Leave the Seven Stars alone

I'm glad to read that the University of North Dakota has decided to fight the NCAA's ridiculously politically-correct ruling, dating to 2002, that the school's Fighting Sioux logo is "hostile and abusive" toward Native Americans.

The NCAA has said that North Dakota could neither participate in nor play host to any games at the Ralph Englestad Arena if the team continues to sport its logo, shown above. With the Fighting Sioux one of the nation's top-level hockey programs, this is a real concern to North Dakota fans.

I believe that we should atone for our past sins, perhaps in the form of better educational opportunities and health care programs for Native Americans. Perhaps if I were a Native American, the picture would be crystal clear, but I'm having a hard time seeing how this logo, which to me shows a strong character with a hint of a warm smile, can be demeaning.

It seems that the NCAA could direct its time, effort and money toward such bigger issues as decreasing drug and alcohol usage, increasing the graduation rate of student-athletes, and creating a revenue-sharing formula from wealthy Division I schools that provides more funding for Division II and III institutions.