Missouri Town Calls for End of U. of Kansas’ Jayhawk Mascot

September 16, 2011, 1:56 pm

The Border War, which tore apart Missouri and Kansas during the Civil War, continues. In the latest skirmish, the government of Osceola, Mo., has passed a resolution urging the University of Kansas to abandon its Jayhawk mascot, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. The Missouri town was sacked in 1861 by a pro-Union paramilitary group, one of many episodes of violence that climaxed in the sack of Lawrence, Kan., in 1863 by pro-slavery raiders. The men who attacked Osceola were known as Jayhawkers, and the Osceola Board of Alderman assailed “the celebration of this murderous gang of terrorists by an institution of ‘higher education’ in such a brazen and malicious manner.” A University of Kansas spokesman replied: “A Jayhawk is a blue bird with a red head and a big yellow beak that wears boots. It would be hard to confuse it with anyone with terrorist intent.”

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dale1

As a University of Missouri fan, I can tell you that many of us are sad to shake in our own boots when we have to play KU on the hardwood. Their players certainly confuse and sometimes can terrify ours. Football, not so much. When KU played MU a few years ago and got stomped, there was a great cartoon in the Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune. Two Tigers are looking down on a dead jayhawk. One Tiger asks the other, “So, how did he die?” The second replies, “I think he choked!”
jffoster

Maybe when Kansas plays the Missouri Tigers, they should be called the “Kitty Hawks”.
pnh22

“The men who attacked Osceola were known as Jayhawkers, and the Osceola Board of Alderman assailed “the celebration of this murderous gang of terrorists by an institution of ‘higher education’ in such a brazen and malicious manner.” A University of Kansas spokesman replied: “A Jayhawk is a blue bird with a red head and a big yellow beak that wears boots. It would be hard to confuse it with anyone with terrorist intent.”

KU wins on style points alone. Shame on humorless ‘Osceola’.
http://www.facebook.com/jerrywinans Jerry Winans

Being a graduate of rival Kansas State University, I hope Homeland Security puts all Jayhawkers on the “Do Not Fly” list at airports. Oh wait, a Jayhawk is already a flightless fowl. Never mind…
mdwoodhull

KU-1, Stupid Politicians-0. GO JAYHAWKS!
willynilly

Obviously, Osceola, Mo. is a completely dead community. From this stupid act, one can only conclude that there is not a single issue, nor one single need in that community that outweighs the compulsion of this governing board to take on such an inane and irrelevant issue. The governing board itself is publicly demonstrating that it has a bird brain. No wonder they would be threatened by another bird.
solidagojuncea

Let’s wait for the good folks of Osceola to renounce and apologize for the beliefs and actions of their pro-slavery ancestors. First things first.
icedgreentea

There are parts of Missouri that celebrate their Bushwhacker heritage, like Bushwhacker Days in Nevada, MO (about 20 miles from the Kansas border). The Bushwhackers fought the Jayhawkers and burned Lawrence, KS except for the Eldridge Hotel where they ate, drank and partied. Most folks in Lawrence, KS and Nevada, MO think of it as local history and enjoy learning about it. Osceola needs to realize the war is over and chill.
mvclibrary

I think you meant: How refreshing to find a community without the mundane problems of falling revenues and rising expenses that has the time for a little whimsy.
Socratease2

First things first?? That is the most ridiculous thing I have read today in the CHE, but I have no doubt someone will be able to trump this by the end of the day. I never understand what people hope to prove by making people in the present apologize for actions of people 150 years ago. Do others find that absurd? Who cares if anyone in Osceola apologizes, it is an empty, meaningless gesture. So you want people who recently moved to Osceola from Oregon to apologize for what someone did centuries ago in Kansas. Sure, why not, makes a lot of sense. How about you apologize to the Muslim world for the actions of Knights Templar during the Crusades. If you have any European ancestry, then you are directly culpable and need to make amends for what happened in the 12th century. And then you need to keep apologizing for every misdeed since then, if you are Spanish, don’t forget to let the Aztecs know you are so sorry. If French, I believe young visionary girls touched by the hand of god are still waiting for an explanation on why Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. And then…..my, everyone better get busy and start apologizing to everyone.