American sports have a long-standing tradition of stereotyping American Indians. Crude Bonanza-style images reduce nations of indigenous Americans into one racially offensive, feather-wearing bobble-headed mascot.
Which sport they appear in doesn't really matter. It could be baseball, football or hockey - it's still offensive.
Would America tolerate a mascot based on stereotyping any other race? A culturally ignorant team name defaming black, Jewish or Asian Americans wouldn't stand.
No sports franchise today could get away with naming its team the "Fighting Terrorists" or the "Islamics." On top of that, imagine if the team used a horrible turban-equipped Middle Eastern stereotype as a mascot.
There would be mass protests outside the stadium every game, as there should be. The story would make the local evening news, break as a national story and public outcry against the team would bring the franchise to ruin.
So, too, should American Indians not stand for any demeaning stereotypes in sports. Team names such as the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians or the Atlanta Braves are unacceptable. Such names only rub salt into long-festering national wounds.
Respecting every culture except those native to America makes no sense. Racial tolerance does not have limits. It does not end in America. If you're going to do something, do it right - respect everyone, not just immigrants.
We understand the tradition. There's a grand old pageantry in clinging to a long-celebrated team name. But when that name crosses the line and becomes a racist statement, it has got to go.
Although it might be a logistical nightmare for a franchise's marketing department, offensive team names could be changed. Fans come for the game, the players and the atmosphere, not for the mascot. Concerns about retaining the brand name and logo should be secondary. In time, fans will simply forget their team even had a different name. If the franchise is strong enough, a name change won't end them.
This is not a new problem. Some teams, such as the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" have debated a name change since the 1960s. Any dialogue and dispute over the offensive mascots is healthy. We just wish it were more productive. After 40 years, most teams should have come to a better decision - they haven't.
Some might see teams named after regional tribes as a sign of respect or tribute. We at The State News do not. Keeping a regional tribe name does not excuse a team from marginalizing a specific group of people.
Mascots work better sticking to the realm of animals and mythological creatures. That's not going to offend anybody, not even PETA. Isolating and ascribing certain behaviors to a group of people will cause only one thing - prejudice.
As responsible Americans, we should strive to right wrongs afflicted. After all, it is one of our founding principals. Clinging to racist team names won't help. If anything, it will only make our country's ideology weak and inconsistently applied.
