Washington Redskins name.

[Brian37]

DAMN IT I LOVE THE LEFT AND THEIR INTENT, but this shit pisses me off. Words change over time. The word "gay" originally meant "happy". It went on later to become a pejorative to demonize homosexuals. Yet today, gays are not demanding people not call them gay. I am an atheist, the word itself invokes visions of immorality and bad and evil in the minds of theists. I am not going to abandon the term because of the baggage of asshole bigots.

Now, I grew up in the DC area. So I grew up a Redskins fan. If anyone seriously thinks I view that word in a bigoted manor can go fuck themselves. I am an atheist. I don't assume because the word "atheist" IS used by many theists as a slur to demonize me by equating me being godlless to Po Pot or Stalin, that means ALL theists see the word "atheist' as evil, anymore than gays who use the word gay use it in the same way the people who use it as a slur do.

The Redskins name to ME is one of pride, one of toughness. I always saw them as the underdog, especially growing up hating the over hyped "America's team" the Cowboys. The name to me is one of David vs Goliath, and by no means TO ME having anything doing with bigotry at all. The thing I always loved about going to the games, when I had the money, is that it unified us. A fellow Redskins fan, unless in a luxury box, you could not tell what the person sitting next to you did for a living. You could have a lawyer sitting next to a truck driver, next to me, at the time, a 7-11 store clerk. You could have a republican sitting next to a democrat and at least for 3 hours, there was no politics. You could have a baptist sitting next to me, a catholic at the time. I even saw a Redskins catalog with a SIKH with a burgundy turban on pictured in the stands.

I loved them as a kid because they represented the fight in the little guy, the pride in the little guy. I think Native Americans do pluralism a disservice by not understanding that TIMES DO CHANGE and so do words. Otherwise, if you insist on times not changing, then argue with gays over the history of that word.

We can remember history without using guilt by association. Otherwise I'd call myself a Humanist because of the THOUSANDS of years theists have demonized non believers with the slur "atheist".

[John V]

DAMN IT I LOVE THE LEFT AND THEIR INTENT, but this shit pisses me off. Words change over time. The word "gay" originally meant "happy". It went on later to become a pejorative to demonize homosexuals. Yet today, gays are not demanding people not call them gay. I am an atheist, the word itself invokes visions of immorality and bad and evil in the minds of theists. I am not going to abandon the term because of the baggage of asshole bigots.

Yes, you're a bigot. You should advocate changing the team name to Dancing Queens.

The Redskins name to ME is one of pride, one of toughness. I always saw them as the underdog, especially growing up hating the over hyped "America's team" the Cowboys. The name to me is one of David vs Goliath, and by no means TO ME having anything doing with bigotry at all. The thing I always loved about going to the games, when I had the money, is that it unified us. A fellow Redskins fan, unless in a luxury box, you could not tell what the person sitting next to you did for a living. You could have a lawyer sitting next to a truck driver, next to me, at the time, a 7-11 store clerk. You could have a republican sitting next to a democrat and at least for 3 hours, there was no politics. You could have a baptist sitting next to me, a catholic at the time. I even saw a Redskins catalog with a SIKH with a burgundy turban on pictured in the stands.

As a 7-11 clerk, you had the money. Now, you don't. Are you now homeless, typing this crap on a computer in the public library? Whiskey tango, who has less money than a 7-11 clerk?

[Brian37]

DAMN IT I LOVE THE LEFT AND THEIR INTENT, but this shit pisses me off. Words change over time. The word "gay" originally meant "happy". It went on later to become a pejorative to demonize homosexuals. Yet today, gays are not demanding people not call them gay. I am an atheist, the word itself invokes visions of immorality and bad and evil in the minds of theists. I am not going to abandon the term because of the baggage of asshole bigots.

Yes, you're a bigot. You should advocate changing the team name to Dancing Queens.

The Redskins name to ME is one of pride, one of toughness. I always saw them as the underdog, especially growing up hating the over hyped "America's team" the Cowboys. The name to me is one of David vs Goliath, and by no means TO ME having anything doing with bigotry at all. The thing I always loved about going to the games, when I had the money, is that it unified us. A fellow Redskins fan, unless in a luxury box, you could not tell what the person sitting next to you did for a living. You could have a lawyer sitting next to a truck driver, next to me, at the time, a 7-11 store clerk. You could have a republican sitting next to a democrat and at least for 3 hours, there was no politics. You could have a baptist sitting next to me, a catholic at the time. I even saw a Redskins catalog with a SIKH with a burgundy turban on pictured in the stands.

As a 7-11 clerk, you had the money. Now, you don't. Are you now homeless, typing this crap on a computer in the public library? Whiskey tango, who has less money than a 7-11 clerk?

I am a dishwasher now. But what does that have to do with the Redskins name?

[Minimalist]

I posted this in another thread but it belongs here.

Got this from a guy at Archaeologica.

just got an email stating that "The US government insists that the NFL disassociate from Indian mascots such as the Washington Redskins.

Therefore in compliance with their wishes, the Washington Redskins will now be known as The Washington Foreskins in honor of all the pricks in Washington.

[Jackalope]

Rumor has it that native Americans are insisting on a name change because the Redskins are an embarrasment.

I can't say I blame them - who would want to be associated with a bunch of incompetents?

[Minimalist]

With all the real problems that are endemic on Indian reservations:

highest rate of school drop outs (about 54%),
highest rate of child mortality,
highest rate of suicide
highest rate of teenage suicide ( 18.5 per 100,000),
highest rate of teenage pregnancy,
lowest life expectancy ( 55 years)

Drug abuse and alcoholism have become mass problems among the American Indians (in some reservations eight families out of ten have problems with alcoholism) and unfortunately among their children, too. For those the confrontation with unemployment, environmental destruction, the decay of the reservations and the lack of positive future prospects and leisure time activities to distract them situation, are probably hard to bear.

Caused or at least promoted by drug abuse, there is a lot of crime in the reservations and outside of which the American Indians (especially children) are victims and offenders (especially young adults) at the same rate: Domestic violence, rape, child abuse and child neglect are reported to take place very often in the reservations, with the estimated number of unknown cases being very high.

I just find it hard to take them seriously when this is the issue they hang their hats on. Fix what's broken, fellas.

[John V]

I am a dishwasher now.

[c172]

I want some potatoes. *grrrowl*

[rexbeccarox]

I think that words are given far more power than is necessary. If the "Redskins" themselves, presumably the native Americans of the area, don't object, then I don't see the problem.

---

Oh, and John V, you're an elitist dick.

[Chas]

To show respect for history and for what is held in highest esteem in Washington, D.C., I suggest they change the name to "Washington Wampum".