Jayhawks or Jayhawkers is one of the most inappropriate mascot names in the country if not the most offensive. Jayhawkers before the Civil War in the border wars, were nothing more than armed thieves who raided across the border of Missouri and stealing everything they could, while murdering civilians in and around their homes. In 1861 Kansas Jayhawkers as regular US troops( I believe it was the 6th Kansas Cavalry regiment) led by Doc Jennison and James Lane of Lawrence led his cavalry to Oceola, Missouri with out orders to do so,where they killed every male they caught over 15, raped many women, robbed all the stores and most private homes, robbed the bank and saloons, and stole everything of value even a couple of pianos from the town. They burned the town to the ground. They got so drunk they had to use stolen wagons and teams to haul a majority of their soldiers back to Kansas. Some of the drunks were wearing ladies dresses over their uniforms stolen from homes and stores. They took all the loot to Lawrence where most of it was auctioned off and the money both stolen and earned from the auction was kept by the raiders. No action for war crimes was ever taken by the US government and not one of Jennison's boys were ever arrested or punished. Jayhawkers didn't care if the places they were robbing were the homes of Union soldiers or Confederate. Jayhawkers (or red legs) caused so much trouble the unit was transferred to South Carolina where they continued to raid, pillage, and steal. Look up the raid on Oceola, Missouri if you doubt this. Because history is written by the winners, you won't see mention of Oceola in most history books and certainly not in our high schools. Yes Quantrill and his bushwackers from Missouri raided Lawrence and did what the Jawhawkers did to Oceola with the exception of no women were raped, but it was in retaliation for Oceola a year earlier and also for the imprisionment of family members of Bloody Bill Anderson and William Quantrill's men in a rickity building in Kansas City. Over crowed the two story building collapsed and killed many of the women, wives, and daughters of the Missourians. Others were maimed. They were arrested only because they were relatives. It was bad on both sides, but using Kansas Jayhawks would be the equivalent of using Missouri Bushwackers as a mascot for Missouri.
When people hear I'm from Kansas and call me a Jayhawk, I am insulted. I say I'm from Kansas, but I'm no Jayhawk. I am a wildcat. All Kansans should be ashamed to be called a Jayhawk! Yet we hear about all the sports teams catch flack for redskins, Indians, and other such things while this Jayhawk thing is far worse. For you that think Jayhawk is a mythical bird, guess what, that isn't where it came from.
When people hear I'm from Kansas and call me a Jayhawk, I am insulted. I say I'm from Kansas, but I'm no Jayhawk. I am a wildcat. All Kansans should be ashamed to be called a Jayhawk! Yet we hear about all the sports teams catch flack for redskins, Indians, and other such things while this Jayhawk thing is far worse. For you that think Jayhawk is a mythical bird, guess what, that isn't where it came from.
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