My Opinion

After a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that the Redskin name should not be dropped. Yes, I understand the name could be offensive to some people, but at the same time, is it really that offensive? I was listening to one video where a person that they liked the Redskin nickname because it honored the Native Americans. I feel that there are different ways to interpret the matter just like anything else in life. If this is offensive to people, then I feel 90 percent of all the other sport nicknames are offensive. For example, let’s take a look at all of the sport teams that are named after animals. I would be willing to bet that there are tons of people who find that offensive because they are against animal cruelty and find this wrong. Then in college, there are the Miami Hurricanes. People have died due to Hurricanes. Personally I think that could be offensive. So where do you draw the line? If they continue to ban these names and get rid of them it will just continue to create controversy over other names. If the word Redskin is offensive then I don’t see any reason why Indians isn’t offensive. I just don’t see the huge deal with it that everyone is making, but at the end of the day it’s not my decision. I will say this though, in life it often comes down to the important factor of money. A few years back, Irondequoit High School was offered a million dollars to change their nickname, and take a guess what they did. They changed the name and with that being said they had enough money to build a turf sport complex. So at the end of the day if the price is right, I guess people will feel the need to change the name. I just really feel that the Redskin name does not need to be dropped.

Keith McShea and David DeLuca on the Name Change

McShea, Keith. "Prep Talk." Watch PrepTalkTV Week Six: Alden Coach Currin & QB Stoldt Visit; Review Live Chat. The Buffalo News, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

What Should Lancaster do?

Not only is the Redskin controversy going on at the National level, but also at the local level. Lancaster High School, a high school very close to us here at Alden has quite the debate on their hands. Should they change the name or keep it? Local newspaper journalists have weighed in on the topic. Here is a video by the Buffalo News from June on the possibility of the Redskins changing their name. http://video.buffalonews.com/?video=2555413377001 Lancaster High School is looking into the matter at hand. This has created a lot of talk with people throughout the community on social media sites especially. Keith McShea, a high school sports columnist for the Buffalo News weighed in his thoughts on the topic about two months ago. Keith mentioned how he feels that the name is offensive, and it should be changed. A major reason for why he feels this way is due to the amount of schools that have changed the name over the country. He said “I believe over 100 high schools have changed their name.” On camera, he also mentioned how he had received tons of emails and tweets for and against the name. As time went on, some of the tweets had to be removed because they were becoming inappropriate. Now, his coworker, Mary Jo Monnin also weighed in on the topic, but she went a different direction with it. She said how she is completely against a name change, and she feels this is a ridiculous idea. It is clear that there a many mixed views on this, and it will be interesting to see what the Lancaster school district decides to do. McShea, Keith. "BuffaloNews.com." BuffaloNews.com. The Buffalo News, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.

The Washington Redskins at the National Level

A major issue right now that has created a lot of controversy in the National spotlight is the term “Redskin.” Should sport teams be able to use the term “Redskin” as their team name? There is a professional football team by the name of the Washington Redskins. Many people find this very insulting and feel that they should be forced to change their name. Then there are other people who value tradition so much, and those people think the name should not be changed. The Oneida Indian Nation in upstate New York has started a major campaign to change the name of the Washington Redskins. In early September, they started a radio ad to urge the NFL to change the name. The ad consisted of commending the NFL for how they handled the situation of racial issue that happened earlier in summer with an NFL player making racial gestures. Riley Cooper, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles was caught on camera making obscured comments. The NFL did not turn a blind eye to it, and they handled the situation. The Native Americans were happy with this, but now they want the NFL to go a step further. They find that the name is very offensive to them. There are some publications that will refuse to use the term “Redskin” when talking about the Washington Redskins. They now refer to them as the “Washington Team.” These publications include The New Republic and Mother Jones. Peter king, a famous Sports Writer has also chimed in by saying that he will no longer use the team name. Another major figure who said he wouldn’t be against a name change is President Obama. He was quoted saying that “I don’t know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real, legitimate concerns that people have about these things.” He also added that if he was the owner he would consider a name change. With all that being said, the decision that would make the most sense would seem to be changing the name right? Well not so fast, there are many people who feel that this name is not offensive, and the name should NOT be changed. In June, the Washington Post did a poll and it showed that 8 out of every 10 people felt that the Redskins should not change their name. Many people feel that this is such a value of their tradition, and the name should not be changed. Other people feel that the name really shouldn’t bother people. Regardless of the reason, Washington Redskin Owner, Daniel Snyder has made it clear that he does not want to change the name. “We’ll never change the name” Snyder said. There are many ways to look at this matter. At the end of the day, I would say this is going to come down to what the Leaders of the NFL, and what the Leaders of the Washington Redskin organization feel about the matter. Here is a link to a video on the topic. http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/8/change_the_mascot_pressure_grows_for Here are some links to related articles on the topic. http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/09/220654611/are-you-ready-for-some-controversy-the-history-of-redskin http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=219725273 http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/redskins/2013/11/12/president-obama-oneida-indians-washington-nfl/3511001/ http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/14/opinion/smith-jfk-redskins/ bibliography "News & Conversations." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete "USA TODAY: Latest World and US News." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Website