Washington Football Team

Stephen Pevar against the Washington Football Team Nickname

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here, from the ACLU blog. An excerpt:

Think of a vile name that you were called by bullies at school based on your religion, your race, your country of origin, or some other characteristic. How did it make you feel? If I call you by the same name but tell you that my intention is to honor you by using it, will you feel honored just because I say so, or would you suggest that I find another way to show my appreciation?

“Redskin” is a vile name. It’s a name that people who hate American Indians often call them. Every dictionary defines “Redskins” as being offensive, derogatory and a racial epithet. Even with the best intentions, naming a sports team the New York Kikes, the Seattle Slant Eyes, the Atlanta Niggers, or the Washington Redskins will likely offend the very group you want to honor. And they’re the ones who should know if the name is an honor or not.

The ACLU is a champion of free speech. The issue here isn’t whether Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins has a right to call his team anything he wants. He does. The issue is whether he should perpetuate racism.

Sen. Dorgan in USA Today: Time to Change Washington Football Team Nickname

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

NYTs on Origins of Washington’s Football Team Name and Logo

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

WaPo: D.C. Council Calls Out Washington Football Team Nickname

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

An excerpt:

“Enough is enough — the name must go,” said David Grosso (I-At Large), who first introduced the name-change resolution in May.

The version of the “Sense of the Council to Rename the Washington National Football League Team Resolution of 2013” approved by the council was worded less strongly than the original, which called the team name “insulting and debasing.” But Grosso pulled few punches in comments on the council dais.

The notion that the “Redskins” name should be kept as a symbol of the team’s heritage, he said, “is akin to saying to the Native American people . . . your pain has less worth than our football memories.”

David Grosso is a hero to Turtle Talk.

Christine Haight Farley on Trademark Law and the Washington Football Team’s Trademarks

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here.

An excerpt:

The term used by the Washington football team has been demonstrated by overwhelming linguistic and historical evidence to constitute a disparaging epithet insulting to Native Americans.  Many Native American organizations, including the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Education Association, the Native American Journalists Association, the Native American Rights Fund, the Morning Star Institute, the International Indian Treaty Council, and the National Indian Youth Council, have publicly and vociferously opposed the continued use of the term in trademarks or as the name of sports teams.  The director of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian has said he considers that name to be the most offensive name in current use.  The trademark office tribunal was satisfied by survey evidence that showed that 37 percent of the Native Americans surveyed found the word the team uses as their name to be offensive.

US Rep Betty McCollum Letter Regarding Washington Team Mascot Name; AIM Press Release & Manifesto

Victoria Sweet

Congresswoman Betty McCollum has released a letter to the major parties involved in the movement to ban the Washington Football Team name and mascot from the Metrodome November 7.

McCollum Letter to Minnesota Sports Facilities(1)

In addition, the American Indian Movement and the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media have sent out a press release on the same topic.

Press Release Oct 22

This is a copy of the Manifesto referred to in the press release.

Mascot Manifesto