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Recommended: Racist in sports
Men and women from all walks of life in the United States watch sports and identify themselves with a team. Fathers and sons watch the big game together and talk endlessly about the outcome. This American culture has developed over the course of generations. Many believe that these children are going to grow up as racists as a result of watching sports and even going to school. How can people make such wild accusations that essential parts of American culture and society are the catalysts for racism? Some sports teams are accused of having derogatory names that are offensive to Native Americans. Examples of these offensive names are the Indians, Chiefs, Braves, Redskins, Illini, Savages, and Redmen. Additionally, the mascots that represent these teams are also seen as offensive by their mockery of Native American Traditions. Some people take this theory of ruining our youth through mascots even further. Beyond this desire to remove racially offensive mascots, it is believed by some that impressionable students are in danger of fears and impending violence as a result of guns in school mascots. Some schools, like Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, have a patriot as a mascot. This patriot, bearing a musket, causes mixed views as some see it as a symbol of our history and freedom while other see the gun as a sign of fear in the dangerous times of today. Although the use of derogatory names and offensive mascots are a cruel part of society that require immediate change to sports customs, the guns in school mascots are not dangerous in any way; they are a symbol of what the U.S stands for and those who have died in the fight for freedom, and the people who fear the musket-toting mascot highlight the sensitivity of toda... ... middle of paper ... ...l, Stevenson, also has a patriot mascot. I feel empowered that a strong character, like the patriot, is representing my school. Some people propose that this issue can be resolved by simply removing the gun from the patriot rather than changing the mascot entirely. What is a soldier without his gun? What is a lion without its roar? The fight to remove guns is shadowed, for good reason, by the fight to remove offensive messages toward Native Americans. The push against racism has been going on in the United States since its birth in 1776. Who fought against this racism? A man bearing a rifle proudly served his country and all of those affected by racism. We shouldn’t be hiding from our past; it only shows the heightening hysteria in our society. While we continue to strive for equality, we wrongly attempt to wipe out our history because it makes us feel “safe”.
The author Justin Angle says how in a study the mascots and names were shown to people unfamiliar with Native American culture and the sport teams, in the end of the study most of the participants viewed Native American’s as “war like”, which can carry negative consequences in the real world affecting the views of some future employers, creating a view that though Native American’s can be seen as strong and bold they can also have been perceived as violent and irrational. The uses of Redskins also create the belief that it is culturally appropriate for the constant use of Native American culture this has led to thousands of schools and sports teams to have questionable mascots and names. Such as the Savages from Salmon High school and the baseball team the “Indians” whose mascot was a hooked nose red skinned Indian with bucked teeth. Comparing this to the now frowned upon depiction of African American as black red lipped stereotyped popular in the 1920s advertisements does it not show similarities in a cultures becoming a caricature. While one is view as racist the other is view and honorable due to it representing one of the greatest passtimes in America,
Cultural stereotypes have always existed and while they may have been acceptable to society in the past, that does not compel us to accept them in today’s society. One such stereotype which is used is that of Native American names and imagery for sports teams and in particular The Washington Redskins of the National Football league. While for many people, this is an argument that has just recently arisen, in actuality, the debate over the use of native names and images has been an ongoing issue for over 50 years. The subject of the Washington Redskins name has been debated across politics, media, academia, religious backgrounds and in the public square for many years.
...ers' evolution from mother and student into a leading voice against the merchandising of Native American sacred symbols -- and shows the lengths to which fans will go to preserve their mascots." In keeping all the Native American Mascots in schools, colleges, and professional sports teams we are showing a lack of respect. The Native Americans have voiced the lack of honor these names are bringing to them. "The fact that history has ignored the incredible pain we have inflicted on Native Americans does not now give us the right to ignore their largely muted call." Americans need to take a step back think about how they would feel if there ritual and or sacred tradition was misused. "We feel that we are being put in a position of sacrificing our dignity and pride and will never be treated as equals in white society as long as the use of Indian symbols continues."
Out of all the problems and worries in the world people are really concerned about team mascots. Many people believe that the mascots of the redskins and the chiefs are offensive. These people want to change the names . Why would you change a part of a teams history ? Theres no point. ¨Offensive¨ sports team names should not be changed because it would be too expensive , it would anger fans , also it is apart of team tradition .
There are so many other mascots that people may classify as racist but people don't speak out on them(For example Trojan, Bengal, Raider, Pirate, and many more.)"A Native American mascot doesn't "mock" Native Americans any more than a tiger mascot "mocks" animals; any more than a trojan mascot "mocks" the culture of Ancient Greece; any more than a Hoosier mascot "mocks" those from Indiana". “Is the University of Southern California making fun of Ancient Greek culture
The issue of Native American mascots has been an ongoing debate. There are many sides to this argument, but the final decision should be made by the Native Americans themselves. Most people do not know where the offensive actions and words come from. The Native Americans know, because it is from their culture. They have a right to respect and dignity, because they are people. The saddest part of this problem is that it hurts children.
