“This is a derogatory term for Indians that sticks out like an anomaly,” said Mause today. “No other group still has to deal with this kind of a term being used” in such a public and widespread way.
Harjo: Get educated
Harry: Don't you think that this is a pretty petty thing to be nagging about? Aren't there bigger issues out there in the world today than name-calling?
Suzan Shown Harjo: Most of the people who ask that question don't do anything about our big issues. The Native American parties to our lawsuit are the ones who are doing something about the big issues, and this is one of them, because it is contextual, atmospheric--it affects federal Indian law because, for one thing, policymakers don't make good policy for cartoons or for people who are used for others' sport.
R-Skin Fan: Are you drunk???
Suzan Shown Harjo: As a political and health decision, I don't drink at all. Alcohol is a powerful medicine that weakens natural healing medicines, so it's not a good idea to mix medicines. Thank you for asking.
JJ: Ever think that instead of promoting equality, this fight of yours will sour people about Indians. People may think that Indians are kind of stupid for trying to change a mascot's name.
Suzan Shown Harjo: The thoughts of those who could be soured over a bid for justice are of little interest to me--what are they going to do? Get mad and take away the western hemisphere?
Harry: I am first to agree that what has happened to the Indians by the Americans was a horrible thing, and it shouldn't be looked over. However, how long are you going to play that trump card? Eventually, you need to move on as a group and realize that things are never going to revert back to the olden days. Eventually you are going to have to take responsibility for yourself and stop pulling out that same card.
Suzan Shown Harjo: We aren't trying to go back to a bygone era. We seek justice in our own time and in comparison to all the other human beings of our time.
Noah Hurwitz: I'm alarmed at the number of offensive remarks that people have made during this chat. Why is it that there is so little respect given to Native Americans?
Suzan Shown Harjo: That's one of the problems with dehumanizing, objectifying images, names, behaviors--promotion of disrespect.
Scott: Don't you think this is petty? If Native Americans have health problems and all suffer all the other ills of our society, wouldn't you be better serving your people by concentrating your effort on these issues and not what a football team writes on their jersey? Don't you think your priorities are a little out of whack?
Suzan Shown Harjo: I and other Native American parties to our lawsuit have worked very hard to achieve the American Indian Health Care Improvement Act and to gain clinics and hospitals in Indian country. What have you done to help our health conditions?
Hawkeye: Are there some instances where Native American-inspired mascots are appropriate?
Suzan Shown Harjo: Nope.
James Jones: I pay taxes!
Suzan Shown Harjo: So do I. So what?
8thKickapoo: Don't you think if a team were the Casper Skinned White Devils some people would take offense?
Suzan Shown Harjo: You see, part of the perception problem for many white folks looking at this issue is that there is no equivalent pejorative for all white people that's anywhere near the same as the r-word for Native Peoples or the n-word for African Americans.
Skins fan: I have a lot of sympathy for the injustices your people have faced. I have a family member who is a Native American that was adopted. But I also feel that the nicknames of teams such as the Braves, Seminoles, and even the Redskins were meant to honor your people and not to disgrace them.
Suzan Shown Harjo: Even if that were the case (and I respectfully disagree with that view), they are not considered honorifics today by the vast majority of Native Americans. And, even if it were the case that one team meant well by it, it still would be the job of the other side to mock the image, name, traits of their opponents. The very nature of the context makes it preferable to just make the change and move on. My guess is that the Republic will still stand.
A. Anthoney Allen: The arrogance and insensitivity of some white people never ceases to amaze me. If sports teams and mascots are not called the crackers, the chinks, the wops, the spicks, the kikes or the niggers, then how can anyone feel the term Redskin is not offensive? Removing these offensive names would be an excellent way for this country to start the new millenium. It's not ironic that the Washington Redskins are a team in our Nation's capital. After all, this country was founded on the skins of Red people. It's as simple as that!
Suzan Shown Harjo: Take heart. These Native references in sports are going the way of the lawn jockeys.
It's the same fear and loathing we see directed toward Obama. The same lack of rational engagement on the issues. We're white and you're not, so we demand the right to make you our mascot. And we're mad as hell that you're trying to limit our white privilege.
Anyway, Harjo kicked the butts of mascot supporters. I'd love to see her debate the proponents of Redskin magazine. She'd kick their butts too.
For more on the subject, see Team Names and Mascots.
8 comments:
"It's the same fear and loathing we see directed toward Obama."
Who happens to be an anti-gay bigot who invited a fellow homophobe to speak at his inaugaration.
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/19/obama-inauguration-antigay-pastor
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2007/11/obamas-anti-gay.html
In other words Obama is worse than the guy with the 'half breed' sign.
"The same lack of rational engagement on the issues."
Claiming that people are racists simply because they're white isn't a rational engagement, it's the ol' 'I tawt I taw a wacist' approach.
Kudos to Harjo. As you can see, Rob, that Susan has shown a great deal of civility and calm. Not only that, she maintained a rational and civil debate. The primitive, savagic and barbarous attitudes merely came from "Redskin" supporters and their rowdy and unruly fans. Beating their little hairy chests like a sumatran orguntan ape, as if that side of the racial spectrum is going vintaged.
Harjo above all, came out on top. She has shown integrity, respect and passion for our Native American culture. And Rob, you're right on--indeed, she kick these sucKKKers in the balls.
