Are Native American sports mascots racist or demeaning?

[The Dude]

It's not for the general public to determine what is or is not offensive to a particular person or group. It's up to them, and if they're offended, they have a right to make their point. I agree with walksalone that a lot of this is manufactured activism, and in a less politically-correct time this likely wouldn't be (and wasn't, for a long time) an issue. But if someone is offended, we cannot tell them, "You shouldn't be offended." It's up to them. And then it's up to a judge (if it gets that far) to make the call.

EDIT - I'm the (currently) lone "Yes" vote up there. I don't wholly agree with the phrasing of the Yes vote option, but in the context of the above paragraph in this post, it is "racist" or "demeaning" if someone says it is. What is "demeaning" is in the eye of the beholder, much like what defines a religion is in a person's heart/head. A religion is simply a deeply held belief, meaning that if I truly, deeply, really feel that my water cup sitting on my desk is my deity, the government cannot tell me it is not, and they cannot dictate to me how I am to worship it (within certain guidelines, of course).

In much the same way, the government cannot tell me, a free citizen, that I am not allowed to be offended by something. If someone else is not offended that's OK, but it doesn't negate my offense.

I'm offended by this post. Please delete.

 

[HuskerShark]

Racism and demeaning terms are not in the eye of the beholder. It's in the intent of the terms. If you say something to your wife or girlfriend that you mean to be sweet and she takes it the wrong way, whose fault is it? What more could you do?

If there's one thing I've learned up to this point in life, it's this: people will b*tch and moan about everything that they can find, and when there's nothing left to complain about, they search until they can find something else to complain about. We will never be able to satisfy everybody because there are so many freakin pissants and whiners in the world, so we are best to just do our best and not worry about what other people think.

 

[walksalone]

For me, that mascot is a source of pride. I have a "Fighting Sioux" jersey, and plan to buy a couple more before this "BS" takes effect.

 

[strigori]

Its in fashion to be offended by things. You can't keep from offending people, particularly when they are set on being offended. Hell, there is a Utah high school that had thier choice of 'Cougars' as a mascot over ruled because it might offend middle aged women. And I'm sure PETA finds animal mascots ofensive. I just find it interesting that its just in the last few years there has really been a lot more attention focused on this 'issue' and often you have to explain to people what the mascot even represents.

 

[walksalone]

Its in fashion to be offended by things. You can't keep from offending people, particularly when they are set on being offended. Hell, there is a Utah high school that had thier choice of 'Cougars' as a mascot over ruled because it might offend middle aged women. And I'm sure PETA finds animal mascots ofensive. I just find it interesting that its just in the last few years there has really been a lot more attention focused on this 'issue' and often you have to explain to people what the mascot even represents.

In the past 15 years, it seems that it's the national pastime of worrying about who's offending who...

 

[The Dude]

Its in fashion to be offended by things. You can't keep from offending people, particularly when they are set on being offended. Hell, there is a Utah high school that had thier choice of 'Cougars' as a mascot over ruled because it might offend middle aged women. And I'm sure PETA finds animal mascots ofensive. I just find it interesting that its just in the last few years there has really been a lot more attention focused on this 'issue' and often you have to explain to people what the mascot even represents.

Ok, the cougar thing is hilarious. PETA is a perfect example of why going out of your way to be "offended" by everything just makes people not take you seriously.

 

[The Dude]

For me, that mascot is a source of pride. I have a "Fighting Sioux" jersey, and plan to buy a couple more before this "BS" takes effect.

I'm willing to bet most people view it simply as a symbol of respect to the tribe. I don't understand why people who are offended get more say than everyone else. It's one thing that's terribly a$$-backwards about modern society. Being offended is overrated.

It's like that guy who got offended by kchusker_chris' avatar. It was within board rules and 99% of the posters here didn't seem to have a problem with it, but since one guy gets offended by it we have to kowtow to that one guy when he could have simply blocked chris and not made a big stink about something trivial. It's literally nonsense.

 

[jsneb83]

It's like that guy who got offended over kchusker_chris' avatar. It was within board rules and 99% of the posters here didn't seem to have a problem with it, but since one guy gets offended by it we have to kowtow to that one guy when he could have simply blocked chris and not made a big stink about something tivial. It's literally nonsense.

I heard that it was knapp's wife who got offended by it, and he wouldn't be getting any action unless he took it down.

 

[knapplc]

My sympathy level is exactly zero for the avatar being taken down. That picture is on literally 10,000 websites across the web. If you want to see it, try using google.

It's like bitching that you can't have a Big Mac at Burger King. You get Whoppers at Burger King. You want a Big Mac? Go to the place that sells Big Macs.

 

[MLB 51]

Does this mean Sioux City has to find a new name.

 

[The Dude]

My sympathy level is exactly zero for the avatar being taken down. That picture is on literally 10,000 websites across the web. If you want to see it, try using google.

It's like bitching that you can't have a Big Mac at Burger King. You get Whoppers at Burger King. You want a Big Mac? Go to the place that sells Big Macs.

I think the complaint is that an image that was within the rules, at least as much as every image in the Daily Skin subforum, was removed because the opinion of one person superceded the opinion of everyone else. It's absolutely a reasonable complaint, and isn't remotely comparable to not being able to get a Big Mac at Burger King.

 

[knapplc]

My sympathy level is exactly zero for the avatar being taken down. That picture is on literally 10,000 websites across the web. If you want to see it, try using google.

It's like bitching that you can't have a Big Mac at Burger King. You get Whoppers at Burger King. You want a Big Mac? Go to the place that sells Big Macs.

I think the complaint is that an image that was within the rules, at least as much as every image in the Daily Skin subforum, was removed because the opinion of one person superceded the opinion of everyone else. It's absolutely a reasonable complaint, and isn't remotely comparable to not being able to get a Big Mac at Burger King.

Except that it wasn't one person. But feel free to complain.

 

[The Dude]

My sympathy level is exactly zero for the avatar being taken down. That picture is on literally 10,000 websites across the web. If you want to see it, try using google.

It's like bitching that you can't have a Big Mac at Burger King. You get Whoppers at Burger King. You want a Big Mac? Go to the place that sells Big Macs.

I think the complaint is that an image that was within the rules, at least as much as every image in the Daily Skin subforum, was removed because the opinion of one person superceded the opinion of everyone else. It's absolutely a reasonable complaint, and isn't remotely comparable to not being able to get a Big Mac at Burger King.

Except that it wasn't one person. But feel free to complain.

Two, three, four? Doesn't really change my point. I was using that as an example of how nonsensical it is more than I was actually complaining about it.

 

[knapplc]

It's a dreary old issue, one that I'm not happy to dredge up again. Hence my tone. My apologies - it wasn't necessary to display my reticence like that.

 

[The Dude]

It's a dreary old issue, one that I'm not happy to dredge up again. Hence my tone. My apologies - it wasn't necessary to display my reticence like that.

:lol: Yeah I caught that vibe, and I was trying to get my point across without pushing your buttons too much.