Is a Redskins-obsessed teacher ok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would tell my kid that the Redskins issue is another example of liberals trying to force everybody to submit to their personal wishes and morality by coercion , intimidation and haranguing . I would tell them that liberals are like the slaveholders of old who apply abortion to the weakest among us to avoid the work of raising children the same as slaveholders avoided the work of the plantation .

I am seriously stuck on this analogy. When people object to the use of an offensive name, that's just like having an abortion because you do not want to be pregnant and give birth, which is just like a slaveholder owning a slave to pick cotton instead of paying an employee, because...?

It offends you maybe but that does not make it an "offensive name" per se.. it is an opinion. Most American Indians do not find it offensive, most people that find it offensive are not American Indian and don't have a drop of American Indian blood in their veins.

How do you know this?

Because there were multiple studies done, google it. There was market research done, because if it was found to be offensive among the Am. Indians that are represented by the Redskins logo, the ones that occupied this part of the nation ... there was an agreement the name would be changed. It was found that it was not deemed offensive, actually the logo (with 2 feather, not the headdress) was found to be respectful and honored their heritage.

You mean the studies done by the Washington Team organization?

I work with Native Americans...if you think they don't care, wear a redskins jersey in Indian Country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child is in a young elementary grade in a very well-respected Montgomery County elementary school. At the before-school open house, along with our child, we visited his classroom to meet his teacher and saw some prominently displayed Redskins paraphernalia (flag, poster, etc). and were told by the teacher that if the Redskins win over the weekend, her father will come to class on Monday and lead the children in "Hail to the Redskins."

My husband and I are quite disturbed by this. We find the Redskins name, song, etc. really offensive, and don't want our kid inundated with Redskins stuff at his public school - especially at a young but able-to-understand age. There are entire networks and newspapers that are even refusing to use the name, so we know we aren't crazy. Yet, we also understand that there are lots of people who don't see it as a big deal.

We'd like to bring up our discomfort, but how? To whom? We worry both about burning bridges and also not sticking to what we truly believe. Any ideas & opinions are appreciated...

you clearly don't have many things to worry about in your life.

our DS had a 6th grade teacher that was a redskins fan. He was an outstanding teacher.

get over it and give the teacher some support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child is in a young elementary grade in a very well-respected Montgomery County elementary school. At the before-school open house, along with our child, we visited his classroom to meet his teacher and saw some prominently displayed Redskins paraphernalia (flag, poster, etc). and were told by the teacher that if the Redskins win over the weekend, her father will come to class on Monday and lead the children in "Hail to the Redskins."

My husband and I are quite disturbed by this. We find the Redskins name, song, etc. really offensive, and don't want our kid inundated with Redskins stuff at his public school - especially at a young but able-to-understand age. There are entire networks and newspapers that are even refusing to use the name, so we know we aren't crazy. Yet, we also understand that there are lots of people who don't see it as a big deal.

We'd like to bring up our discomfort, but how? To whom? We worry both about burning bridges and also not sticking to what we truly believe. Any ideas & opinions are appreciated...

you clearly don't have many things to worry about in your life.

our DS had a 6th grade teacher that was a redskins fan. He was an outstanding teacher.

get over it and give the teacher some support.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

No need to worry about any team song today! Hahaha! Although the teacher might be a bit grumpy after the loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No need to worry about any team song today! Hahaha! Although the teacher might be a bit grumpy after the loss.

I am giggling.

[Anonymous]

I don't like the idea of a teacher advertising his sports team to my kid. It doesn't matter what team.

Leave your personal hobbies out of school. Unless it's a show and tell day or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the name is offensive but can you prevent a teacher from displaying the gear? I seriously doubt it... unless there's an official change made by the NFL or an official school board ban. This is an interesting excerpt from a letter written to a Redskins owner in 1972 by Edward Bennett Williams in opposition to the team's name:


"Since you continue not to believe that the term “Redskins” is not [sic] offensive to anyone, let me make this clear: The name “Redskins” is very offensive to me and shows little human interest or taste. I am a Comanche Indian from Oklahoma. Indians are having enough trouble trying to erase misconceptions about themselves without having to be hit in the face with it every day in the form of a football team or baseball team. If you think you are preserving our culture or your history, then may I suggest a change? To live up to your name, your team would field only two men to the opponents eleven. Your player’s wives would be required to face the men of the opposing team. After having lost every game in good faith, you would be required to remain in RFK stadium’s end zone for the rest of your life living off what the other teams had left you. (Which wouldn’t be much.) Since you would probably find this as distasteful as 300,000 Indians do, I would suggest a change in name. In sticking to your ethnic theme, I would suggest the Washington Niggers as a start.… This would start a fantastic trend in the league. We would soon be blessed with the San Fransisco [sic] Chinks, New York Jews, Dallas Wetbacks, Houston Greasers, and the Green Bay Crackers. Great, huh? Mr. Williams, these would be very offensive to many people, just as Redskins is offensive to myself and others. You can take a stand that would show you and the team as true believers in civil rights, or you can continue to carry a name that keeps alive a threatening stereotype to Indian people. People, Mr. Williams. We don’t want the Redskins!"

Source: http://spectator.org/articles/59677/hell-redskins

Since you reference the American Spectator, I can't possibly expect you to be able to read or know anything about history. But that letter was written TO then-Redskins owner Edward Bennett Williams. By a Native American.