Dear Editor,
Casey Harper’s notion (“Redskins need a new name,” Oct.10) of a professional football team in our nation’s capital operating under a name other than “Redskins” is preposterous. One of the NFL’s most storied franchises, the Washington Redskins have honored Native Americans for eight decades and counting. Their timeless logo features a strong, stoic Indian chief poised for battle. The logo is in no way clownish or disrespectful. Paying athletes millions of dollars to proudly represent the Redskins’ name and legacy in America’s most popular spectator sport does nothing but honor American Indian culture. Are we really too oversensitive and ignorant as consumers of popular culture to properly assess the context in which the Redskins nickname exists? A May 2013 AP Poll found that only 11 percent of Americans believe the name is offensive and ought to be changed, indicating that 11 percent of Americans are fixated on political correctness. Changing the name would set a dangerous precedent of empowering political correctness in American sports. Do the Kansas City Royals advocate a political system which suppressed our ancestors for centuries? Do the Milwaukee Brewers condone alcoholism? Do any of the numerous teams bearing pirate-related monikers encourage rape and pillaging on the high seas? Of course not. Let’s not set a precedent which will allow whiny groups crying “social justice” to impact Sunday afternoon.
Additionally, Harper’s argument is far more offensive than the term “Redskin.” “Jew” is not a racial slur. Embedding “Jew” with actually offensive terms such as “Negro,” “Cracker,” and “Jap” is unacceptable. Given the context, use of the repugnant slur “Kike” would have been less offensive (and more effective). Are Jewish people supposed to be offended by the word “Jew?” Following such logic, is “Christian” an offensive term? Redskins owner Dan Snyder is no more obligated to alter his team’s name than President Obama is to share insipid commentary on the situation. The Washington Redskins ought to remain the Washington Redskins, regardless of what a self-righteous 11 percent minority wants.
Alex Eaton ’17