Jeff Goldstein misses the mark on the NCAA’s pronouncement that they will ban “the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments”*.
The time to fight these irrational feints to “tolerance”–which have progressed to the point where we are now routinely airbrushing from our own history anything even remotely controversial, all for the benefit of minority self-identifiers vying for poltical control over a given identity group (a lucrative and quite powerful position to hold, as I’m sure Jesse Jackson can attest)–is now.
The slippery slope of politically correct linguistic accomodation has put us in the pathetic–and intellectually ridiculous–position of being afraid even now to identify our enemy in the “War on Terror”–which (as everyone knows but few will say publicly), is Islamic radicalism–particularly, the Wahhabist strain of Islam.
Words matter. And ceding control over language to special interest groups is a recipe for social disaster–particularly in a society supposedly designed around the rights of the individual. Edward Said and his academic ilk perfected this linguistic hijacking procedure, wherein political groups–under the guise of ethnic authenticity–laid claim to important terms of debate, then wielded control of those terms as a way to delegitimize critics. And the very same thing is happening here–a testament to how deeply rooted Said’s principles have become in the academy and on the policy level, and a running indictment on intellectual bankruptcy of our modern intelligensia.
Time to push back.
As a Canadian, I know the pain it causes me to see the word “Canuck” mocking me from the jersies of Swedish-born hockey players.
My good friend Goldstein suffers from the insensitivity of one who has yet to walk a mile in our Sorels – it’s not as though he is forced to endure indignities like “the New York Rangers pumelled the Charleston Chasidics in a game that was decidedly one sided”, 8 foot plush foam Stars of David cavorting with cheerleaders on the basketball courts, or insensitive gentiles in the stands waving the “mighty Menorah” at opposing teams.
Consulting my sports library, I reread my copy of the leaflet, “A Century of Jewish Sports Legends” – yet could find no rabbinical equivalent of the “San Diego Padres”. Could it be that Jews themselves recognize that the misappropriation of ones culture and faith by creators of sports logos is demeaning?
Say it isn’t so, my intolerant friend. Say it isn’t so.
The gauntlet is thrown.
This was probably all started by some wimpy little “Blue Jay’s” and “Cardinals”, not liking the use of the word “Braves” because it represents great fighters that didn’t give up.
While were at it, I demand you stop useing the term “rob” and “forest”. You can no longer “rob” a bank, and you can’t walk in a “forest”. I take great offence to that.
/sarcoff
Kate,
You’re missing an closing italics tag.
Former Colorado governor Dick Lamm gave a speech that covers this idiotic thinking and much much more. It’s worth a read and it’s scary … here:
http://dukemcgoo.blogspot.com/
Eh, that should read “a closing italics tag”,
There is a hazey memory about General Motors having to discontinue use of the native American figure head as the hood ornament on their Pontiac cars.
The Indian Chief head in chrome looked very regal and in no way was it anything but flattering to native people.
Sometimes I think nit-pickers run to lawyers to get things stopped, just because they can, not because there is any good reason.
Those Chief *Pontiac* likenesses were excellent. It would be nice if we could grow up and see them used on cars again.
The smallness of us Lilliputians is mind boggeling. 73s TG
Wow! Duke, that is excellent, and right on the money. I like how his first point slammed us, and is so bloody true. Excerpt:
“”Here is how they do it,” Lamm said: “Turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country. History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual.”
Kate, I am glad to hear that you found some good light reading.
We have clearence Clarence.
Surely, you can’t be serious.
Actually, I was big fan of the House of David, an old barnstorming baseball team from the time of the Negro leagues.
Until I realized I should be outraged. Then I hated them and became a fan of the Cincinnati Redlegs.
Until I realized red legs probably meant something other than German immigrants with sunburn.
So now I’m a fan of the Chicago White Stockings. Even though the White Stockings sets them apart as elitist corporate robber barons who likely got rich of the sweat of the little man.
CLASSIST!
Concerned, guilt-ridden Whiteys to Native Americans: "WE'LL tell you when you're outraged, Chief."
