Judge overturns ruling on Redskins nickname

[mac56]

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/274/sports/Judge_overturns_ruling_on_RedsP.shtml

A federal judge has overturned a ruling revoking the Washington Redskins trademark, finding there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the name is disparaging to American Indians.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the ruling in connection with a 1999 decision by a panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But she also made clear that her ruling does not address the issue of whether the name ''Redskins'' actually is offensive to Indians.

(snip)

The lawsuit began in 1992 when seven American Indians, led by Suzan Shown Harjo, asked the trademark office to cancel six trademarks containing the word ''Redskin.'' In 1999, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted a petition to cancel the team's trademark registrations because of a federal law, the Lanham Act, prohibiting registering ''disparaging'' names.

[saigon68]

1. It should be the POLISH SKINS instead

Apologies to my late grand mother Lewandowski

[w4rma]

2. I've never considered "redskins" a negative, offensive or disparaging

Washington Redskins: The skin tone of native Americans is red tinted. That's a fact and it isn't a fact that anyone shouldn't be proud of.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. You clearly don't know...

the historical usage of the word. It was used as a slap to Natives, and was seen on "wanted" posters for their deaths. A bounty was offered for every "redskin" that was brought in dead.

[w4rma]

12. IMHO, that perception has changed, largely because

of the use of the term in the Washington Redskins.

If folks thought it was derogatory I don't think most people would want to associate themselves with the team. And yet, this team is one of the more popular football teams in the league.

[mac56]

13. What? It's popular, so it must be okay?

By that logic, Fox News is the best broadcast station in the country, and Rush Limbaugh the best journalist.

[Dhalgren]

15. Think of the names some teams

from the deep south might have had a few years ago - would that have been o.k.? I can think of a number of terms that are equivalents to "redskin" - "jungle bunny" (the jungle is nice with Tarzan and all, and who doesn't like bunnies?) "beaner" (Hormel has gone a long way to make the term 'bean' acceptable) "spick" (SpiknSpan is a cleanser -what wrong with that?) dago (Day and Go two very positive terms).

Please, "redskin" is a racial slur, it doesn't matter what kind of spin you put on it. I tell you what, you go up to the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota and you go lookup one of my Chippewah friends up there and say, "Hey, I bet you're sure proud to be a redskin?" See what happens.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Lynching...

was really "popular" once too.

[Karenina]

24. How very white of you!

If Native Americans find it offensive, do you not think THEIR perceptions deserve more weight than your own? Just asking.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Natives are some of the last people...

in this country to get even the most basic of respect as to not have a historically demeaning name used as a entertainment tool.

Piss. Me. Off.

Any other group -- ANY other group -- would not be treated this way today.

[maxanne]

4. insufficient evidence?

This judge should have to read Ward Churchill's essay, "Let's Spread the Fun Around."

http://www.dickshovel.com/crimes.html

And why stop there? There are plenty of other groups to include. "Hispanics?" They can be "represented" by the Galveston "Greasers" and the San Diego "Spics," at least until the Wisconsin "Wetbacks" and Baltimore "Beaners" get off the ground. Asian Americans? How about the "slopes," "Dinks," "Gooks," and "Zipperheads?" Owners of the latter teams might get their logo ideas from editorial page cartoons printed in the nation's newspapers during World War II: slanteyes, buck teeth, big glasses, but nothing racially insulting or derogatory, according to the editors and artists involved at the time. Indeed, this Second World War-vintage stuff can be seen as just another barrel of laughs at least by what current editors say are their "local standards" concerning American Indians.

Let's see. Who's been left out Teams like the Kansas City "Kikes," Hanover "Honkies," San Leandro "Shylock," Daytona "Dagos," and Pittsburg "Polacks" will fill a certain social void among white folk. Have a religious belief? Let's all go for the gusto and gear up the Milwaukee "Mackeral Snappers" and Hollywood "Holy Rollers." The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame can be rechristened the "Drunken Irish" or "Papist Pigs." Issues of gender and sexual preference can be addressed through creation of teams like the St. Louis "Sluts," Boston "Bimbos," Detroit "Dykes," and the Fresno "Fags." How about the Gainsville "Gimps" and the richmond "Retards," so the physically and mentally impaired won't be excluded from our fun and games?


:mad:

[snooper2]

5. The real name is the Washington Redscabs...

Peel em' back and watch em' bleed...

:)

[jiacinto]

6. Good

The name of the team should stay the same. Leave the Redskins alone. Why the hell do some people have to make a big deal out of everything?

[maxanne]

8. gee Carlos

I don't know. How would you feel about the Sarasota Spics?

[dolstein]

9. I'm pretty sure the team was originally called the Boston Braves

Then it was changed to the Boston Redskins (probably because the then Boston Braves baseball franchise didn't take too kindly to having a football team take their name). Then the team moved to Washington.

I grew up in the Washington DC area, and was a big Redskins fan for a long time. I have nothing personally against the team. But does anyone believe for a second that a team could get away with being called, say, the Chinks, the Spics or the Coolies?

Besides, can't they come up with a name that is more relevant to the geographical area being represented? The Senators? The Generals? The Diplomats? The Monuments?

[saigon68]

30. How about THE PIGS WITH THEIR SNOUTS IN THE PUBLIC TROUGH

Or some version there of

[Selwynn]

10. If it were the Alabama N*****s there would be no debate...

Why is there a debate about the "redskins?"

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. What about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

No one seems to object to that.

[mac56]

17. Not so.

There are some people of Irish descent who object very strongly to it, especially the "cute" "little" fighting Leprechaun logo.

The point is, if somebody feels like it's a slur, they ought to speak up.

