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Patent office cancels Redskins trademarks

Mithros said:
I think there's a bit of confusion here. We aren't talking about the offensiveness of using a Native American likeness as a sports mascot. We're talking solely about the Redskins which use a racial slur as a team name. By definition, redskins is offensive. (at least that's what the dictionary says).
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That is my point... it isn't any longer because nobody uses it in common conversation or as an actual insult. Nobody sees a Native American and says, "hey, redskin, go clean up the toilette" or whatever. Native Americans are saying, "Redskin please" like nigger please... it just isn't used anymore. I see it as I stated, as a sign of the past and or heritage. Also, as Zyphlin has pointed out... Native Americans used the term initially and repeatedly.
 
NIMBY said:
Boy Harry sure gets to you doesn't he tb? :lamo
How dare he use his 1st amendment rights.
You may want to look up Pelosi's comments as well, though you guys have been tame on her lately--it's still early.


certainly not hackish here.

:lamo

I'll bet I can find 40 million.
4 is a good # with you guys.
remember 4 dead in O--hi--o; just replace with Ben--gha--zi

The GOP should have won this seat in 2010--that must be the maddening part to you.
In all sincerity, I would vote for Sen. Gillibrand over Sen. Warren for Majority Leader.
Warren is my pit bull .
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We aren't talking about the GOP. Join us on topic or quote someone else's posts. This was a waste of 40 seconds, 35 of it trying to read your gibberish and 5 typing this response.
 
Ockham said:
You can make all the suggestions you want, I'm not invested in the naming of sports teams at all. However, you didn't answer my question - do you have a point. Do you?
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As much as you ever do.
 
Bodhisattva said:
You can't be that obtuse... "Who uses the term", means in common conversation or as an actual insult and NOT in a form of debate or research. We have used the term "Redskin" (oh ****, I just used it again!) to talk about who really uses it as an insult. ...but then again, maybe you are just an intellectually dishonest person. Seems so thus far.
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Take it up with Zyp, even he admits it is still used today as a derogatory term.

It is recognized as such by multiple dictionaries and encyclopedias. I have no idea what point you have left.
 
rocket88 said:
Racial slur to racial slur.
So cracker is equivalent to nigger?

Is it only racial slurs that you apply absolute equivalency to? Towel Head or Wetback or Slant Eyes isn't equivalent to nigger because it's not "racial"? I'm trying to understand exactly how you're drawing your lines here.
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tres borrachos said:
So the Native Americans in AZ who live on a reservation and have 100% of the student population comprised of Native Americans and use the name "Redskins" for their sports teams are, what...stupid because they don't know that they are slurring themselves?
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Great, how many Native Americans play pro football in Washington?
 
Bodhisattva said:
Florida Seminoles
Chicago Blackhawks
Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves
Golden State Warriors
Fighting Irish
Trojans
Spartans
Eagles
Redskins
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Back in the 80's, my high school where I was teaching was playing the Trojans in football.
One of the signs put up by the chears was "Trash the Trojans".
(Written in underneath was "after one use")

To me it promotes courage, honor and spirit just as the Pittsburgh Pirates or Minnesota Vikings do. I am of Viking ancestry but do not find the Vikings offensive even though my ancestors murdered, raped, enslaved and pillaged innocent people for centuries.
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Yes--instead of my White Sox we must have Gray Sox--
we all remember the Black sox .
 
Zyphlin said:
rocket88 said:
Racial slur to racial slur.
So cracker is equivalent to nigger?

