Letters to the Editor: ‘Patriot’ was toxic long before Jan. 6

To the editor: The toxicity in “patriot” dates back to the colonial era, when Samuel Johnson declared that “patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” (“Why my son’s Koreatown school changed its mascot from a patriot to a panther,” Opinion, Aug. 4)

Just as Johnson had good cause to denounce a certain self-styled “patriot” in his time, schools nowadays have good cause to disdain a mascot that evokes Jan. 6 insurrectionists’ faux patriotism.

To most clear-headed Americans, touting oneself as a “patriot” has become no more credible than claiming to be a “very stable genius.”

Mel Farber, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: After witnessing the switching of mascots that has been occurring during the last few years, I can’t say I’m surprised that “Patriot” is now considered offensive.

I have a suggestion for any future name changes for mascots: Pick “Fighting Irish,” because apparently that is not offensive.

Gregg Scott, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Thanks to Whitney Friedlander for giving us a little clarity on the word “patriot.”

I was confused by a decal on the back window of a pickup truck in my community. The decal featured a picture of a AR-15 assault rifle with “patriot” beneath it. Now, did it mean the rifle was a patriot, or the owner?

Hector Hernandez, San Clemente