[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by over the mountain

I just listened to Amanda Blackhorse and the Redskins trademark attorney on the junkies.

I am leaning towards the position that we need to change our name.

She said no native american calls each other the R word and that the largest Native American governing body calls the name disparaging and wants the name changed.

The redskins attorney radzoch (sp?) just sounded bad. He said while the term "redskin" may be disparaging in some contexts, you must view the word in the context that the football team is using it - honor.

when asked if he would call a native american a redskin to his face - he waffled and never answered.

If the largest governing body of Native Americans dont like it, if you wouldnt call a native american a redskin to his or her face and native americans dont call themselves redskin = disparaging.

Who are we as non-native americans to tell them what to think or feel or try and play spin doctor by saying we use the word with honor.

You want to honor native americans? honor their voice and change the name.

Pointing to historical context of the word from 1814 for justification of the use of the word in 2014 is grasping for straws.

In 2014:
The largest native American governing body wants it changed.
Native Americans don't call themselves the R word.
You wouldn't call a Native American a redskin to their face.

All that pride and honor and historical roots talk is just us telling native americans we know whats best for them more than they do for themselves. Thats a down right prejudicial and demeaning approach.

There is a certain 'segment' of the population who simply feel that their world vision is the only one that matters and that everyone who doesn't agree with it needs to just get over it. "It's just a word! Whatever happened was years ago! Why can't we just move on?" They feel that anyone who is offended 'by a word' is just a limp wristed pansy-ass who needs to pull up their big boy britches and grow the hell up.

These are the same tough guys who wouldn't dare walk up to a Native American or into a Native American setting and use or try to defend the use of the term Redskin.