Facebook reaction to the question of DQ Joe
Plenty of you have had opinions on the suggestion by 1964 Du Quoin High School graduate that the "Crazy Indian" mascot, or "DQ Joe," is a relic of the 1950s and should be retired ("1964 alumni says it's time to retire DQ Joe, July 7).
Here is some of the Facebook chatter we've gotten so far.
"Martha Malan, ALL LIVES MATTER. Including our Du Quoin mascot. Always been a Du Quoin Indian and will never change. So take your bandwagon someplace else, Du Quoin's not dealing with this crap."
- Janice Ann Jones Siefert
"If you get rid of Crazy Joe then what about the Johnson City Indians? Or all the other Indian mascots?"
- William Henson
"Couldn't they still be called the DQ Indians with a respectable image that represents them?"
- Jay Clark
"Omg please stop! Next change the name of our beloved hometown Du Quoin! Please just stop Martha Malan! Just stay in Minneapolis where you belong."
- Alexandria Eichhorn
"Apparently, it's not offending Native Americans. It is my understanding that the head dress, worn by the mascot, was designed and made for the school by a tribe from Texas. Not sure that's correct but it is what I was told."
- Tami Robison
"Reminiscent of Freeburg, Illinois wanting to do away with their Freeburg Midgets a few years back. Smh."
- Andrea Gayle
"All these years and now jump on the bandwagon to change it?!"
- Lawana Hagston
"Yep. Figured this was coming."
- Bill Baynes
"Geez."
- Karen S. Ping
"And the beginning of the end is here. You need to dust off your Bible and read it. Because for anyone that hasn't noticed the end times have started."
- Nathan Ruff
"I'm a Panther and this is b-------. Quit trying to destroy our history. My great-grandmother on my dad's side of the family was full blooded Blackfoot Indian. DQ Joe doesn't offend me, killing babies through abortion, now that's offensive. Wake up people before we don't have a country to call our own."
- Diane n Steve Bailey
"This town in no way represents Native Americans, besides being named after one. There is no REAL history here. Maybe an old monument. But there are no Native Americans here. This land was stolen from them like the rest of the country was. And they don't deserve to be treated as a mascot, especially whenever there are less than 1% of the Native American population is left ... it is very outdated. It isn't right to hurt a culture's history, and not even understand why it is hurtful, just for the sake of tradition and comfort."
- Haley Steely
"Retire the Indian mascot. Now."
- Frank H. Fox