Is it only racial slurs that you apply absolute equivalency to? Towel Head or Wetback or Slant Eyes isn't equivalent to nigger because it's not "racial"? I'm trying to understand exactly how you're drawing your lines here.
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Go ahead, let's call the team the Towel Heads. See how far that gets you.
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The Man said:
And the vast majority of Native Americans are not offended by the Washington Redskins name, a lot of them are even fans.
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Only problem with that is that being offended or not being offended is not a standard for whether something is derogatory. I'm not offended by the word "slut". Neither are some women. It doesn't mean the word is not derogatory. ;)
 
Mithros said:
I'm not advocating forcing the Redskins to change their name. But they do deserve all of the PR backlash and boycotts that result from keeping the name. They have to decide if being called the redskins instead of just the skins worth that.
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That I agree with, though undoubtably for a different reason than you. The Redskins PR staff's incompetence rivals that of John Huntsman campaign managers in the last primary season. They've been RIDICULOUSLY stupid in this whole thing. The worst thing you can do with a ridiculous persons ridiculous bull**** is to actually respond to it as if it's legitimate and worthy of discussion. The Redskins had largely not addressed the issue for years and as such it would flare up once in a while but quickly die out because no one really gave a ****, the majority of native americans included. But for whatever idiotic reason the Redskins thought it'd be intelligent to try and make a comment against it at one those flare up points and then have CONTINUED to make comments over and over again....often in ridiculously stupid fashion...that has kept this going. At this point the various PR backlash (which is bad) and boycotts (Which are in reality largely irrelevant in terms of their impact thus far) are absolutely in large part their own doing.
 
tres borrachos said:
What does that have to do with my post?

Why do they continue to use this racial slur for their own sports teams? Are they stupid?
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I don't know why they do. It's OK in some circles for blacks to call one another "My Nigga." Does that make it OK for everybody?
 
tres borrachos said:
So the Native Americans in AZ who live on a reservation and have 100% of the student population comprised of Native Americans and use the name "Redskins" for their sports teams are, what...stupid because they don't know that they are slurring themselves?
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Kind of like black people who played in the Negro Leagues. But yeah...
 
AlbqOwl said:
Yes I do think it was added into the Constitution for a reason and I stated what the reason was. Did you miss that?
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My point is that this is human nature and it happens a lot. I think you agree with me but aren't quite willing to admit it. That's fine. ;)
 
Hatuey said:
Only problem with that is that being offended or not being offended is not a standard for whether something is derogatory. I'm not offended by the word "slut". Neither are some women. It doesn't mean the word is not derogatory. ;)
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Correct. Somethings is derogatory if it's being disrespectful or critical in attitude towards something. Which the name of the Washington Redskins is in no way doing.

It's essentially the OPPOSITE of what you present here with slut. One can reasonably be OFFENDED by the Washington Redskins, regardless of whether I think it's dumb that you are or not, but it's hard pressed to suggest it's being used in a derogatory fashion.
 
