Letter: Don’t judge Richland High School mascot through contemporary lens

I see it is time for another handwringing session (“Richland High School’s bomber mascot in the news again,” TCH, May 28). Every three years seems about right!

I grew up in Richland, my Dad worked nearly 30 years in the 300 area, and I am a proud ’71 Columbia High School grad. I find it impossible to believe that any of my classmates ever felt that we were in some way celebrating the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese citizens. Yet somehow that seems to be the perception of anyone giving this issue a cursory glance.

I had a co-worker ask me a few years ago how it felt to be from a hometown that celebrates death by naming streets Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I gently explained that we did not have streets named Hiroshima or Nagasaki — or, for that matter, My Lai or Abu Graib. We do, however, have great sense of pride in coming from an area that was an historic example of a country pulling together to accomplish the impossible to help end the unimaginable horrors of war.

It is very dangerous to make judgements based on a view of history through the lenses and filters of contemporary times.

This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Letter: Don’t judge Richland High School mascot through contemporary lens."