To Disarm the Mountaineer

The mascot for West Virginia University, my alma mater, is the Mountaineer.  The Mountaineer is recognizable by his or her buckskin clothing, coonskin cap, and ever-present rifle.  Yes, a rifle.  A rifle that is periodically fired, outdoors or in.  But this is a percussion rifle, which requires a measured dose of powder for each report, and no bullets are involved.  Otherwise, the Coliseum roof would be very leaky.

I recognize the cultural and historical significance, of the entire costume.  Nonetheless, I ask myself if the rifle continues to be a good idea.  I ask myself that question.  Really.

I believe in common sense gun regulation that includes removing guns from places they do not belong and from people who should not have them.  And I believe that symbols matter.  I believe, for example, that statues of  Confederate “heroes” should be taken down because they honor white supremacy.  I believe the Germans got it right after World War II when Nazi symbols were banned.  Frankly, I believe the Confederate flag should be banned ... but our Constitution says no, and I believe in the Constitution more.  (Perhaps I’ll write another day about how I think the Confederate flag qualifies as hate speech.)

Is the gun-toting Mountaineer any different?  Should the 21st Century Mountaineer be disarmed?

My conclusion (so far) is that the Mountaineer is different.  Each time that rifle goes off, I am reminded how essentially different it is from modern weapons.  Shoot-once-then-reload rifles were used during the American Revolution.  Thus, the Mountaineer’s rifle is more akin to the type of weapon the Founders had in mind when they wrote the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.  Perhaps that is a good reminder.  Perhaps that is the better symbol.

Is that just a rationalization?  I'll keep asking those pesky questions.

Don’t get me started on the Oregon State chainsaw and its symbolism.