Sports Mascots Honor the Native American Indian Essay example -- Native

The year is 1991. The capital of Georgia Braves had just completed their source trip to the Fall Classic in four decades, and the Washington Redskins were undefeated, well on their way to their third crack Bowl title. All across the eastern seaboard, sports fans were tasting success - opus American Indians were in an uproar. This year witnessed the peak of the protests over the use of mascots with American Indian themes. With two of the major professional sports teams in question fashioning front-page news across the country, many of us heard American Indians complaints for the first time. Suddenly, thanks to the cries of thousands of demonstrators, the names of many Americans favorite teams had become synonymous with nigger. American Indians believe that the use of these mascots presents a slanderous stereotype of their society, and they demand warm cessation of such usage. Are these demonstrators justified? According to the organizations in question, the prize of mascots based on American Indian themes was not mean to be derogatory and in most cases was instead intended to honor authentic American Indian tribes or individuals. In stark contrast, nigger was intended from its inception as a derogatory term for African-Americans it is purposefully utilize to belittle its victims. American Indians have made themselves victims here, choosing to be insulted where no insult was intended. Because the intentions behind them are not slanderous, the use of mascots with American Indian themes should be continued. Since its birth, Indians definition has never been derogatory. It dates back to the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus mistakenly employ the label to the natives of the ... ... - Heroic Symbol at Florida State. Seminoles Official Athletic Site. 18 May 1993. Online. Available http//www.fansonly.com/schools/fsu/trads/fsu-trads-seminoles.html. 28 February 1999. Louis Sockalexis The Cleveland Indian (1871-1913). The Official Cleveland Indians Baseball hostelry Homepage. Online. Available http//www.indians.com/history/sockalexis.html. 25 February 1999. Munson, Barbara. Common Themes and Questions about the Use of Indian Logos. American Comments A Web Magazine. 1997. Online. Available http//www.iwchildren.org/barb.htm. 25 February 1999. Native Americans. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1995. Seminole Wars. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1995.