Why haven't more Nat. Americans protested about the Commanders?

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

I created this thread to focus on this specific question, even though there are several similar threads going on.

I just have not heard of a lot of Native Americans protest the name the Commanders.

Yes, a few have been very vocal, but it's mostly well-intentioned white people...which begs the question: "What do the majority of Native Americans think?"

Until 5-10 years ago, at least 70% didn't care...at times they use the same word themselves, and I don't think they regard the R-word anywhere as charged as the N-word.

What could be kin to outright race hate is condescension to minorities...I get this picture of guilty white people ***uming offence and taking action without checking into the offended party more.

So lets ask the Native American population at large what they think. By all means, change it if they think it's racist, even if it's a large minority of their population.

At another site, I suffered a white guy that feels for everybody before he checks out the facts and screamed I'm a racist just for asking for the facts. Hey, I'm a technical guy that looks before they leaps. And I might be part Native American (family tree says yes, DNA says no.)

Does anyone have links sourced directly from Native Americans what they think about this team name?

 

[iceberg]

Google it. Many Indian high schools use Commanders as their name too.

 

[Sonny#9]

I created this thread to focus on this specific question, even though there are several similar threads going on.

I just have not heard of a lot of Native Americans protest the name the Commanders.

Yes, a few have been very vocal, but it's mostly well-intentioned white people...which begs the question: "What do the majority of Native Americans think?"

Does anyone have links sourced directly from Native Americans what they think about this team name?

There are many--they just get ignored b/c it doesn't get the ratings like a good ol' fashioned emotional rant.

 

[jnday]

There are a few and the growing trend in this country is for a certain group of people to look for things to offend them. In this case, other races of people are being offended for the Native Americans since they don't seem offended enough. Racism has become such touchy subject, that some people are looking for reasons to be offended. It seems like it is the cool thing to do with the PC crowd.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Going to make a post here and just say that this thread has a very short leash. Please behave responsibly in this thread.

Thank you,

ABQ

 

[trickblue]

The fact that people think that a team would name themselves after a racial slur is preposterous...

It's true that words do evolve, but the original intent has to be taken into consideration...

 

[Denim Chicken]

I think NAs probably have much more important things to protest than the name of a Football team.

 

[muck4doo]

I have Native American blood, and I am more offended when I hear the term "Washington D.C."

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Just change the name already. Have a contest in DC, select a few new names & let the fans vote.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Just change the name already. Have a contest in DC, select a few new names & let the fans vote.

Good idea..... until the write-in votes for "Commanders" swamp the organizer.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Good idea..... until the write-in votes for "Commanders" swamp the organizer.

You do an online vote and there is no write in vote option.

Seems like a pretty simple solution to the problem you seem to think would happen.

 

[Nova]

The fact that people think that a team would name themselves after a racial slur is preposterous...

It's true that words do evolve, but the original intent has to be taken into consideration...

Yeah, teams probably wouldn't name themselves after a racial slur. But the team changed the name from 'Braves' to 'Commanders' in the mid 30s. It was a different time then. This was about the same time there was such thing as a "Negro league", which I believe lasted up until 1951.

Is it a racial slur? I think some could interpret it that way. But it for sure is a racially insensitive word.

So it's not crazy to say that the word is inappropriate today.

 

[Doomsday101]

Google it. Many Indian high schools use Commanders as their name too.

Yeah how to you tell a school where the it is all native american that their mascot the Commander is offensive? LOL

 

[EST_1986]

Because they don't care. These current group of red skinned people whining the loudest just want their name out there.

 

[Nova]

I created this thread to focus on this specific question, even though there are several similar threads going on.

I just have not heard of a lot of Native Americans protest the name the Commanders.

Yes, a few have been very vocal, but it's mostly well-intentioned white people...which begs the question: "What do the majority of Native Americans think?"

Until 5-10 years ago, at least 70% didn't care...at times they use the same word themselves, and I don't think they regard the R-word anywhere as charged as the N-word.

What could be kin to outright race hate is condescension to minorities...I get this picture of guilty white people ***uming offence and taking action without checking into the offended party more.

So lets ask the Native American population at large what they think. By all means, change it if they think it's racist, even if it's a large minority of their population.

