We have read Naylor's "The Meaning of a Word" and Leong's "On Being a Chink." In both of these essays, the author's talk about their personal experiences with racist words and their definition of the word they are writing about. As you know, there is an ongoing controversy concerning the name of Washington's major league football team. While many people, including local residents, native Americans, and elected officials (President Obama said that if he were the owner of a team and people thought the team name was offensive, he would consider changing it), have stated the term is offensive, Dan Synder, owner of the team, refuses to change the name. His definition of the term is quite different from the protestors' definition. He thinks it mean heroic, brave, strong, and it is the name of the team he grew up with and has loved all his life. Think about these two definitions of the name: Synder's and the protestors. Write a definition for the protesters, Dan Synder, and your own definition. What is your opinion -- is it racist? Please remember to follow the blogging guidelines on our MyMC course page.
I think that the name Redskins can be offensive if people take it literally. It is just the name of National Football Team. People can take it however they want. Originally Native Americans had similar pigmentation to the name but i do not believe they were really "Red Skinned". The pigmentation was light brown or pale. I do not believe it is racist.
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