All About The Skins
This week’s VIDEO focuses on a somewhat sensitive subject. Comedian Jon Stewart recently aired a piece on his show that addressed the current name change of the Washington Redskins football team.
Very interesting piece. Thoughts…remember, let’s stay civil.
After watching the video I can definitely understand where the Native American activist group is coming from. After the group noted that the title meant Indian kill, I would have taken it as a racial slur as well. In their mind it is a controversial name that is a sign of disrespect; however, to the fans of the team it is portrayed the exact opposite. To them it is pride and respect and is not to be taken as anything else. Even though I understand where the activist group is coming from I think it is a bit much for them to request that the name of the team be changed because they find it offensive. No one is forcing them to like the team or attend any of the games, I don’t see any harm in them disliking the name but I also don’t think they should change it just because a small group doesn’t agree with it.
Further, I thought it was funny that the redskins website decided to conduct a study that was supposed to show that the majority of the Indian population doesn’t find the name offensive when it was self-identifying Native Americans that were answering the study so it could have been anyone who thought they had the smallest blood line of Native American in them responding. I guess that was the comedy part of the viewing because the survey was definitely inconclusive and the team posted it on the website as if it were to be taken as true.
Since I am not a really big football fan this was my first time hearing about it, and after watching the video I completely understand why the Native Americans don’t want a football team named Redskins, because it is like a racial slur (which I also didn’t know). Although this was supposed to be funny video, they did a great job making their point. Since I don’t know that much about the Native American culture, or that much background on the word Redskins I don’t think I could say one way or another about changing the name of a football team. But if it were another more common racial slur, there is no way a football team would be allowed to be named after it; so why is this any different? As a society we need to be more culturally sensitive and this is just one more way we need to be respectful of others.
I understand why Native Americans get so offensive when it comes to the football name,”Redskins.” I think the name should change if it is offending a certain culture or group of people. I went to school in Milton, Wisconsin. Milton’s name use to be “Milton Redmen.” Native Americans were very offended,so Milton changed it’s name to “Milton Redhawks.” I believe the “Reskins” football team should do the same.
I believe they have the right to be offended if they want, and I believe the people using the term have no obligation to change it. Not only is the history which makes it derogatory long and gone, but I believe in true freedom and a republic. A democracy rules with majority vote, where if the majority are offended then they will force you to change. I find that quite abhorrent, and would fight it. I believe the team name not matter, and if you don’t like it then do not utilize their entertainment. Don’t patronize their business if it offends you, but this demand for a change of a name, now years later, is most ridiculous in my mind. It will not change history and it does not truly hurt anyone today. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I view the forcing these organizations to change something as trivial as a name as modern day bullying.
I have mixed thoughts on the Redskins name change. I have to side with precedent and just know this is the way our culture is going. Teams have been changing their names and mascots for decades, steering away from Native American references, including our own Marquette Warriors. The part about this I have a problem with, that wasn’t addressed by Jon Stewart, is the FCC is looking at banning the word itself from being said on-air, the same way many expletives already are. In my opinion, they’re trying to write the next edition of the Newspeak Dictionary (Orwell reference) and erase it from our vocabulary because what happened to the Native Americans is probably one of the worst tragedies in the history of the world. Native Americans are already cordoned off into crappy parts of the country where we don’t have to see them. Their “18 money” and casino businesses can be seen as hush money so we at least think to ourselves that maybe some of them are well taken care of because we setup legislation that allows them to operate regional monopolies. Banning the name itself not only has 1st amendment implications, but works to further distance knowledge of the Native American culture further into nonexistence. They are being erased.
If the name really does offends the Native American heritage then it should be changed for respect, especially if “Redskin” is used as a disparaging term for a Native Americans. The decision should not be made from the diehard Redskin fans to keep the name, which some of them said they would still cheer on for their team if it was a different name so it sounds like it wouldn’t be an issue. So the changing of the name should really be considered for the respect of the Native Americans, it is simply not fair for them to feel that way.
I am a little torn on this subject. I understand how the Native Americans would feel disrespected by the term ‘Redskins’ and the actual meaning behind it. However, I think this whole topic depends on how big is the Native American population that is actually bothered by the term? It’s interesting that Native Americans find this term so offensive when used with a football team, but the fans use the term in a completely different context. If a cultural population is truly and whole-heartedly taken offense to the “Redskins” name, then changing the name should be considered. The fans will get over it.