by David Abdel
$800,00. That is the potential cost of fixing a mistake decades old. Now, there are a number of avenues to travel down regarding the issue of re-branding Hays High School. You could argue that the cost is too great and the money could be better spent. You could argue that during a pandemic attention should be spent on other issues. What cannot, and should not be argued is whether or not the Rebel nickname needs to be changed. It does.
Originally “Colonel Jack” proudly carried two pistols while sporting the Confederate flag on his belt buckle. As Hays County entered the new millennium, the debate raged over whether this was still acceptable. A compromise was reached, the rebel could stay but the flag and guns needed to go. Why it took 50 years to reach that conclusion defies both logic and reason, but what it doesn’t do is surprise me. Now, it is worth noting that it took another decade for the school district to ban the Confederate flag in all aspects. That’s right, it took until the second decade of this millennium, almost 150 years after the end of the Civil War, for Hays to unequivocally ban the flag of a failed, treasonous separatist movement. It doesn’t matter if you’re late to the party as long as you show up right? Well, the battle rages yet again as many are still fighting to preserve “Colonel Jack” as the school finally moves on to a new mascot.
