Saturday, June 21, 2014

From Redskins to Natives in the Flash of a Name Change

   Would a team adopt a disparaging nickname? Say, would they call themselves the Washington Stupids or the Washington Disfunctionals? No, when you pick a nickname, you pick one you can wear with pride.
   Unfortunately, even if the Washington Redskins like their name, a good share of Native Americans consider the term offensive. Indeed, the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary says the word "redskin" is offensive and should be avoided.
   If, per chance, you named your team the Stupids before you found out it was offensive, you would be so embarrassed you would change the name as quick as you could. So, I guess the Washington Redskins ought to change their name.
   How about calling them the Washington Natives? The city already has the Nationals in MLB. The shortened version could be Nats for both teams. No, that isn't a reference to the insect, so it should not be considered derogatory.

2 comments:

  1. How about Washington Politicians?

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  2. Funny no one would ever name their team that. Or would they at least name it something close? We had the Washington Senators once. Your comment actually brings up a valid point. Just as "redskin" is considered disparaging by some, so is "politician." Society allows us to use the term "politician," even though it is often used in a derogatory fashion.

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