Most of us have lived with it so long that it seems perfectly in place -- it's the guns up finger gesture the Texas Tech mascot displays as he prances around the sports field to fire up the fans.
But modern day campus observers probably could have predicted this. Here's the report at Does Texas Tech’s ‘Guns Up’ Glorify the Use of Firearms? Excerpt:
Anti-gunners, including a Texas Tech alumni, Michael Grant, Ph.D., spoke out against the tradition, saying the phrase and symbol is “inappropriate” and claiming the university’s continual use of “Guns Up!”…. glorifies the use of firearms.
That happened in 2013 and was dug up in response to a open records request. Apparently, Texas Tech didn't want to take chances on missed donates so they changed the logo on donation requests. Not so on the sports field. The mascot can still stick out his finger.
Post Script: One has to wonder whether one of the responses to the complaint was an unglorified "guns up" with the middle finger. Now there's a substitute for you Mr. Grant.
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