New
Poll 9 of 10 Native Americans Not Offended by Redskins Name
Shining
the OutRiderr Spotlight on a Washington Post article from May 19th
By John Woodrow Cox, Scott Clement and Theresa
Vargas.
Nine
out of 10 Native Americans say they're NOT offended by the Washington
Redskins name.
This
new Washington Post Poll shows that the minds of Native
Americans have remained unchanged since the Annenberg Public Policy
Center Poll conducted in 2004.
The
survey conducted across every state, reveals that the responses to
The Post’s questions about the issue were consistent regardless of
age, income, education, or anything else. What doesn't get talked
about is that some Native Americans embrace it, and like that their
identity is represented in highly visible sports.
Barbara
Bruce, a Chippewa Teacher who has lived, and worked on a North Dakota
reservation most of her life says...”I’m proud of being Native
American and of the Redskins. I’m not ashamed of that at all. I
like that name.”
She,
along with many others surveyed, embrace native imagery in sports as
an acknowledgment of their identity in a society where they are
rarely, represented. The tragic fact here is that they are already
outnumbered by Asians, Hispanics, Latinos and The Black and White. In
what was once their land, it has become a melting pot of all races
flourishing except for their own.
The big
overall issue here is that an overwhelming majority of Native
Americans do not consider the issue of the name “Redskins” very
important. Most will say they don't mind it, and some will even say
they like it. Native Americans will call other natives ‘Redskins’
as well.
For
others,the name is nothing to them. All the attention on this topic
is really trumped up rhetoric from agitators and haters. They really
sunk their fangs into this issue, so much so, that they get
non-Native Americans riled up, and willing to protest, demanding the
team change their name.
In my
opinion, the name is just a name, the depiction is not disparaging at
all. It's not some silly caricature that makes fun of Native
Americans.
The sad
truth here is that we are in an era of out of control
political-correctness. Anyone can at any time manipulate a situation
to make themselves feel offended. What a pathetic waste of time.
For a
fuller account, you can read the original article with the link below.
The
word is out, a rare and previously unreleased Lana Del Rey song has
just showed up online. This unheard rarity, has your, as expected
prototypical Americana flavored lyrics and the tune arrives
mid-summer to give you your much needed LDR shot of melancholia.
“My
label, Interscope, is pretty flexible and open to my records coming
out at any time, so I don’t have that pressure. I’m just happy to
be able to keep on making music I can stand behind, that’s enough
for me.” - Lana Del Rey