Since the days before the American Revolution, there has always been a mythical citizen armament mentality within the United States, in the idea that everyday people would confront Native Americans along with the British army (Spitzer 10). This is further outlined in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which allows for the people to “keep and bear Arms” within “a well regulated Militia” (Spitzer 19). The amendment was originally meant to satisfy citizens who wanted to establish a state militia system separate from the federal standing army in the idea of having more individual power (Spitzer 29). Furthermore, in 2008, a conservative Supreme Court that had been mostly appointed by Republican Presidents ruled in this idea of individual power when it declared, for the first time, an individual right to own a gun. However, it is important to note that this 2008 Supreme Court decision, D.C. v. Heller, broke from precedent by moving away from the original meaning of the Amendment with the militia. The decision, by breaking from historical context, strongly fed the already existing myth that American citizens have always been heroes wielding guns, an ideological construct that is engrained within the society (Spitzer
The next reason we’ll be looking at are the stereotypical images commonly seen in literature and mascots. Mainstream media such as “Dances with Wolves”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “The Last of The Mohicans” and mascots in professional sports teams like Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Blackhawks all include representations of Native Americans that for some, are offensive. With this in mind, ...
Football - probably the most loved and sought after sport, and definitely the most popular in America. Undoubtedly, this powerful sport has taken American culture by storm after the baseball craze and has become a mega moneymaking business worth billions of dollars. Though I basically know nothing about football, I definitely know that it is seen to encourage unity when it comes to teams, games, and seasons and that the game brings much positive vibe. When a player scores, the crowd goes wild and cheers. When a player tackles another and knocks him unconscious, the crowd also goes wild and cheers. Yes, football is a game in which people get excited to watch in order to see which team scores and wins, but this objective seems to carry along
The protest poster ‘moms takes action against gun violence’ is protesting the fact that guns are allowed however kinder surprise eggs aren’t. The protest is put together by a group called moms take action. This group is simply saying that kinder surprises that kill 3 people globally each year are banned due to this in the interest of child safety, however guns that kill over 1500 kids each year are still fully legal. This applies to logos as it tries to discredit the logic behind there system.
It has been decided by the California State Legislature to approve the ban on use of Redskins as a mascot for Calaveras High School. By 2017, four high schools in California will have to phase out of their use of the Native American mascot. To some this is doing justice in defense to the Native Americans, but to others it is taking away a proud tradition of honoring them. For one to be reasonably offended one must understand both sides of the argument. As Calaveras High School, we are using the name in honor, pride, and respect but to others we are “politically incorrect.” Calaveras succeeds in showing the respectful and proud side of honoring the name Redskins, established relationships with the local Native Americans, and they have presented us with gifts such as the beautiful baskets that are still present in our front office. Everyone has their own way to define words and is entitled to their opinion including the group of people that have a negative definition of Redskin. Their belief is that the term is mocking, offensive, and racist. In 2005, a Native American Intellect named Ives Goddard of Smithsonian Institution studied and found
One of the major topics being discussed in the 2016 Presidential Election is the right to own a gun and how it relates to the Constitution. The very concept of gun ownership has made its way to being a symbol of masculinity, rebelliousness, and freedom from government regulations; and it’s at a point where people from other countries don’t understand Americans’ obsession with guns. While people can get cocky and think one handgun can protect themselves/their family, guns really aren’t
While having a gun in America is either portrayed as patriotic or even heroic, guns in the wrong hands in what gets the bad reputation. Within the culture, guns are used for a variety of reasons such as hunting, protection or simply just as collections. This culture likes to very closely relate the creation of this country to the ownership of guns, therefore protecting the 2nd amendment like it’s a patriotic duty. The media often can portray this as “redneck” behavior, which can be used a derogatory term. Others see redneck as a national pride characteristic for being a more authentic
In America, despite the number of people who attend church and participate in religious activities, you could assume sports are the new religion. There's the seasonal NASCAR on Sundays and Monday night football, but most sports such as, baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey hold their events on any given day of the week. Many Americans arrange their schedules to either attend or watch these events on television. You could even go so far as to say Americans idolize athletes and sports stars, considering the billions of dollars spent on sporting events and merchandise. We?re very proud of sports and proudly wear our favorite team or player across our chests, on our heads, and display logos on our cars and in our houses.
“The founding fathers made an appropriate choice when they selected the Bald Eagle as the emblem of the nation. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America” –John F. Kennedy (Home). Bald Eagles have a unique way of living that makes them a strong symbol of the United States.