The Washington “Redskins” and Political Correctness

A while back The Washington Post published a “Letter to the Editor” of mine in which I wrote that while I agreed my hometown football team should change the name “Redskins” to something less offensive, the fact that “Redskins” is offensive today reflects society’s ever-changing cultural attitudes.   I noted that for decades no one seemed bothered by the term “Redskins,” just as, for decades, African-Americans were not offended by the phrase “colored.” In fact, I wrote, the leading organization representing African-Americans, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, still includes the word “colored” in its name.

Changing attitudes about what is offensive is not necessarily a bad thing; it often forces us to reflect upon the historical context. The Redskins controversy has given both Native-Americans and Americans in general a better understanding of the history of our treatment of Native-Americans, which has mostly been shameful.

Still, oftentimes controversies such as this are driven by a “political correctness” that needs to be deflated by introducing another kind of context. Which brings up another letter, written to Clarence Page, an African-American columnist for The Chicago Tribune, who wrote a column demanding a name change for the Washington Redskins.

The letter writer wrote that if Mr. Page is upset because a football team’s name refers to a skin color, “then we need to get rid of the Cleveland Browns.” As for the Carolina Panthers, that is offensive to whites because “the name is designed to keep the memory of the militant Black Panthers alive.”

As for the New York Yankees, “It offends Southerners,” he wrote. “Do you see a team named for the Confederacy? No! There is no room for any reference to that tragic war that cost this country so many young men’s lives.”

And three sports teams have names offensive to atheists, or at least non-Christians. “It is totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres.”

“Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged,” this writer wrote. “We are talking about the horrible Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Pirates!”

Drug users trying to kick the habit? “The Cincinnati Reds promote downers and barbiturates.”

And what about our kids? “The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity, a growing childhood epidemic. Wrong message to our children.” And the Milwaukee Brewers? “Well, that goes without saying. Wrong message to our children.”

Humor too can put things in context, and speaking of which, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have an ingenious solution for the “Redskins” problem. Keep the name “Redskins” but change the logo to red potatoes.