Add on edit: read this column by Matthew Sheahan: "These Irish Eyes Are Frowning".

http://www.getunderground.com/underground/columns/article.cfm?Article_ID=945

clip:

"Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with potatoes and green beer is like celebrating Black History Month with watermelons and malt liquor. Leprechauns hang on walls that would never display the cartoon of a buck-dancing sambo. Would anyone root for Notre Dame if their mascot was a Puerto Rican stealing hubcaps instead of a racist Irish caricature of a ‘fighting Irishman’? I doubt it."

[Syrinx]

16. never mind

I retract that comment. I misunderstood your point. Sorry.

[Dhalgren]

19. No it isn't.

The Native Americans were robed of there lands and murdered, pilaged and raped by a group of people that the Natives viewed as coming from "Washington". Now "washington" has a team called the "Redskins"? You don't see the offensiveness of this? This would be like Charleston SC having a team called the "Negroes".

[Syrinx]

20. maybe I misunderstood

I thought the poster was saying "Alabama Niggers" would be accepted.

Sorry. All the south bashing may have made me a bit defensive.

[Dhalgren]

21. No problem

This whole issue is a powder-keg. Didn't mean to be too strident.
:hi:

[Syrinx]

22. Nah, you weren't too strident

I was too stupid. :cry:

[Selwynn]

26. Clarification needed?

Just to make sure, I was saying that if the name in question was "Alabama (Insert N word here, I had typing it)" we wouldn't be debating about whether or not it was acceptable - we would be outraged at is unacceptability.

The question about the Irish? If you want to name a team the mighty Italians, I don't care. If you want to name them the Mights Wops then I think I have a problem. Do you see the difference? I actually don't care if a team named themselves after a native american tribe out of respect, however "redskins" is by no means a term of respect - not in the slightest. It's slang that has a negative connotation in history.

Now, before I wade in to deep, I do need to be honest and say that I am not really all that passionate about this issue. And in fairness, I'm not sure this rises to the same level of using a word like n***** for example. Maybe it does, I don't know.

[Uzybone]

11. too bad

it is a racist nickname and needs to go.

[bhunt70]

18. as a washingtonian and a 100% native american

I think that it should be changed. Not because I personally find it offensive, but because there are those that do. I know that the name isn't meant to be derogatory, but it is to a great deal of people.

The over use of such a word doesn't make it better.

[frank frankly]

25. I hear you, bhunt

these nicknames won't last much longer. no way. i won't allow it.

my condolences to those who took this to court. you were right, this piece of shit judge was wrong.

[Forkboy]

27. honest team names

excerpt from "Mascot Mania" by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon.

It seems to me
That to stay mean
These names should change with time

The New York Muggers
Detroit Murders
And Chicago Mob

Boston Bigots
Texas Swindlers
And the L.A. Cops

Miami Drugs
New Jersey Dumps
Take on the Denver Smog

Seattle Fads
New Orleans Hoods
Milwaukee Cannibals

San Diego Jarheads
And the Arizona Drought

That's Mascot Mania
Uh-huh
Uh-huh


Heads explode when Dallas Oswalds
Meet Washington Bribes
Home team bands play "Cop Killer"
When L.A. comes to town


Pittsburgh Polluters
Houston Drive-Bys
Don't stir near the fear
When the Florida Abortion Bombers
Meets the San Francisco Queers

That's Mascot Mania
Uh-huh
Uh-huh

Anywhere ya go
The game's the same old thing
Bet your money on the Bribes
They always win

[leanings]

28. Notre Dame's

"Fighting Irish" have as a mascot a brawling little drunken looking white guy in green. I bet he's cheap too. Would you all be so indignant and outraged if an Irish group was complaining about?

People need to grow up and get over shit. "Spade" and "boot" and "coon" have all been ethnic slurs towards blacks. Should we launch a campaign to rename coon dogs? Change the name of the card game or start buying "small garden shovels"? Extra high top shoes?

This is stupid. How's this one; As a Redskins fan, I'm offended that people are offended by the name. Their becoming offended promotes the stereotype of Redskins fans as racists. Who do I sue?

Get back to me; I'm going to picket down at Cracker Barrel.

[Selwynn]

31. See post #26

The only thing people need to get over, is being so self-absorbed so as to not give a fuck about names that are particularly calloused towards history.

And you would agree that there is a line rihgt? If I bought a football team and renamed them the niggers, is that cool with you? Should people just get over it?

Ok so, the question is - is redskins on the same level as nigger? (yes I'm spelling out the awful word to emphasize a point.) Does it cross "the line?" You don't think it does. Ok I respect that! But maybe you can make that point while at the same time accepting that for people who FEEL the same feelings about the word redskin that many do about the word NIGGER, maybe you can have a little more courtesy for the seriousness of the issue - agree or disagree.

[maxanne]

32. So then

how about the Savannah Stormtroopers - using a swastika as a team logo? Would you tell a Holocaust surviver to get over it?

Read some history. The genocide of the American Indian rivals what Hitler did in Germany. Read about the Trail of Tears. Read about the Sand Creek Massacre, or Wounded Knee. Read about the role your government played in the murders on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, back in the 1970's when they had the highest per capita murder rate in the world.

Get over it? Yeah, we killed you, took your land, broke every treaty, still treat you like dirt - how dare you Indians object to our making sport of you with racist comments, after all we've done for you.

Get over it? Easy for a priviledged white man to say.

[mac56]

33. See post #17 -

about the Fighting Irish.

There are some Irish people for whom that's not cool.

"Grow up and get over shit"? Why don't you grow up and get over yourself? This isn't a laughing matter for lots of people.

[Ivory_Tower]

29. They should just change the logo

to the redskin potato:



:)