Editor:
Re: Opinion: I’m proud of my Scottish heritage, but it’s time SFU retired the ‘Clan’, June 13, Chris Campbell.
Like Mr. Campbell, I too am from proud Scottish heritage and I believe there is no place for racism in our society. But I have a different viewpoint on the “Clan” issue.
The issue is that many U.S. people don’t know the difference between “Clan” and Ku Klux Klan, thus come to the wrong conclusion that they are the same.
This is an opportunity for SFU to educate the players, coaches and organizations whom they play in the U.S. For example, they could meet with Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the main organization that SFU athletes participate with in the U.S., to educate and gain their support not to confuse “Clan” with “Klan” and to let them know about the harassment. They could also approach Scottish Societies in the U.S. to ask for their support in educating people on this topic.
Further, SFU is a publicly funded university and any thought of a change in its name or sports team should have Canada wide discussion and debate. There are over 5 million Canadians of Scottish heritage in Canada and I’m sure they have an opinion.
Simply removing the word “Clan” from sports teams is short-sighted and some people may think this is a quick and simple solution. Education is the real solution and that will take time and significant dialog, ideally resulting in everlasting equality. Is SFU up to the challenge?
Keith Munro, Ladner