At another site, I suffered a white guy that feels for everybody before he checks out the facts and screamed I'm a racist just for asking for the facts. Hey, I'm a technical guy that looks before they leaps. And I might be part Native American (family tree says yes, DNA says no.)

Does anyone have links sourced directly from Native Americans what they think about this team name?

It's such a hard thing to figure out.

The polls done previously were based on .04% of the NA population which is the absolute minimum requirement to be "significant", but clearly not enough to get a general consensus.

But I think you're right. It does not seem like many NAs think much of it by the lack of outcry. But then again, NAs only make up just under 2% of the entire US population, and of course not all of them are able willing adults to protest or make a fuss. And it's probably not really enough to turn heads.


Still, one really interesting poll done was what the Washington Post did last year. They polled DC metro area people of all backgrounds. Most had no problem with the name, but close to 60% of the polled people felt that the word "Commander" was not an appropriate name for NAs.

So we know it's insensitive/inappropriate, yet we still want to keep the name... why?

 

[Doomsday101]

Yeah, teams probably wouldn't name themselves after a racial slur. But the team changed the name from 'Braves' to 'Commanders' in the mid 30s. It was a different time then. This was about the same time there was such thing as a "Negro league", which I believe lasted up until 1951.

Is it a racial slur? I think some could interpret it that way. But it for sure is a racially insensitive word.

So it's not crazy to say that the word is inappropriate today.

You have a high school in Red Mesa Arz 100% native american and you are going to tell them that their mascot the Commander is offensive? LOL

 

[Nova]

You have a high school in Red Mesa Arz 100% native american and you are going to tell them that their mascot the Commander is offensive? LOL

I personally don't have a horse in the race, so I'll just say this.

It's not my, or anyone else's place, to tell someone what should and should not offend them.

Which means that yes, if I cared, I could be personally justified in telling them that they're mascot is offensive. That's not the same as telling them they should be offended, which I would not be justified in telling them.

That's one thing that every seems to get wrong about being offended. You do not have to be the directly affected party to be affected.

The N word offends many, many people who aren't black or the F word which can offend people who are not homosexual. This issue is no different.

Although, another thing that a lot of people get wrong about being offended is that sometimes it just doesn't matter how you feel. Sometimes it's just too insignificant. And that's what this thread is about... is this a significant enough issue to where something should be done.

It's an issue that will continue to pop up until it just completely fades away or the name is finally changed.

 

[Nova]

You have a high school in Red Mesa Arz 100% native american and you are going to tell them that their mascot the Commander is offensive? LOL

Other than that, the principal of that school himself said something along the lines of the "It's our word" argument. I can pull the direct quote, but there doesn't seem to be much of a point.

I think maybe the issue would drop if any of the owners were NA, or if the founder George Preston Marshall was of NA descent, but that just doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[jnday]

It's such a hard thing to figure out.

The polls done previously were based on .04% of the NA population which is the absolute minimum requirement to be "significant", but clearly not enough to get a general consensus.

But I think you're right. It does not seem like many NAs think much of it by the lack of outcry. But then again, NAs only make up just under 2% of the entire US population, and of course not all of them are able willing adults to protest or make a fuss. And it's probably not really enough to turn heads.


Still, one really interesting poll done was what the Washington Post did last year. They polled DC metro area people of all backgrounds. Most had no problem with the name, but close to 60% of the polled people felt that the word "Commander" was not an appropriate name for NAs.

So we know it's insensitive/inappropriate, yet we still want to keep the name... why?

I see Commander as no different than a person using the term white man or white boy. The main reason that I will never agree that changing the name is the right thing to do is because the PC crusade has to be stopped at some point. It takes very little for people to claim their offended . If the word is used with bad intentions, I can understand the problem, but I don't think this is the case at all. Most of my ancestors were Celtic. Do you realize how many different ways I could be offended by the different uses of things that are associated with my heritage? Everybody can be be offended if they are looking for a reason. This gas got to stop.

 

[Doomsday101]

Other than that, the principal of that school himself said something along the lines of the "It's our word" argument. I can pull the direct quote, but there doesn't seem to be much of a point.

I think maybe the issue would drop if any of the owners were NA, or if the founder George Preston Marshall was of NA descent, but that just doesn't seem to be the case.

BS either it is offensive or not, this BS of well I can say this word but you can't is pure BS. People love playing the victim, oh poor me the washington football team is called the Commanders