POLL: Should East Islip High School Change Redmen Mascot?

EAST ISLIP, NY — Two conflicting petitions were started on Change.org this week about possibly changing East Islip High School's Redmen mascot. On Thursday, a group of alumni started the petition "Retire the Redmen," asking the community to change the mascot because it's offensive to Native Americans.

"We are filled with EI Pride," the petition reads. "We love our hometown by the bay. It is because of this pride that we humbly ask our town and our school district to do better by finally retiring the Redmen mascot.

"We recognize that many have a real attachment to the Redmen name. A lot of us did, too. We played sports under it, emblazoned it on our class rings, and took graduation photos in front of the 'Home of the Redmen' sign with beaming pride. We take tradition very seriously. But the time has come to ask ourselves if our traditions outweigh the consequences that our actions, or inactions, hold for real humans in and around our community."

The petition goes on to state that the Redmen mascot "signals a lack of respect and appreciation for members of other minority groups in our community and only serves to further invite racial divisiveness."

The petition then goes on to list a couple of alternative names, including "EI Osprey" or "EI Eagles."

An East Islip High School alumnae also cited studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, the National Congress of American Indians and the University of Saskatchewan as reasons to change the mascot

In response to the "Retire the Redmen" petition, another resident, Tyler O'Neill, started a counter-petition titled "Save the Redmen" on Friday.

"No, we are not racist, prejudice, or anything else," he wrote. "We want to honor the Redmen name, like it was intended to do. Stop trying to divide the community over something that honors natives."

He goes on to cite a 2016 Washington Post poll that states that nine out of ten Native Americans "aren't offended by the Redskins name."

"Stop making issues ... out of nothing," he wrote. "We are the Redmen and we will stay the Redmen."

What do you think?