Monday, 10.5.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net views VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PAGE 4 PRESS&DAKOTAN The Press Dakotan THE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUndED 1861 Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 CONTACT US OPINION OTHER VIEWS PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: Mascot Change (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 Teaches A Lesson WEBSITE: www.yankton.net ABERDEEN AMERICAN NEWS, Aberdeen (Oct. 1): Quietly, with ––––– very little fanfare, the McLaughlin School District took a step toward SUBSCRIPTIONS/ kindness. CIRCULATION The McLaughlin school board last week dropped its mascot and Extension 104 nickname “midgets.” [email protected] And, we will not mention that word again here. CLASSIFIED ADS The M-word, as some little people have called it, is a hurtful Extension 116 word with roots in old-time “freak shows.” Today it is viewed as a [email protected] pejorative. NEWS DEPT. Donna Bertsch Bratland, an Aberdeen resident, explains in Honoring Walt Extension 114 today’s edition just how that word is viewed by little people. It has [email protected] outlived its usefulness, and instead creates and condones a mock- SPORTS DEPT. ing tone against others. Point Of View: Walter Dale Miller Become Governor Extension 106 McLaughlin school board President Juliana White Bull-Taken [email protected] Alive told us the district was contacted by the nonprofit national Amid Tragedy And Was Always ‘Cool In A Crisis’ ADVERTISING DEPT. group Little People of America, who asked that the name be retired. Extension 122 And it was. BY GOV. DENNIS DAUGAARD Then came the tragedy [email protected] Granted, the students didn’t see a lot of positivity in the name R-South Dakota of April 19, 1993, when Gov. BUSINESS OFFICE anyway, White Bull-Taken Alive said, and the moniker was already Mickelson and seven others Extension 119 being phased out. Last Monday, South Dakota lost a states- died in the crash of the state [email protected] But what a simple gesture, to be inclusive to all by dropping man and we also lost a friend. plane. For the first time in hurtful labels. Walter Dale Miller was tall, quiet and unas- South Dakota, a lieutenant NEW MEDIA: Some people need more convincing that words can hurt. Extension 136 suming. He was born on his family’s ranch governor succeeded a gov- In Freeburg, Illinois, for instance, Freeburg Community High near New Underwood and he spent his life ernor who had died in office. [email protected] School District 77 officials say they will keep their mascot, despite COMPOSING DEPT. on that ranch. Walt spent years on the local Daugaard And for the first time, we had concern from the Little People of America and even from a local school board, and was elected to the State a full-time lieutenant gover- Extension 129 man whose son has dwarfism. [email protected] House in 1966. That was the first of ten times nor to step in. Many South According to at stlouis.cbslocal.com, “Supporters of the nick- that his friends and neighbors chose him to be Dakotans remember being reassured by Gov. * * * name told the board their intent wasn’t to hurt anyone” by using their representative in Pierre. Miller’s calm, steady leadership during that MANAGERS that mascot. In Pierre, Walt quickly emerged as a leader, tragic time. Their intent may be innocent, but the effect on others is not. and he became one of our state’s legendary In the days that followed, Gov. Miller was Gary L. Wood It’s interesting to note that the school that did drop the nick- Publisher legislators. He didn’t give a lot of speeches or challenged again and again. The river flooding name, McLaughlin, is on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in sponsor dozens of bills. He chose his words of 1993 was among the worst in state history, Michele Schievelbein Corson County. Usually, it is Native Americans who are made into carefully. But when he did speak, people and he led response efforts. A penitentiary Advertising Director mascots and characterizations, who are “chiefs” and “squaws” and listened, and they followed his lead. Walt was riot ended without bloodshed thanks to Gov. Jim Gevens “fighting” and “whooping.” the only person in the history of South Dakota Miller’s restraint and leadership. A court rul- Circulation Director As we know, language and culture evolves. McLaughlin’s mascot to serve as speaker, speaker pro tempore, ing that suspended video lottery required Gov. was chosen in 1929, White Bull-Taken Alive said. majority leader, assistant leader and majority Miller to impose deep mid-year cuts to keep Tonya Schild Many other words and terms from the ‘20s and ‘30s have fallen whip. That’s the kind of