Graduate agrees: mascot should be changed
Published 9:22 am Wednesday, September 27, 2000
By Staff
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in support of Charles Laue's Letter to the Editor in last Wednesday's edition of The Atmore Advance. It was concerning changing the name of the Atmore mascot. For all the reasons he gave, I simply say "Amen". He made what would be looked at as an unpopular move by having the audacity to publicly suggest a change that's been the same for decades.
I think there are times when all of us need to step back and look at the way things are going in our lives, in our schools, and in our society and see if positive adjustments can be or should be made. As for this issue, I've been on both sides of the ball. I played for the Big Blue in the early eighties. I know what it's like to don the blue and white on Friday night. I've put the pads on, been knocked around, banged up and all that goes along with high school athletics.
I also know as a Christian, my arch enemy is not the Foley Lions, the T. R. Miller Tigers or the Fairhope Pirates. It is the devil. But, he is not just my enemy, he is the enemy of every man, woman, boy and girl who has ever walked on the face of the earth. Even more he is the enemy of God. That is why I am reluctant to cheer for a devil even though it is just a name given to a high school athletic program.
Please do not doubt my loyalty to Atmore because I've been there and done that. I often reflect on my time as a player and think maybe there are some things that I would have done a little differently, but I do have the memories. I now find it hard to to cheer for or to wear a picture of the devil, because it is contrary to my beliefs as a Christian.
Again, I applaud Mr. Laue, a man I've never met, for his courage and willingness to go against the grain. Maybe we can all learn a lesson from him.
Thank you,
Ronnie Lambert
Class of 1982