Keep up the great work Susan Harjo, we salute you!
Heil Freedom! May Justice prevail.
Shadow Wolf--
Obviously, some of the asinine questions being asked are utterly stupid:
"Are you drunk?"
It exemplifies their low IQ'ed ignorance, atypical of a common rural redneck. It only goes to show us all, that Harjo has class. When a half-wit inbreed retorts to the level of infantility as displayed by the fans, it usually means that Harjo is on top of the argument. So they start to make poor vapid attempts at argumentation.
Shadow Wolf--
No one has claimed that all whites are racists here, Stephen. Apparently your stupid misunderstanding of generalizations continues. To learn how they work, see Educating Stephen About Generalizations.
Your attack on Obama is irrelevant to this posting, but I'll address it just as I did via e-mail:
More guilt by association? This is as lame as it was the last time you tried it.
A wide range of religious leaders oppose homosexuality in one form or another. As president, Obama has to deal with many of them. If he associated only with those he agreed with, he'd be out on the religious edge with people like Jeremiah Wright. And people like you would call him for that.
Incidentally, Caldwell is "one of President George W. Bush's most influential spiritual advisors." So were you calling Bush a "hardline anti-gay bigot" throughout his eight years? I didn't know you then, but I doubt it.
In short, we're still waiting for a valid excuse for your anti-Obama prejudice. For all I know, you're a plain ol' bigot.
Yes, Harjo does a great job of answering forcefully but politely. You need someone like this to be the face of an issue.
I couldn't do what she's doing because I'd be too sarcastic. That would tend to alienate the stupid idiots I was trying to educate. ;-)
""No one has claimed that all whites are racists here, Stephen. Apparently your stupid misunderstanding of generalizations continues. To learn how they work, see Educating Stephen About Generalizations."
You misread what I posted, I didn't say that you claimed that all whites were racists.
"More guilt by association? This is as lame as it was the last time you tried it."
So you don't care about Obama's bigotry? It isn't just 'guilt by association' read the article.
"A wide range of religious leaders oppose homosexuality in one form or another. As president, Obama has to deal with many of them. If he associated only with those he agreed with, he'd be out on the religious edge with people like Jeremiah Wright. And people like you would call him for that."
Inviting a homophobic bigot to speak at the inaugaration isn't just 'dealing with them' it's a slap in the face to LGBT people and like I said my criticism of him doesn't only consist of his support for his fellow bigots, just read the article.
"Incidentally, Caldwell is "one of President George W. Bush's most influential spiritual advisors." So were you calling Bush a "hardline anti-gay bigot" throughout his eight years? I didn't know you then, but I doubt it."
I have repeatedly established that I was firmly anti-bush.
"In short, we're still waiting for a valid excuse for your anti-Obama prejudice."
It's simple, I can't support a homophobic bigot who's pro illegal wire tapping and wants healthcare for illegal immigrants.
"For all I know, you're a plain ol' bigot."
Obama's the real bigot, also by that logic you're a sexist for criticizing that moron palin and an anti-semite for criticizing israel, see how silly that weak argument is?
Re "You misread what I posted, I didn't say that you claimed that all whites were racists": I didn't misread it. You apparently didn't understand what I was saying. As usual.
I didn't claim people are racists simply because they're white. I claimed the subset of white people who support the "Redskins" name is similar to the subset of white people who fear and loathe Obama. The underlying motivation for both their positions is racism.
This posting didn't even generalize about white people--your usual bugaboo. It generalized about a particular subset of white people. And as far as I'm concerned, the generalization is demonstrably true. I've provided more than enough evidence--in this posting and many, many others--to show what these people believe.
I don't consider Obama "bigoted" for supporting civil unions that are equivalent to gay marriage. Especially when Obama previously supported gay marriage and changed his position only because of politics (in my opinion).
If you think Obama is homophobic, you must think everyone to the right of him is a neo-Hitlerian hatemonger. Yet I've missed your denunciations of Bush, Cheney, McCain, Palin, et al. on the subject. I've also missed your statements of whom you'd prefer as president. Start naming names, brave boy, so we can see whether you're a racist or not.
I read the articles when you e-mailed them to me. They didn't contain much worth responding to.
You support Bush's war on Islam, his most significant "accomplishment," but you're anti-Bush? Uh-huh, sure you are.
Then go ahead and prove it. List, say, 20 terrorist supporters, corporate criminals, racist politicians, homophobic preachers, and others whom Bush has associated with. Then state explicitly that Bush is 20 times more repugnant than Obama. Then I'll believe you're not prejudiced against minorities.
That you think Obama wants to insure illegal immigrants is another sign of your bigotry. The plan Congress is considering explicitly denies coverage to illegal immigrants. Your stupid mistake if you think otherwise.
Moreover, letting illegal immigrants buy into the healthcare system might be a good idea. They're younger and healthier than the average American, so they'd help the system rather than hurt it. If you can't grasp this simple argument, I suspect you are indeed a bigot.
Once again you're trying to hijack a posting with your irrelevant rants. Stop using a single word or phrase in my postings--in this case, "Obama"--to launch one of your right-wing attacks. For the umpteenth time, start your own blog if that's all you care about.
We're done debating this subject here. You can e-mail me your answers and I'll decide whether to post them. If you don't like it, tough.
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