Are tribal mascots racist?

Oh please . . .

Do-gooders 1, Sports fans 0.
Another shutout.

Oregon bans American Indian team names, mascots for schools

I can see how people might find those things offensive.

I'm not easily offended so when this stuff comes up I'm always curious as to how others feel about it.

A good friend, originally orthodox jew, later other, loved chinese food and used 'chink' as a word. He didn't think it was racist, as in, are you kidding? He liked them, shut up.

He had a close encounter with a good chinese restaurant in beverly hills, after the day that his daughter made the den catch fire (I truly do not remember the details) and they ate elsewhere for a long time, most of those days, yes, at the chink's. He wasn't rich but he had insurance.

I used to be embarrassed, when some years later after I'd met him we'd arrive there and be taken before anyone in line.
That's where we had our wedding dinner, including jellyfish.
Things are more complicato than they seem, sometimes.

He's also the guy who instigated our trek to Hanford and the Imperial Dynasty.
RIP, Richard Wing.

Hard to remember - I think he was seventeen years older than me, each of us firey in our ways, he way more learned, me with the but...., and I was eleven years older than my husband, no slouch at fireyness temperately spoken.

That is then where common sense should take over. I would imagine that most people realize these names/symbols aren't meant to offend. On the other, yes, we should change with the times as certain things/symbols are offensive.

Common sense to me then - would be to change the name/symbol as these items wear out.

I recall a little jingle from Steinbeck's Cannery Row.

Ching chong Chinaman, sittin' on a rail
Along came a white man and chopped off his tail.

At that time, I began to realize that "Chinaman" could sound perjorative.

I don't disagree with that.


On the other hand, my japanese american boss had stance with chinese companies.
they trusted him.

I had the same trust.

Yes.
I'm trying to be nice about this, boomerang, but persons who are not in a minority haven't any idea what it's like to be in a minority. One does get used to people in the majority treating you and your particular group with complete indifference, but one never accepts it as right.
Worse.
If I started a movement here on A2K of people who were opposed to the use of children's faces as avatars, and the several of us began a campaign of making snide remarks about the character of anyone who would use a child's face (the disrespect for the young!) and we pointedly derided any statement you made about any subject and ignored any reply.
Then began a whisper campaign about your lack of intelligence, fashion sense and ability to live a moral life.

Then, as kind of a joke, as kind of a backhanded tribute, we started a baseball team and called ourselves, The Boomerangs.

Joe(maybe then you would start to understand where the sensitivity comes from) Nation

And where does your sensitivity have its origins, Joe (I feel your pain) Nation?

Hi, Snood,
I've been a member of humanity since I can't remember when.

Joe(just lucky I guess)Nation

If it was anyone else, it'd be such a smug statement. Well, no, actually it is for you too.

But that isn't what they're doing -- treating anyone with complete indifference. In many cases they're working with the local tribes. They aren't making fun of anyone or of anyone's culture.

It's kind of funny that you think I "can't get it" at a time when every politician has his nose up my uterus, thinking I'm not smart enough to make decisions about my own healthcare and that I must be a slut.

I'm not being insensitive. If I were I'd never have asked this question.

One of my all time favorite painters is of mixed heritage and uses that. I like her, whatever part of herself she uses, and she uses every bit.

Note that almost ALL of us r "Natives".
I was born in New York.





David

Speaking as a fellow who has never seen any value in competitive athletics:
how about nullifying ALL of the names of ALL of the teams,
whether thay r Politically Correct or not ???????





David

I am not surprised at the reply. Only the source.

I have always accepted indifference as A RIGHT!!
I have always expected to be treated with indifference.
That is the natural, normal state of affairs.
I 'd be inclined to OBJECT, if that were to change.
I demand to be treated with indifference!
NY is a good place for that.
We get plenty of practice.





David

Good point, David. I almost caught that myself. I take being "treated with indifference" the same as being treated pretty much the same as everyone else.

UCSC has the proper attitude toward team names: belittle the whole concept. The NCAA wanted them to call themselves the Sea Lions. The students would have none of it. It took them five years to win, but they are now proudly the UCSC Banana Slugs.

That's great. I wonder who's going to be offended.