The Daily Show
when it comes to crazy.
But there was one story last week we didn't report,
and that's because we sort of partially...
kind of caused it?
Jessica Williams has more.
WILLIAMS:
But there's one danger that's threatening
to devastate the lives of everyday Americans.
Political correctness will destroy us.
Bizarro Obama is right--
America is under attack!
Take this small town, for example.
They have an official seal
that's represented their village for over 100 years.
Now American Indian activist Ben Miller
wants it taken down just because it...
(like a baby):
MILLER:
It makes us feel really uncomfortable,
when all we want to do is progress and move forward.
Haven't you guys done enough?
I mean, you already made the Redskins change their logo.
No, we haven't made the Redskins change their logo.
They ain't even thinking about it.
-So you
Y'all need to get to work on that,
-because that is so (bleep) up. -We're working on it.
I mean, come on, there's no way this seal
could be more offensive than this.
Let's just see it.
♪ ♪
WILLIAMS: Is that pioneer
choking that Native American dude to death,
or do I have something crazy in my eye?
This is the official seal of Whitesboro, New York.
Hold up. This town is called Whitesboro?
That's right, Whitesboro.
I guess if you're going to have a racist seal,
why not have it here in the Deep South...
of Upstate New York?
Whitesboro's white mayor, Whitey Whiterson.
I mean, Patrick O'Connor.
The seal is absolutely not racist.
Oh, okay. Well, thank God,
because it looks like that white man
was totally choking this American Indian man to death.
The seal depicts our founder, Hugh White...
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
-The guy in the seal's name is Hugh White? -Yes.
Hugh White was invited to engage in a friendly wrestling match.
-And that's when he choked him? -Um, no. He did not choke him.
-He attacked him? -So, the goal of the match
was to push your opponent off balance.
And then murder him?
The seal is based on historical events
that fostered a good relationship
between our founder and the American Indians.
Yeah. I'm super positive
that's what Native Americans would say.
Yeah, history shows that they were allies
during the Revolutionary War.
I'm sorry, wait. Hold the (bleep) up.
-They were actually friends? -Yes, they were friends.
Oh, so it's just the picture
that's completely
To find out how they arrived at this seal,
I met with village clerk, Dana Nimey-Olney.
NIMEY-OLNEY:
the seal was changed to move the hands away
from the neck area down to the shoulders.
So there's an even
Yeah, this one's definitely chokier.
Look, Dana, I'm gonna be real with you.
I actually kind of like the older seal better
because, look, this one looks like a sensual embrace
between two powerful men,
whereas this one definitely looks like attempted murder.
Okay, so they've already changed the image
of the wrestling a bunch of times.
Why not make a brand-new one?
In 1999, the village board wanted to have a vote
to potentially change it,
but no alternative submissions for another seal
-were presented at the time. -The only reason why
you didn't have the vote is because you didn't have
-any ideas? -Correct.
I got, like, a million ideas all the time!
So the village board decided to have a vote to change the seal.
I decided to submit some historically accurate seals
that these white people might legitimately like.
And I also threw in some more, like pro wrestling
and these two dudes choking a British guy to death.
Then-- funny story-- the mayor sends out a postcard
announcing the vote, which got the attention
of some people outside Whitesboro,
and kind of stirred up an international news story.
Some say it's racist and offensive.
NEWSWOMAN:
...called racist and offensive.
WILLIAMS:
change seemed inevitable. Right?
That's good. I'm happy with it.
Doesn't look like he strangled him.
-It's the history. -This is history.
There's no need to change history.
WILLIAMS:
But try as they might, they couldn't choke out
the voice of dissent.
So, how do you feel about the current seal?
-I don't like it. -Why not?
It does look like the Indian's being choked.
Thank the Lord that you're here!
Then I realized-- these weren't awful, bigoted people.
Some of them just honestly had no idea that the current seal
and
were a
White versus red, white versus red, white versus red,
white versus red...
You just referenced the word "red" a lot of times just now.
-Yeah.
literally no idea what's offensive.
I've worked with Native Americans.
-Okay. -So...
I know there's issues.
-Uh-huh. -Big issues.
-Humongous. -Just... just like...
-Monumental issues. -just like with
-My race? -Yeah.
-What race is that? -African-American,
black, Negro, whichever one you want to use.
You say Negro?
Well, at one point that was part of your history.
Being a Negro, right?
I'm beginning to understand
why they chose that seal in the first place.
But I still had hope that the people of Whitesboro
would make the right choice.
-Okay, so, the votes are in. -(snaps fingers)
Show me the new seal!
Are you (bleep) kidding me?
Our residents came out and voted
to keep the history of the seal the way it was.
This is...
blowing up my brain right now.
Do you guys just hate American Indians?
-Absolutely not. -But if there are
millions of people outside of the town
telling you that the seal is racist...
wouldn't it do you a service to listen to them?
The people of our village know
that this is just a friendly wrestling match.
This is just not even...
You know... this... I don't...
I...
Can I do to you what that white man is doing
to that American Indian man in that seal?
If it's gonna foster a better relationship, then yes.
Yeah. I think it would.
♪ ♪
(applause, whooping)
Wow. Wow, Jessica.
It was intense.
I mean, unfortunately, it seems as though
some people will never change.
Actually, this morning,
I spoke with the mayor of Whitesboro, and guess what?
They are changing the seal!
-(cheering) -Wow! Wow! Are you...
-Is this for real? -Yeah. Yeah. Really for real.
For really for real. The village officials
and the descendants of Hugh White
are getting together with the Oneida Indian Nation
to make a new seal that makes everybody happy!
-(cheering, applause) -We did it!
We did it!
-We solved racism! -We fixed it!