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Essay / Discussion on whether the Redskins should change their name
The term “political correctness” is becoming more prevalent than ever. For this reason, many organizations are under fire, including the NFL. The NFL has faced backlash from activists, with demonstrators protesting ethnic mascots. This includes the team's controversial mascot, the Washington Redskins. In Richard Estrada's column for the Dallas Morning News titled "Sticks, Stones and Sports Team Names," he criticizes ethnic mascots. Due to increasing political awareness, sports teams should not use ethnic mascots, as they would offend the ethnicities being displayed. Many would argue that ethnic mascots have been used for so long that they are central to the team's identity. The mascot represents the team and has been used for decades. However, even though mascots have been used for a long time, that doesn't mean it's morally correct. As society advances, humanity becomes aware of what is acceptable and what is not. In the past, many horrible things were common. Racism against African Americans was acceptable. However, ever since humanity evolved, racists have been considered pathetic and offensive. Ethnic mascots are offensive to the culture of ethnicities on and off the field. For example, on the radio, the father of a Native American child reveals that his son was “pressured to participate” in the “Braves baseball celebrations” (para. 8). The child was Native American, so many thought he would join the commemoration. of the Braves. The idea that Native people like the Braves is stereotypical. Race and ethnicity are not defining qualities of identity. A recent controversy in sports involves how Redskin fans paint their faces red in homage to their team. Painting your face like a race is not appropriate outside of an arena, so why is it acceptable inside a sports arena? The answer is that it is unacceptable. For example, in sports, shoes are important. They only sell several limited edition shoes. If someone sells rare shoes all the time, they lose their value. Native American costumes are appropriate inside the arena. Their clothes are precious to them, not something worn. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The term “political correctness” is becoming more prevalent than ever. For this reason, many organizations are under fire, including the NFL. The NFL has faced backlash from activists, with demonstrators protesting ethnic mascots. This includes the team's controversial mascot, the Washington Redskins. In Richard Estrada's column for the Dallas Morning News titled "Sticks, Stones and Sports Team Names," he criticizes ethnic mascots. Due to increasing political awareness, sports teams should not use ethnic mascots, as they would offend the ethnicities being displayed. Many would argue that ethnic mascots have been used for so long that they are central to the team's identity. The mascot represents the team and has been used for decades. However, even though mascots have been used for a long time, that doesn't mean it's morally correct. As society advances, humanity becomes aware of what is acceptable and what is not. In the past, many horrible thingswere usual. Racism against African Americans was acceptable. However, ever since humanity evolved, racists have been considered pathetic and offensive. Ethnic mascots are offensive to the culture of ethnicities on and off the field. For example, on the radio, the father of a Native American child reveals that his son was “pressured to participate” in the “Braves baseball celebrations” (para. 8). The child was Native American, so many thought he would join the commemoration. of the Braves. The idea that Native people like the Braves is stereotypical. Race and ethnicity are not defining qualities of identity. A recent controversy in sports involves how Redskin fans paint their faces red in homage to their team. Painting your face like a race is not appropriate outside of an arena, so why is it acceptable inside a sports arena? The answer is that it is unacceptable. For example, in sports, shoes are important. They only sell several limited edition shoes. If someone sells rare shoes all the time, they lose their value. Native American costumes are appropriate inside the arena. Their clothes are precious to them, it's not something they wear to a sports game. Ethnic mascots teach fans that it is acceptable to dress according to an ethnicity or race. Dressing based on race or ethnicity is unacceptable, whether in or out of the stadium. One possible argument is the intention of the mascot and name is not to offend. Therefore, these people believe that the mascots and names should remain the same. The intent of the ethnic mascot or name is not harmful. Even if, from a minority perspective, it may seem offensive. After all, it's all about perspective. America is a diverse country in terms of ideas and ethnicities. On this issue, the United States should respect the wishes of minorities, not the opinions of privileged individuals who have yet to experience them. In the United States, the unpleasant result of racial mascots is cultural appropriation. The result is that society expects Native Americans to be fans of ethnic mascots because of their race. In Estrada's essay, he expresses a radio clip he listened to. A Native American father exclaims to listeners that to celebrate the Braves, students were told to "dress up in Indian costume and celebrate with tomahawk chops." Ethnicity is not a fashion. By allowing children to participate, schools send the message of approval of dressing according to an ethnicity in the name of sport. During sports matches, fans dress up as their mascots. Specifically, at Redskin games, fans wear traditional Native attire. Fans should not view ethnicity, religion or race as a costume. Dress is something that is valuable to ethnicities and it is not something that sports fans should steal. An example of a valuable outfit is the hijab. A hijab is a hair band used in Islam. If a non-Muslim wore a hijab because they found it fascinating, it would be inappropriate because they did not understand the meaning of the hijab. As with the hijab, the use of a cultural or religious symbol for sporting purposes is inappropriate. The company should not use mascots representing a living group of people, as this encourages cultural appropriation. A negative aspect of ethnic mascots is alienation. A mascot symbolizes uniqueness. The mascots are strange but fascinating. For this reason, an average person does not.