FREEBURG, Ill. – First they came for the Redskins, then it was the Rebels.

Now little people are demanding schools with “midget” mascots re-evaluate their “offensive” nicknames.

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The seemingly never-ending battle over politically correct mascots first gained momentum with pressure from liberals in recent years to change the Washington Redskins. Just last week a federal judge ordered the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel six federal trademarks for the team because of an earlier court ruling that found the Redskins mascot to be disparaging to Native Americans, USA Today reports.

After a deadly, racially motivated church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina in June, the focus turned to all symbols of the Old South, because the alleged shooter Dylann Roof liked to pose with the Confederate flag on Facebook. Officials in Arkansas’ Fort Smith district opted to ban the school song “Dixie” from Southside High School, and to do away with the rebel mascot for next year, 5 News reports.

Liberal politicians in other areas are also pushing to rename schools dedicated to civil war heroes who fought for the south.

But in Freeburg, Illinois it’s the Little People of America who are riled up, and they’re demanding the local school district change its “mighty midgets” mascot, according to CBS News.

Gary Arnold, president of the nonprofit that advocates for dwarfs, delivered a 4,400-signature petition to district officials this week requesting they phase out the midget mascot at Freeburg Community High School, and to stop selling midget merchandise.

“We recognize that it’s not intended to have a negative impact,” Arnold said. “But with all the history and baggage that comes with the word, it still does.”

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Arnold said the Little People originally called themselves midgets – a name that comes from the midge fly given to circus performers in the 1800s – but now prefer terms like dwarf, little people, short stature, or dwarfism.

“It sends the message to youth that the use of the word ‘midget’ to describe a small person is acceptable and humorous,” Arnold told CBS News.

“The word has evolved,” he said, adding that the group is making similar requests to about a half-dozen other schools in Iowa, Missouri, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin. “We feel that it’s time for a change.”

Freeburg superintendent Andrew Lehman doesn’t necessarily agree, though he told the news site he plans to relay the Little People’s concerns to school board members at their next meeting.

“People’s perspective on what is a good mascot or a bad mascot, that’s a subjective issue,” Lehman said. “The name stuck. The town liked it. It ought to be the decision of the people who run the school.”

It seems a lot of local folks side with Lehman.

An unscientific online poll conducted by KSDK NewsChannel 5 showed 1,145 votes in favor of keeping the mighty midgets, and 136 in favor of changing it.

Michele Jordt-Sheets earned 108 likes on Facebook with the comment: “I would think the strip club’s extremely large billboard promoting their ‘Psycho Midget Wrestling’ would be a tad bit more offensive and degrading than a high school mascot that is a proud local icon. #justsaying.”

“Take a vote around the town of Freeburg,” Sabrina House wrote, collecting 47 likes. “It’s up to the residents and students both current and alumni to decide.”