As usual, I skimmed through the Columbus Dispatch letters-to-the-editor today. I'm not even sure why I do this any more. Perhaps I want to believe people in central Ohio suddenly brightened up over night. Perhaps these "letters" are my daytime talk shows, and after reading them, I pull out my Stuart Smalley card and say, "I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, people like me." Perhaps I'm just a masochist. In any case, I stumbled upon another "winner" of a letter today. The piece was written by one Peggy McDonald of Powell, and entitled, "‘Redskins’ name for team is an honor, not a slur." Yes, it only gets better from there.
Here's the letter:
"Regarding the campaign to change the name of the Washington Redskins: First of all, I have the utmost respect for Native Americans. However, this name-change idea has just gone too far.
I’ve lived a long, wonderful life and some of the most outrageous things are happening in this country. Pushing to change the Redskins’ name is one of them. Where do we stop, as there are more and more? Just to name a few: Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, Golden State Warriors — and, since I am Irish, I might claim the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is an insult. Where does this stupidity stop?
I feel Native Americans should be honored to be a part of a big sports team’s name, instead of insulted. If they were called the Washington Kennedys, wouldn’t it be an honor? Of course. I feel great respect for any names referring to our great Native Americans who are such a part of our heritage and a part of this great country’s history."
Hmm... I find it incredibly ironic that this woman claims to have lived a "long, wonderful life," and uses this experience in an attempt to teach the world about history, yet it appears as if she needs a history lesson herself. Also, not only does she need a history lesson, but she needs a lesson on fallacies as well.
Ms. McDonald's comparisons are laughable, they're so ridiculous, and is guilty of false equivalency. The term "chief" is not derogatory. How some of the team's fans dress up and mock Native Americans with the tomahawk chop is another story all together. The Cleveland "Indians'" name is just silly. If they were labeled as the American Indians or the Native Americans, I may change my tune. However, the last time I checked, Christopher Columbus was wrong about this country being India. So, once again, how some fans mock Native Americans through their costumes and cheers is more derogatory than the team name itself. I won't even touch on the Golden State Warriors comparison since it's so ludicrous. I can't help but comment on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish comparison, however. How is that at all similar, Ms. McDonald? So, if a team were called the District of Columbia Fighting Americans, this would be similar in the level of offensiveness to the Washington "Redskins"? Now, if Notre Dame's nickname happened to be a derogatory term for Irish, that would be different. If they were called the Notre Dame Fighting "Taigs," Ms. McDonald would have an argument. However, that's not the case, so she doesn't.
That's the main problem with Ms. McDonald's argument (and others like her). Since 1826, the term "Redskins" has largely been used in a derogatory manner toward Native Americans - to showcase them as being inferior. In 1890 and 1891, author Frank Baum even went a step further in some newspaper editorials, when he wrote this: "(With regard to Sitting Bull's death in 1890) With his fall the nobility of the Redskin is extinguished, and what few are left are a pack of whining curs who lick the hand that smites them."
Should Native Americans truly feel respected by being represented as a derogatory caricature of themselves through the use of an ethnic slur such as "Redskins"?
Should women feel respected if a new team arose by the name of the Brooklyn "Broads"?
Should homosexuals feel respected if a team by the name of the Queens "Queers" debuted?
Should African-Americans feel respected if a team by the name of the Chattanooga "Coons" joined a professional sports league?
Just because a group of people is being represented by a professional sports team doesn't mean they're accurately being represented and should feel respected due to it. It's quite sad that, of all the "outrageous" things that are going on in this country at the moment, she feels that tackling racism is tops on that very list.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2014/06/18/1-redskins-name-is-honor.html
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/jun/04/pete-hegseth/pundit-claims-redskins-historically-used-term-resp/
Here's the letter:
"Regarding the campaign to change the name of the Washington Redskins: First of all, I have the utmost respect for Native Americans. However, this name-change idea has just gone too far.
I’ve lived a long, wonderful life and some of the most outrageous things are happening in this country. Pushing to change the Redskins’ name is one of them. Where do we stop, as there are more and more? Just to name a few: Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, Golden State Warriors — and, since I am Irish, I might claim the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is an insult. Where does this stupidity stop?
I feel Native Americans should be honored to be a part of a big sports team’s name, instead of insulted. If they were called the Washington Kennedys, wouldn’t it be an honor? Of course. I feel great respect for any names referring to our great Native Americans who are such a part of our heritage and a part of this great country’s history."
Hmm... I find it incredibly ironic that this woman claims to have lived a "long, wonderful life," and uses this experience in an attempt to teach the world about history, yet it appears as if she needs a history lesson herself. Also, not only does she need a history lesson, but she needs a lesson on fallacies as well.
Ms. McDonald's comparisons are laughable, they're so ridiculous, and is guilty of false equivalency. The term "chief" is not derogatory. How some of the team's fans dress up and mock Native Americans with the tomahawk chop is another story all together. The Cleveland "Indians'" name is just silly. If they were labeled as the American Indians or the Native Americans, I may change my tune. However, the last time I checked, Christopher Columbus was wrong about this country being India. So, once again, how some fans mock Native Americans through their costumes and cheers is more derogatory than the team name itself. I won't even touch on the Golden State Warriors comparison since it's so ludicrous. I can't help but comment on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish comparison, however. How is that at all similar, Ms. McDonald? So, if a team were called the District of Columbia Fighting Americans, this would be similar in the level of offensiveness to the Washington "Redskins"? Now, if Notre Dame's nickname happened to be a derogatory term for Irish, that would be different. If they were called the Notre Dame Fighting "Taigs," Ms. McDonald would have an argument. However, that's not the case, so she doesn't.
That's the main problem with Ms. McDonald's argument (and others like her). Since 1826, the term "Redskins" has largely been used in a derogatory manner toward Native Americans - to showcase them as being inferior. In 1890 and 1891, author Frank Baum even went a step further in some newspaper editorials, when he wrote this: "(With regard to Sitting Bull's death in 1890) With his fall the nobility of the Redskin is extinguished, and what few are left are a pack of whining curs who lick the hand that smites them."
Should Native Americans truly feel respected by being represented as a derogatory caricature of themselves through the use of an ethnic slur such as "Redskins"?
Should women feel respected if a new team arose by the name of the Brooklyn "Broads"?
Should homosexuals feel respected if a team by the name of the Queens "Queers" debuted?
Should African-Americans feel respected if a team by the name of the Chattanooga "Coons" joined a professional sports league?
Just because a group of people is being represented by a professional sports team doesn't mean they're accurately being represented and should feel respected due to it. It's quite sad that, of all the "outrageous" things that are going on in this country at the moment, she feels that tackling racism is tops on that very list.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2014/06/18/1-redskins-name-is-honor.html
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/jun/04/pete-hegseth/pundit-claims-redskins-historically-used-term-resp/
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