Deer, rabbit and duck hunting all come to a close eventually, but it is open season on redheads every day. A red head bobbing in a sea of blondes and brunettes may as well be a flashing target, and the word “ginger” has become the weapon of choice with which to hunt us. But the truth is, it’s no longer effective and certainly no longer lethal when used alone or along with other redhead ridicule. In reality, it’s an insult that merely bounces off our fair skin.

The ginger joke began to take its shape in 1995 after the redhead gene was identified by Jonathan Rees, professor of dermatology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Upon discovery, it was named “the ginger gene” by the British tabloid press and, unfortunately, the name quickly caught on.

The day “ginger” developed its negative connotation is a matter of debate, but it goes without question the word has tragically fallen victim to misuse and abuse since birth. In the span of a day, it is hollered in the halls, cried out in the classrooms and tossed about by teenagers so frequently I lose count by the time lunch rolls around. But seriously, the word does deserve a little bit of credit. It’s a rare and admirable thing when something as funny as an ancient knock-knock joke can send a person into peals of laughter after close to 16 years of constant use. This is an accomplishment worthy of a round of applause.

“Ginger” has also become such a convenient word to pull out when the mind draws a blank and the wit skids to a halt. It actually rears its ugly head so often at our expense, my fellow redheads and I are falling on our knees begging for people to come up with something better. So, before that wonderful feeling of triumph settles after labeling one of us as a ginger, know we do not cringe at the word, but at the lack of originality.

One reason why many believe “ginger” is a word directly delivered from the god of insults himself is because they are unaware of how ineffective it actually is. According to a Clairol Color Attitudes Survey, 71 percent of redheads feel the word “bold” describes them, while 80 percent feel they are self-confident. The numbers never lie. Although the typical hunter may get a kick out of saying it, “ginger” has nothing on the majority of the redhead population.

Why anyone would even contemplate creating a derogatory slur to make fun of us is a mystery taking a look at our historical significance. Many people are familiar with the story of Christopher Columbus and how he sailed the ocean blue in 1492. What people don’t know is Columbus was a ginger, a pioneer credited with the discovery of the nation that now makes fun of his hair color. Ironic perhaps, but it’s possible America would not exist without the contributions of this so called “ginge.”

The enormous role of redheads on the historical stage does not stop there. According to The Redhead Encyclopedia by Stephen Douglas, Thomas Jefferson was a ginger. Helen of Troy, Alexander the Great, Leonardo da Vinci and William the Conqueror all shared this rare gene as well. The list continues with Charlemagne and Galileo, and even Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, who was depicted with long red locks tumbling down her shoulders. Clearly hair color did not hinder these historical heroes.

To all the redhead hunters lurking the halls, it’s about time to erase “ginger” from your vocabularies. It has lost what little effect it once had, so let the two percent of the world our kind makes up live in peace. Or who knows, maybe that famous episode of

Southpark will become a reality and much like our cartoon counterparts, we will threaten to throw anyone who insults us into a pit of boiling lava.