The article i read can can be found here:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/paper-calls-out-%E2%80%98niggerhead%E2%80%99-uses-%E2%80%98redskins%E2%80%99-in-adjacent-story/
This is a concern for the American Indians because they feel that racism for them is accepted. Do you believe the Washington redskins name and logo are offensive? And do you believe that publishers should refrain from using the term "redskins"?
I think the Washington Redskins name and logo is offensive. The logo furthers belief that Native American people in this day in age are violent and do not accept our culture. I think the name is offensive because during the time that Native American tribes were put on reservations, they were referred to as "redskins". Using other racial slurs is now considered taboo in pur society. We think it's wrong to remind people of their past oppressions by using the insulting names their oppressors used to keep them down. And yet it's okay to still say "redskin" while referring to a Native American person. The publishers should refrain from using that term because it is going against a Native American citizen's right to be treated equally. If we are going to a taboo racial slurs, we should stop using all of them and not just some.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the redskin's logo and name are meant to be offensive because now-a-days there are not too many people that would try to offend Native Americans in the first place. I do not see the logo as offensive at all because it is depicting a Native American without blowing stereotypes way out of proportion. There are much more offensive logo's in sports associating with Native Americans. Take the Cleveland Indians for example. It has a bright red smiling Native American on it. The red skins name however is only a little bit offensive because I feel that they are not trying to hurt anyone by having that as their name.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura. I think that the term "redskin" is very offensive because it is stereotyping a certain group of people having red skin. For example people in society today don't use racial slurs towards any other group, unless it is out of the public eye and even there it is not accepted. The Washington Redskins is broad casted all across the United States to not only football fans but to children. Children might think that it's okay to start calling other people this and Native Americans take it very offensive. Also I believe the logo is very offensive considering not all Native Americans walk around with feathers always in their hair like everyone stereotypes them to do. Also Native Americans do not have a reddish tint to their skin like the picture shows. I believe that the publishers should not use "redskins" because it offends a certain groups and is very raciest towards them.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Alyssa and I like what Laura said that we should stop using all racial slurs instead of just some. I think that the Redskins logo is really offensive towards Native Americans. It is very stereotypical to show a Native American with the feather and the deep red skin. Stereotyping is just another form of racism, sexism, etc. so people could definitely get the wrong idea about Native Americans from looking at the logo. If a child sees the image, and they find out it is of a native American, all they know about native Americans comes from that one name and image. In the early 20th century, "blackface" acting was very popular. It was made so white people could look like stereotypical black people, which was very racist and was eventually stopped. So why isn't it racist to depict a Native American in a stereotypical way? I think that the name and especially the logo should be changed. I do not know what they can change it to, but hopefully to something that is not racist.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex. In my opinion I don't think that Native American racism is as prevalent as it used to be. There are so little remaining that I don't think it is a big deal. That may sound like a rude thing to say but who even officially stated that the logo was meant to resemble a real Indian? I mean yes it is offense to be portraying a Native American like the logo does and it'd be a more accepted if their were more team names that depicted other races in an untrue manner, but it's just a team name. With what Alyssa was saying about the fact that Native American's don't all walk around with feathers in their hair but could some tell me where they got the idea? I'm sure it's historical. I know if I was depicted something I just discovered I wouldn't add something to it if it was never really there. Some must have seen a Native American with a feather in their hair. The logo is stereotyping Native Americans. It's just a logo and people have to treat it as a logo. The logo doesn't exactly represent the Native American being savage or animalistic.
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ReplyDeleteI defiantly agree with Laura, Alyssa, and David. The Washington “redskin” and the logo are very offensive to the Native American culture and should be changed. According to our constitution, our nation is made up of individuals that are all equal to each other; however, to me, the term redskin and the stereotypical appearance of the Native Americans belittles them and makes the Indians seem inferior to us. As Alex brought up, the Cleveland Indians logo is depicted in a less slandering way, yet an Indian is still used as a mascot. I do not believe that it is morally right to have a social group be a mascot for a team and a target for stereotypes and embarrassment. Even though we are not trying to make fun of their culture and the Native American individuals, I think that we indirectly offend them just by having them as a mascot to begin with. I think that in order to keep everyone thought of as equals, certain social groups such as the Native Americans should not be depicted in ways that make people think of them as inferior or less human than white people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren, Laura, Alyssa and David. I think the logo and name are very offensive. Just because there aren't that many Native Americans left, doesn't mean there aren't any. They are still here and were here way before us. I don't think that the term "Indians" should even be used. The term American Indian would be okay because it specifies where they are from and how they are from our country, just like all of us. Even though they are a different race, we shouldn't be able to use them as a mascot. People would never make a team called "The White Europeans" with a picture of a pioneer as their mascot. This is what we are doing to them. Like Lauren said, we are indirectly offending them. I don't think the people on the Indian's team are meaning to be offensive, but it is still there. I agree that people should also stop using the term "redskins". It is offensive and kind of dumb because their skin isn't red. I agree with this for all races. Native Americans aren't the only ones being discriminated towards. There is still racism toward many people in the United States, but people know not to publish it as much. Nobody now would write and publish an article about an African American in a really negative way anymore, and they shouldn't with Native Americans either.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jurnee and Alex, I don't think that the picture is racist or mean or anything like that. Yes, it is a stereotypical Native American, but that's all it is. There are Native Americans who look like that and its just a depiction of them. I think Alex's example of the Indians' logo is a good example of a worse depiction because its exaggerating certain aspects of Native Americans like the bright red skin. Redskins can be taken as offensive but I don't think its a big deal as a sports team name as long as you're not calling anyone a redskin. I don't think publishers should refrain from using Redskins because its the team's name. Unless the team changes their name that's what they should be referred to as.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex that the Washington Redskins logo is not that offensive. At least it does accurately depict what an "Indian" looks like as opposed to the Cleveland Indians logo. The Redskins logo is pretty detailed and looks like a stereotypical Indian. The Cleveland's logo is a cartoon of a smiling Indian with vibrant red skin and plain feather. That logo seems more offensive and disrespectful than Washington's. But I do agree that the name "redskin" is more offensive. But also at the same time, I feel like it is just referring to someone by the color of their skin. It's like calling a Caucasian white, or an African-American black. So I don't think publishers should refrain from using the word. I also agree with Jurnee that both of these logos don't depict Native Americans negatively in the sense of their violence and savagery of the past. It's just showing what a stereotypical Native American looks like. It's not that bad. The Redskins have been around since 1932. They are a traditional American football team and if they were to change the name and/or logo, it would have been a while ago. Racism towards Native Americans isn't a major problem anymore compared to in the past.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the Washington Redskins logo was intended to be offensive but I agree that it comes off as extremely offensive. These names have existed for many years though and I do not see them changing anytime soon. There would never been a sports team with the name the blacks or the white which I think is equal to being called the "Redskins". It is very similar to the name the Cleveland Indians, their symbol happens to be a picture of an Indian that looks very odd looking and not like a Native American but more like a funny comic picture. As a very intense sports fan honestly I forget teams like the Redskins and Indians are even mocking a culture I just think of them as a football and baseball team. I do believe that people have a very good point in arguing how this is not fair to the true natives of this country but no matter how long they fight this battle I don’t think you will ever see a new name on the Washington football jerseys. The people who think that the name is not offensive is the white fans who buy the shirts and the seats at the game. Until people feel the sympathy for the natives and think about how they will feel instead of not wanting to change tradition.
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