various companies (many with photos), and pages of celebrations (wedding, engagements, anniversaries). I watch closely and I can count on one hand how many people of color I’ve seen in the promotions and celebration pages and I haven’t seen even one same sex couple. People of color are prominently featured in other sections, including positive front page stories and negative crime stories. Most refugees and immigrants I know would not think of putting their wedding engagement in the local U.S. paper, but, and here’s the point, that does not mean that they don’t consider themselves citizens of the community. I also read the celebrations pages because I am fascinated how many people choose long term partners that look like themselves – seriously, look sometime. It’s weird.

Recently, Fargo was named the fifth-drunkest city in the nation (after Denver, Anchorage, Colorado Springs and Omaha) so many letters to the editor have addressed this not-so-flattering announcement. Other people write letters about their outrage at an article about the practice of yoga in a classroom (if Christianity can’t be practiced in schools, then gosh darnit, yoga should also be banned as a violation of the separation of church and state!). Others write in favor and against the (positive) attention The Forum gave to transgender communities in the F-M community. Of course, there are opinions on the war in Iraq. And I receive a lot of advertisements, which drive me crazy. So, these are the kinds of politics in which I find myself embroiled.

Although I am following them, I’m not blogging about the presidential elections because people that I have been hanging out with are not talking about it (not with me anyway). There have been some great letters on behalf of that crazy libertarian Ron Paul. And anyway, I have friends who are writing great things about these politics (see e.g. prisonship and wobblie under A list please) and they do so much better than I could so check them out! Kudos to Patrick and Chris for keeping me up to speed with insightful analysis and questions.

And to end this ridiculously long entry, the biggest topic on my radar has been a long, contentious debate on the University of North Dakota’s mascot, the Fighting Sioux. UND is located in Grand Forks, about an hour north of Fargo. The NCAA told the school that unless they get permission from the Sioux tribes to keep the name, they must change their mascot within 3 years. Tribal leaders recently voted (again) against keeping the name and there are daily letters in favor and opposed to changing the mascot. My personal favorite (read horribly uninformed and racist and one fantastic example of how all of the above topics can be connected together) is:

Liberal loonyism wins another debate
Ralph Muecke Gladstone, N.D.
Opinion – 12/10/2007

Well! Well! Well! It looks like left-wing liberal loonyism is going to win out again. I’m referring to the controversy about the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. It sounds like the nickname and logo are going to be dropped. It’s the white liberals who started the whole controversy. Most American Indians don’t have a problem with it. Those who do are stirred up by these white agitators.

The exact same thing happened at Dickinson State University. For many years DSU had an American Indian theme and logo. It honored the American Indian. A liberal white man of the cloth started the whole controversy and left town after he succeeded. And an ugly looking blue chicken hawk became the new logo for DSU.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, and just one indicator of what has become of our whole education system — kindergarten through college. Our youth are being assaulted with teachings and values that disregard biblical values and teachings such as homosexual lifestyles and samesex marriage. Praise those teachers who try to teach Christian values.

Also atheism. They’re telling us that we must not display the Ten Commandments, say Merry Christmas, display Christmas decorations with red and green, display nativity scenes in public, so as not to offend these people. The list goes on and on. They don’t care that their demands offend us.

It’s gotten this bad because our society is tolerating it. Nobody wants to take a stand, and it will only get worse because we will allow it to.

We need to examine ourselves to see what we really stand for and to make sure we aren’t part of the problem.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO THESE, KEEPING IN MIND THE MILITARISTIC REFERENCE:

Choose another UND logo/name right now
Chuck Wallace Fargo
Opinion – 12/03/2007

A soldier must earn the right to be called a United States Marine. If you named a college sports team “The Fighting Marines” many proud soldiers are going to proclaim that winning a sporting event is not the same valor and bravery of soldiers in battle.

A sports team called “The Fighting Sioux” does not represent a people who lived honorable lives and fought proudly defending themselves. Sitting Bull represents a Sioux warrior, and no victory on the football field will compare to his leadership. There is a nation of people that have earned the right to be called Sioux and to call their soldiers Sioux warriors.

Do you know what the American Indians used to call this land? What they called it before more than 90 percent of their original land and natural resources were taken; before almost all of the native population was killed by war, starvation and disease. They called it “our land.” They have had to fight to retain what little still remains to them. The Sioux continue to fight for the right to be a people and have sole custody of their name. Why continue to be intolerant toward people who have lost so much?

The name of a college sports team should unite the community to support the team. A few stubborn people have brought shame on themselves by not resolving the dispute with honor and dignity. Quit prolonging the inevitable. Choose another name immediately.