• Twitter
  • Facebook
News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Brave talk

Boy, bet they'd really freak out over North Side Redskins:

SOUTH BEND — The Saint Joseph's High School Indians could be getting a new mascot.

Vince LaBarbera, spokesman for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, confirmed Tuesday that a meeting will soon take place between Mark Myers, superintendent of schools for the diocese, the principal of the high school and Brian Collier, a local Native American historian who initiated the talk.

[. . .]

To be discussed, he said, is the appropriateness of the mascot.

He said the main theme to be explored will be "Are we hurting anyone by continuing to use the Indians as a mascot?"

This seems a little overwrought to me. Names that are or even once were slurs should be examined -- I'm surprised Redskins has survived this long. But generic names such as Indians or Braves shouldn't be any more offensive than the Fighting Irish, the Cowbows or the Saints. To avoid them is to deny a large part of our history and think our children incapable of any subtlety of thought.

Posted in: Hoosier lore, Sports

Comments

tim zank
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 11:21am

Leo, "To avoid them is to deny a large part of our history and think our children incapable of any subtlety of thought."

I think that is pretty much the goal of the politically correct progressive left, rewrite history.

littlejohn
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 12:21pm

Don't blame all lefties, Tim. I agree with you. I was especially appalled when "devil" was removed from the Devilrays. Did they really think a horned guy in a red suit would show up a wreak havoc?

Lewis Allen
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 7:09pm

If anyone ever names their team 'the pudgy, middle-aged, white guys', I'll be the first to take great offense.

littlejohn
Fri, 09/10/2010 - 5:04pm

After sobering up and throwing out all the hookers, I've reconsidered my position, at least slightly.
While I see nothing wrong with naming a team after an ethnic group (I'm of Irish descent myself, and am undisturbed by the "Fighting Irish," despite the fact that I cry like a little girl and run for the exit when a bar brawl breaks out).
But "Redskins" is a racial slur. As Chris Rock said during one of his stand-up acts, that's really no different from calling your team the 'N---ers." I don't think my objection to that qualifies as overly "politically correct."
But, what the hell, it's just a game.

Quantcast