The Redskins Commercial the NFL does not want us to see

[Captroop]

I've said for a while that the team name should be changed to the "Washington Tribe." You can keep the entire native American motif and tradition, but instead of using a racial slur, you're using a term that's about teamwork, companionship, and pride; which are characteristics that the NFL says it stands for. Literally everyone wins.

 

It is hilarious listening to local radio hear and hearing the local hosts bending over backwards to defend the name. When this whole name change issue went big this year, the Redskins responded by launching a Twitter campaign that failed miserably. And the sports radio hosts said the mistake wasn't the campaign, but "The Redskins shouldn't even acknowledge the backlash over the name because it just lends credence to their position. The Redskins should just do what they always do and completely ignore the fact that they are using a racist term for their name, pay no attention to the minority group they are offending because they are so small and insignificant that they will never have the clout to force the name to be changed. The only way the name change will ever happen is if people outside of DC really start paying attention to the billion-dollar organization with a pejorative term for a name and demand it to be changed, which is what the Pro-Redskins-Name campaign did! It was a huge mistake because it brought the horribly racist name to the attention of the regrettably-sensitive Millenial masses on Social media. So if someone brings it up, just change the subject!"

[Thal]

Washington Neanderthals or Washington Cavemen

[MCC]

would you call a native-american "redskin" to his face?

no?

good, change the name. sports team names should not be offensive to any reasonable percentage of a population.

The fact that some people don't understand this blows my mind.

Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[mav1234]

The main argument I have gathered from the Pro-Redskin side is they don't see Redskin as a slur and apparently numerous Native Americans don't either. That's honestly why I'm on the fence for the whole thing. If the Majority of Native Americans believe it to be a slur against their race, then hell yeah, change it, that's not cool. If they don't, then why is this a big deal?

 

It is undeniably a racial slur.  It's origins and usage suggests this.  Whether or not it is offensive, it is still a racial slur...

 

edit: also the majority of Native Americans may not care, but many do.  Why should those that do have to put up with a racial slur for a football team name?

[All about the Benjamin]

The Washington Snowflakes?

[SZ James (banned)]

Man people are really putting a lot of stock in a telephone poll involving self identified "Native Americans" (see: white people that have nothing better to do than to rig a poll looking for native americans).

But I guess that settles it 0.0036% of the entire "Native American" population said it's cool so end of discussion.

[Ricky Spanish]

It is undeniably a racial slur.  It's origins and usage suggests this.  Whether or not it is offensive, it is still a racial slur...

 

edit: also the majority of Native Americans may not care, but many do.  Why should those that do have to put up with a racial slur for a football team name?

 

Just playing Devil's advocate here:

 

Why do they have to "put up" with the team if they are going to keep using the name? They have every right to not support the Redskins franchise based on their own personal opinions and beliefs just like the people who chose not to buy Chik-fil-a because the owner or whatever isn't a fan of booty bandits. 

[Gucci Mane]

Washington Cracker-honkies

[Edward Teach]

I haven't seen anyone mention that it is very "ironic" that Native Americans (Inuits) were treated poorly by "Washington" historically. They broke treaties with almost every tribe they made agreements with. So, now, they are "honored" by being "represented" by a football team located in the great capital city that is named a racial slur. Why wouldn't natives feel honored?

Look up Keith Olberman's treatise on the history behind the naming of the team. They were named not to honor Native Americans, but because they were once paired with the Boston Braves (baseball) and played in the same stadium. When they moved to Fenway Park, they wanted to change from Braves (Red Socks fans wouldn't support a team named after the cross town rivals), so they picked a name that sounded similar to Red Socks: the Redskins. There was no honorable naming of the team. The owner did it to make more money.

[mav1234]

Just playing Devil's advocate here:

 

Why do they have to "put up" with the team if they are going to keep using the name? They have every right to not support the Redskins franchise based on their own personal opinions and beliefs just like the people who chose not to buy Chik-fil-a because the owner or whatever isn't a fan of booty bandits. 

 

because if they are fans of football at all, they're going to be exposed to the name pretty frequently.

 

even if they aren't, the team is in the press frequently.  it's not just a matter of "ignoring" or "not supporting" the team.

[Ricky Spanish]

because if they are fans of football at all, they're going to be exposed to the name pretty frequently.

 

even if they aren't, the team is in the press frequently.  it's not just a matter of "ignoring" or "not supporting" the team.

 

The entire thing is a unique situation with very few things to draw parallels between. Some make the argument that it is equivalent to N-star-star-star-star-r, but it does not seem to be, because that word is universally recognized as a derogatory term, wherein "redskin" is looked at as just another term for Native Americans for good number of people, and a slur for, what seems like, a very loud Minority (I  could be wrong, but from what I've seen and read, Most Native Americans don't care).

 

The only similar thing I can make a comparison to would be that some people don't like being called "black" and look at it as derogatory. They prefer to be called 'African-American'. Is "black people" considered a derogatory term to most? No. But there are still people that are offended by it. 

 

Again, playing Devil's advocate. I see both sides to the argument and maintain that if it is indeed recognized as a derogatory and racial slur towards Native Americans by a Majority, I'm all for changing it. I'm just too ignorant of the Native American culture to make a call one way or another.

[JJT]

How about the Washington Commies?

 

[Captain Morgan]

I remember back in the 90s when DC led the nation in murders and there was talking of re-named the

Bullets to something more appropriate.....the Maryland Bullets.

