Controversial Mascots/ Team names
should they be banned or not? By: Alonso Rivera
Thesis
Sports names such as the Redskins, Braves, Blackhawks and Seminoles, and many more are controversial for many reasons. A lot of people want to ban names like that. I don't think these types of names should be banned, here are some reasons why.
Mascots are a source of pride
Many indians don't feel bothered by the names at all, in fact some people actually like the names. According to a native amercian," CMU did the right thing. The university uses it as a sign of pride and honor. They show respect for the tribes heritage." (Thompson)
1st Amendment Rights
Even if people don't like the idea of tribal mascots it's not up to them. People can choose to pick whatever name they want for there team, and there is really nothing other people can do to stop it. (Walker)
Fans
It is really all about the fans. If the majority of them want the name to be changed than it will be if not than it wont. However most don't! In a poll on the Washington Redskins site 71 percent of fans dont want a name change. 11 percent are undecided and18 percent want a name change. They won't change the name if the fans don't want it. (Paul)
My Opinion
I personally totally believe team names shouldn't be changed. Their names have histories and that shouldn't be taken away just because of the team name. I know the Blackhawks are also a controversial name, and as a Hawks fan I would never want the name to be changed because I love it, and it would be akward seeing them play in different uniforms/ colors.
Conclusion
This is why I 100 percent believe certain team names shouldn't be banned. We the people as fans would never want to see that.
My cited work.
Lukas, Paul. "Tribe Supports Native American Mascots." Espn Playback. ESPN, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
Staff, Proquest. At Issue: Controversial Mascots. N.p.: ProQuest LLC, 2014. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://sks.sirs.com>.
Taylor, Kelley R. "Mascots, Team Names, and Cultural Sensitivity." Education Digestoct, 2002: 43-48. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://sks.sirs.com>.
"Welcome!" Madison.com. Cap Times, 01 Jan. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
Thompson, Lee. "Michigan Ann Arbor Bay City Detroit Flint Grand Rapids Jackson Kalamazoo Lansing Muskegon Saginaw All Michigan." The Bay City Times. The Bay City Times, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.