In the comments to my previous post, Half Canadian reminds me of this 2002 John Miller piece, which references a famous (and now, evidently, ignored) Sports Illustrated poll gauging Native American opinion on the use of Indian nicknames, mascots, ch…
It’s things like this that make me glad I gave up on sports along time ago. How ludicrous.
Totally ridiculous, and not even supported by the people supposedly defamed. We posted an Indian on the subject last week – Redskins: One Indian’s View. We feel it is a misguided effort to erase history, and that naming of sports teams is a source of pride. Who are these sanctimonious jerks?
I am part Indian. I am a proud part Indian. The use of names like those used by various sports teams does not bother me in the least. What does bother me is how socialist hand-wringing do-gooder jerks can make their living from creating ’causes’ like this.
Travesty = Iran’s the first team in World Cup 2006.
Israel has to qualify out of Europe(by far the toughest) simply because every Middle Eastern team would go insane playing the “Zionist Army”.
If Israel qualifies this fall… may they draw against Iran.
If not, I have a new favorite Jewish “team”, the Pidyon Shevuyim.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/07/wjail07.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/07/ixworld.html
The Cleveland Indigenous Population (Indigpop for short).
Mark
Ottawa
Thankfully, the last I checked the Jewish people weren’t at risk of becoming extinct. I think that changes things here. Some of these sports franchise names may be the only time anyone will see the word Sioux, Brave, Seminoles, etc. Eliminating these names may erase these groups from the mainstream landscape permanently. This may be especially true in the United States as tribes become assimilated into the melting pot.
“Thankfully, the last I checked the Jewish people weren’t at risk of becoming extinct.”
Huh? When were they NOT “at risk”?
At what point in time was Israel not defending the RIGHT to exist?
NCAA ban on use of Native American names
She’s wrong. I couldn’t care less if the word Canuck is on the back of a Swedish hockey player or not, it has no real connection to me as a Canadian, doesn’t demean me in any way, it’s simply a nickname used by a sports team. I’d find it to be highly…
Anyone want some NHL tickets…..got two for the Leafs VS the Chicago “harriers of color”.
I think this social engineering of sport team names is PC emitting a death rattle
If I was at a football game and fifty thousand African-Americans fans were on their feet cheering on “The Cleveland Honkeys”, I would be rather pleased, I think.
Not that it’s going to happen.
I am part Cherokee, and proud of it. There is a high school in Cherokee, NC. Their nickname? The Braves, of course. Duh!
I don’t know how some of the other tribes feel about this nonsense, but the Ute tribe in Utah is pissed off at the NCAA. I’m gussing the Seminoles are not very happy either. What next, UCONN can’t be the Huskies because it’s demeaning to huskies?
No chance then that Ottawa’s NHL team will be renamed “The Ottawa Sinecures”?
“This may be especially true in the United States as tribes become assimilated into the melting pot.”
You’ve obviously never been to an Indian Reserve in America. They have their own courts, their own police, their own businesses. It’s their own country, essentially.
But on the whole issue of sports teams mascots, I think some Basketball Teams in the South should come up with a mascot named “Jethro” and he should come out wearing a bedsheet, with pointy tip, and with eye holes cut out… and for fun the fans can make lynching motions to cheer everytime they score a point.
They could call themselves “The Killing Klansmen!”
Or better yet… maybe a football team could choose a mascot named “Adolph” and he could come out adorned in a brownshirt, with jackboots and a funny little mustache. And everytime the team scores… people could make the Nazi Salute! They could call their team the “Awesome Aryans!”
They’d just be “honouring” the White Race!
Drugcop wrote” They could call themselves “The Killing Klansmen!”
Or better yet… maybe a football team could choose a mascot named “Adolph” and he could come out adorned in a brownshirt, with jackboots and a funny little mustache. And everytime the team scores… people could make the Nazi Salute! They could call their team the “Awesome Aryans!”
They’d just be “honouring” the White Race!”
I don’t think that your analogy is correct. If there was a team with a Indian mascott named the “Savages” or some other negative conitation it would work better. Plus there are several teams with white mascots. The Tennessee Volunteers, and the New England Patriots leap to mind. There are even White teams with much more negative conatations. The Minnasota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buchaneers.