respect his peers had the state solvent. Business Manager out of favor; many of us would not even be able to have a simple for him. When Walt ran for his own term in 1994, his Tera Schmidt conversation with our peers from 100 years ago. In 1986, George S. Mickelson was looking campaign slogan was “Cool in a Crisis.” It was Classified Manager We won’t blame the McLaughlin Class of 2101 if they don’t find for a partner to join his ticket, and he looked the perfect slogan to describe a man who was our language and values to be appropriate or relevant for them to to Walt. George had served in the State House perfectly suited to lead South Dakota during a Kelly Hertz rally around, either. with Walt and knew that Walt was steady, very difficult time. Editor Some will argue that tradition trumps all. Of course, that is not capable and respected. George invited Walt to The State Capitol memorial service on James D. Cimburek true. be the first full-time lieutenant governor. Walt Oct. 5 coincides with Walter Dale Miller’s Sports Editor When it comes to the Sisseton High School Redmen or Ki-Yi Days wasn’t flashy and he didn’t seek attention, 90th birthday. That day is a time for all South homecoming at Watertown, tradition should not trump common but during his time in the Mickelson Admin- Dakotans to say “thanks,” one last time, to Beth Rye decency. Digital Media Director istration he was an important partner to Gov. the quiet, west river cowboy who stepped up McLaughlin’s decision stands as an effective reminder: schools Mickelson. when South Dakota needed him. Kathy Larson teach and people can learn, grow and change. Composing Manager IN HISTORY Capitol Notebook By The Associated Press and Frenchman Yves Chauvin won the Today is Monday, October 5, the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Daniel Alfreds- * * * 278th day of 2015. There are 87 days left son scored twice in the final six minutes DAILY STAFF in the year. of regulation and once during the first Today’s Highlight in History: On shootout in NHL history, leading the Ot- Reilly Biel October 5, 1947, President Harry S. Tru- tawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the To- Patience, Perseverance Cassandra Brockmoller man delivered the first televised White ronto Maple Leafs. Brandi Bue House address as he spoke on the world Five years ago: Faisal Shahzad, the Rob Buckingham food crisis. Pakistani immigrant who’d tried to deto- Caryn Chappelear On this date: In 1829, the 21st presi- nate a car bomb in Times Square, accept- Randy Dockendorf dent of the United States, Chester Alan ed a life sentence from a federal judge in Jeannine Economy Arthur, was born in North Fairfield, Ver- New York with a smirk and warned that BY BOBMark MERCER Vehle’sThe Victories defeat didn’t stop Vehle. mont. Americans could expect more blood- Rachel Frederick State Capitol Bureau He knew DOT’s needs were piling up. He Jeremy Hoeck In 1931, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh shed at the hands of Muslims. President Herndon completed the first non-stop Barack Obama convened the first-ever convinced the Legislature’s leaders in 2014 to Nicole Myers flight across the Pacific Ocean, arriving White House summit on community col- Robert Nielsen PIERRE — Officially, Mike Vehle is retired. appoint a study of highway and bridge needs. in Washington state some 41 hours after leges, calling them the “unsung heroes Hardly. At the same time Daugaard began to shift Diana Smallwood leaving Japan. of America’s education system.” Paroled David Stephenson In 1953, Earl Warren was sworn in as burglar Steven Hayes was convicted of Now heading toward age 66 come his position. Daugaard indicated he Cathy Sudbeck the 14th chief justice of the United States, murdering a woman and her two daugh- Nov. 17, the Mitchell Republican has would be willing to consider a road JoAnn Wiebelhaus succeeding Fred M. Vinson. ters during a home-invasion robbery in invested the latest 11 years of his life and bridge proposal. Brenda Willcuts In 1955, a stage adaptation of “The Cheshire, Connecticut. (Hayes and fellow serving as a South Dakota legislator. The hard part should have been Alissa Woockman Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich perpetrator Joshua Komisarjevsky remain and Albert Hackett opened at the Cort on death row.) He grew up in the grain business over, right? Theatre in New York. One year ago: A suicide bomber and understands that crucial South Hardly. * * * In 1969, the British TV comedy pro- blew himself up in Grozny, killing five po- gram “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” licemen and wounding 12 others as the Dakota facility called a country eleva- The 2015 legislation became a Published Daily made its debut on BBC 1.