NEWSPAPER COMPARES KNEE INJURIES TO MASSACRE

The following is a letter written to the Appleton Post-Crescent, a Wisconisn newspaper.

Letters: Inappropriate headline deserves harsh words

As I flipped through the sections of the Sunday paper, a headline caught my eye.

Thinking that I must have misread it, I flipped back to find it but there was no mistake. The headline on a story about knee injuries becoming more common among female athletes really did say, "Battle of wounded knee."

Does the headline writer know anything about the history of that phrase? I'm not sure whether to hope that he or she does know or not.

"Wounded Knee" triggers intense emotions for many people, whether it refers to the 1890 massacre of hundreds of Native Americans by the United States Cavalry or the 1973 incident that resulted in the deaths of two Native American protesters.

Using the phrase in a headline is insensitive and in questionable taste, to say the least. I hope that The Post-Crescent will take this opportunity to educate its staff and to remind all of us about the lessons of the past and the importance of keeping those lessons learned fresh in our minds.

Janet Teska Veum, Menasha