Zyphlin said:
I say your factual evidence as to the names offense or the belief of native americans that it should be changed to be nonexistent.
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Native Americans and organizations opposed[edit]
The following groups have passed resolutions or issued statements regarding their opposition to the name of the Washington NFL team:
Tribes[edit]
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians[154]
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma[154]
Comanche Nation of Oklahoma[154]
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Washington)[154]
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Michigan)
Hoh Indian Tribe[155]
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona[156]
Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes[157]
Juaneño Band of Mission Indians (California)[154]
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Michigan)
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe (Michigan)[158]
Menominee Tribe of Indians (Wisconsin)[154]
Oneida Indian Nation (New York)[159]
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin[154]
Navajo Nation Council[98]
Penobscot Nation[160]
Poarch Band of Creek Indians[161]
Samish Indian Nation (Washington)[162]
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan)[163]
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Idaho)[164]
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (North Dakota)
The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (North Dakota)[165]
United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)[166]
Organizations[edit]
Advocates for American Indian Children (California)
American Indian Mental Health Association (Minnesota)
American Indian Movement[167]
American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center of San Bernardino County
American Indian Student Services at the Ohio State University
American Indian High Education Consortium
American Indian College Fund
Americans for Indian Opportunity
Association on American Indian Affairs
Buncombe County Native American Inter-tribal Association (North Carolina)
Capitol Area Indian Resources (Sacramento, CA)
Concerned American Indian Parents (Minnesota)
Council for Indigenous North Americans (University of Southern Maine)
Eagle and Condor Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance
First Peoples Worldwide
Fontana Native American Indian Center, Inc. (California)
Governor’s Interstate Indian Council
Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (Wisconsin)
HONOR – Honor Our Neighbors Origins and Rights
Kansas Association for Native American Education
Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
Medicine Wheel Inter-tribal Association (Louisiana)
Minnesota Indian Education Association
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
National Indian Child Welfare Association
National Indian Education Association
National Indian Youth Council
National Native American Law Student Association
Native American Caucus of the California Democratic Party
Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA)[168]
Native American Journalists Association[169]
Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio
Native American Journalists Association
Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
Native Voice Network
Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi (Michigan)
North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
North Dakota Indian Education Association
Office of Native American Ministry, Diocese of Grand Rapids (Michigan)
Ohio Center for Native American Affairs
San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Native American Community Council
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas
Southern California Indian Center
St. Cloud State University – American Indian Center
Tennessee Chapter of the National Coalition for the Preservation of Indigenous Cultures
Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs
Tennessee Native Veterans Society
Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism[170]
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Unified Coalition for American Indian Concerns, Virginia
The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma
Virginia American Indian Cultural Resource Center
Wisconsin Indian Education Association
WIEA “Indian” Mascot and Logo Taskforce (Wisconsin)
Woodland Indian Community Center-Lansing (Michigan)
Youth “Indian” Mascot and Logo Task force (Wisconsin)
Individuals[edit]
These prominent Native Americans have put their opposition to the Redskins' name on the public record:
Sherman Alexie (author, Spokane)[171]
Notah Begay (Navajo, PGA pro golfer) called the Redskins' name "a very clear example of institutionalized degradation of an ethnic minority."[172]
Clyde Bellecourt (Ojibwe, co-founder of the American Indian Movement)[173]
Bob Burns (Blackfeet elder)[174]
Vine Deloria, Jr. (Sioux, historian/author)[175]
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne, U.S. Senator)[176]
Kevin Gover (Pawnee, director of The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian)[177]
Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee, author/activist)[178]
Litefoot (Cherokee/Chichimeca, rapper) ironically celebrates Native American team names as "recreational genocide" on the track 'Stereotipik'.[179]
Russell Means (Oglala Lakota, activist/actor)[180]
Billy Mills (Sioux, Olympic gold medal winner)[181]
Ted Nolan (First Nations Ojibway, NHL player and coach)[182]
Buford Rolin (Creek tribal chairman)[183]
Shoni Schimmel (Umatilla, Louisville Cardinals guard, class of 2015)[184]
Charlene Teters (Spokane, artist/lecturer)[185]
W. Richard West Jr. (Cheyenne) - President of the Autry National Center in Los Angeles: Redskin is "an openly derogatory term. It always is and it always has been.” West also characterizes the Original American's Foundation as an "attempt to divert attention from the fact that his team’s nickname is coming under increasing heat from people who think it’s an offensive racial term."[186]
 
Bodhisattva said:
That is my point... it isn't any longer because nobody uses it in common conversation or as an actual insult. Nobody sees a Native American and says, "hey, redskin, go clean up the toilette" or whatever. Native Americans are saying, "Redskin please" like nigger please... it just isn't used anymore. I see it as I stated, as a sign of the past and or heritage. Also, as Zyphlin has pointed out... Native Americans used the term initially and repeatedly.
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I've ran into people who have claimed to have heard people use it in a derogatory fashion in various places of the country...one such example was in north dakota. But by and large it's rare, and almost impossible to argue that it's used as a derogatory slurring term towards native americans is used more in modern society than as a reference to the Washington Football team. It'd be hard pressed to suggest it's used probably even 100:1 or probably 1000:1 in frequency.
 
tres borrachos said:
So the Native Americans in AZ who live on a reservation and have 100% of the student population comprised of Native Americans and use the name "Redskins" for their sports teams are, what...stupid because they don't know that they are slurring themselves?
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Supporters note that three predominantly Native American high schools use the name Redskins for their sports teams, suggesting that it can be acceptable.[4] However the principal of one of these, Red Mesa High School in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, said that use of the word outside American Indian communities should be avoided because it could perpetuate “the legacy of negativity that the term has created.”[5]
 
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