Holy Cross is retiring its Knight mascot because of its perceived ties to the violence of thr Christian Crusades, college officials decided.
While the College of Holy Cross will keep the name Crusader for its sports teams, against the wishes of some students and faculty members, it announced that the Knight mascot and similar imagery will be done away with at athletic and other events.
"Upon reflection on this contemporary definition, it is clear that our current visual representations of the Crusader do not align with this understanding," Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, president of Holy Cross said in a statement, referring to study done by the board of trustees.
"For some, knight imagery alone could convey nobility, chivalry and bravery. However, the visual depiction of a knight, in conjunction with the moniker Crusader, inevitably ties us directly to the reality of the religious wars and the violence of the Crusades. This imagery stands in contrast to our stated values," Boroughs said.
He said the college, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, will gradually phase out all use of the knight mascot and imagery in the upcoming months. Boroughs acknowledged the potential controversy of the decision in his statement.
"I understand these decisions will be a disappointment to some of you but I trust our community's support for Holy Cross and for our athletic teams will continue unwaveringly," Boroughs said
Lawrence Jones, editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, said on Fox News "Fox & Friends" that the college's action is another sign of political correction that is out of control on university and college campuses.
"The social justice warriors and the speech police are out to destroy history," Jones said on the morning show. "We said it when they were trying to remove monuments, when they were trying to destroy property, that these people want to destroy history. The problem is where does it stop?"
According to History.com, the Crusades were a series of religious wars fought between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. There were eight major Crusade expeditions occurring between 1096 and 1291 that propelled the status of European Christians, making them major players in the fight for land in the Middle East, the website said.
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