 

 

I can't remember how the joke went exactly

[mav1234]

The entire thing is a unique situation with very few things to draw parallels between. Some make the argument that it is equivalent to N-star-star-star-star-r, but it does not seem to be, because that word is universally recognized as a derogatory term, wherein "redskin" is looked at as just another term for Native Americans for good number of people, and a slur for, what seems like, a very loud Minority (I  could be wrong, but from what I've seen and read, Most Native Americans don't care).

 

The only similar thing I can make a comparison to would be that some people don't like being called "black" and look at it as derogatory. They prefer to be called 'African-American'. Is "black people" considered a derogatory term to most? No. But there are still people that are offended by it. 

 

Again, playing Devil's advocate. I see both sides to the argument and maintain that if it is indeed recognized as a derogatory and racial slur towards Native Americans by a Majority, I'm all for changing it. I'm just too ignorant of the Native American culture to make a call one way or another.

 

1) I don't think black people is similar at all.  I don't know anyone that considers black people a racial slur, just potentially insulting as it categories based on skin color... but I know several native americans that consider redskins a racial slur.

2) Nobody is going to name a national football team "The Blackskins," "The Blacks", "Negroes," or even "Black People."

3) It's not just some extremely small vocal minority, it's quite a sizable portion of native americans.  see this list from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Redskins_name_controversy#Native_Americans_and_organizations_opposed:

The following groups have passed resolutions or issued statements regarding their opposition to the name of the Washington NFL team:

Tribes

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians[148]

Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma[148]

Comanche Nation of Oklahoma[148]

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Washington)[148]

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Michigan)

Hoh Indian Tribe[149]

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona[150]

Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes[151]

Juaneño Band of Mission Indians (California)[148]

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Michigan)

Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe (Michigan)[152]

Menominee Tribe of Indians (Wisconsin)[148]

Oneida Indian Nation (New York)[153]

Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin[148]

Navajo Nation Council[92]

Penobscot Nation[154]

Poarch Band of Creek Indians[155]

Samish Indian Nation (Washington)[156]

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan)[157]

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Idaho)[158]

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (North Dakota)

The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (North Dakota)[159]

United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)[160]

Organizations

Advocates for American Indian Children (California)

American Indian Mental Health Association (Minnesota)

American Indian Movement[161]

American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center of San Bernardino County

American Indian Student Services at the Ohio State University

American Indian High Education Consortium

American Indian College Fund

Americans for Indian Opportunity

Association on American Indian Affairs

Buncombe County Native American Inter-tribal Association (North Carolina)

Capitol Area Indian Resources (Sacramento, CA)

Concerned American Indian Parents (Minnesota)

Council for Indigenous North Americans (University of Southern Maine)

Eagle and Condor Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance

First Peoples Worldwide

Fontana Native American Indian Center, Inc. (California)

Governor’s Interstate Indian Council

Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission

Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (Wisconsin)

HONOR – Honor Our Neighbors Origins and Rights

Kansas Association for Native American Education

Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs

Medicine Wheel Inter-tribal Association (Louisiana)

Minnesota Indian Education Association

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

National Indian Child Welfare Association

National Indian Education Association

National Indian Youth Council

National Native American Law Student Association

Native American Caucus of the California Democratic Party

Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA)[162]

Native American Journalists Association[163]

Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio

Native American Journalists Association

Native American Rights Fund (NARF)

Native Voice Network

Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi (Michigan)

North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs

North Dakota Indian Education Association

Office of Native American Ministry, Diocese of Grand Rapids (Michigan)

Ohio Center for Native American Affairs

San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Native American Community Council

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas

Southern California Indian Center

St. Cloud State University – American Indian Center

Tennessee Chapter of the National Coalition for the Preservation of Indigenous Cultures

Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs

Tennessee Native Veterans Society

Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism[164]

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Unified Coalition for American Indian Concerns, Virginia

The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma

Virginia American Indian Cultural Resource Center

Wisconsin Indian Education Association

WIEA “Indian” Mascot and Logo Taskforce (Wisconsin)

Woodland Indian Community Center-Lansing (Michigan)

Youth “Indian” Mascot and Logo Task force (Wisconsin)

Individuals

These prominent Native Americans have put their opposition to the Redskins' name on the public record:

Sherman Alexie (author, Spokane)[165]

Notah Begay (Navajo, PGA pro golfer) called the Redskins' name "a very clear example of institutionalized degradation of an ethnic minority."[166]

Clyde Bellecourt (Ojibwe, co-founder of the American Indian Movement)[167]

Bob Burns (Blackfeet elder)[168]

Vine Deloria, Jr. (Sioux, historian/author)[169]

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne, U.S. Senator)[170]

Kevin Gover (Pawnee, director of The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian)[171]

Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee, author/activist)[172]

Litefoot (Cherokee/Chichimeca, rapper) ironically celebrates Native American team names as "recreational genocide" on the track 'Stereotipik'.[173]

Russell Means (Oglala Lakota, activist/actor)[174]

Billy Mills (Sioux, Olympic gold medal winner)[175]

Ted Nolan (First Nations Ojibway, NHL player and coach)[176]

Buford Rolin (Creek tribal chairman)[177]

Shoni Schimmel (Umatilla, Louisville Cardinals guard, class of 2015)[178]

Charlene Teters (Spokane, artist/lecturer)[179]

W. Richard West Jr. (Cheyenne) - President of the Autry National Center in Los Angeles: Redskin is "an openly derogatory term. It always is and it always has been.” West also characterizes the Original American's Foundation as an "attempt to divert attention from the fact that his team’s nickname is coming under increasing heat from people who think it’s an offensive racial term."[180]