Why are sports commissioners allowing racism to stick around in professional sports? Why are towns allowing their youth teams to represent segregation? As a 16 year old sports fan, I have no clue. Yes there was a time where discrimination based on one's culture, gender, or race existed, however, in America those times should and COULD be long gone.
When watching a NFL game involving the Washington Redskins racism might not come to mind. However, when you think about it, it is just like calling a team "the Washinton N words". A term that allows racism to stay present in our society, but why wont people do something about it if it getting rid of it is such a doable task?! Just because the fans watching the game don't take offense to the mascot makes it OK? Absolutely not. Nobody would want a team to represent a negative term towards their own race. This issue is not just in professional football either, the Cleavland Indians, Illinois Fighting Illini, and many other colleges still obtain a mascot that is racist. It is a known issue to the sports world, which leaves me wondering why nobody is making changes.
Racism in sports isn't just present in the big leagues. Look right here in the TVL. Millis Mohawks. Seriously? How can you represent a negative stereotype of Native Americans. And for what? To make your school look tough with a bad ass mascot? I just don't see it. Yes there has been other schools in the area changing their mascots because they were thought of to be racist, but why isn't there a chain reaction. Its time to have a nation wide discussion, or a poll, or something that would generate this overlooked matter into a bigger proportion.
Native Americans have lost their voice in the U.S. if they don't have a right to claim that the present day mascots are injustice to their culture. They take a slap to the face when the bright red, feather headed Indian pops up on ESPN. It wont change the sport if the mascots are changed. People barely notice the racism now, why would they care if the mascots were changed. Many people thing the new president will bring change to this country. I know he has numerous tasks to accomplish and obtains hardly any free time, but all it would take is him to say racism has got to go COMPLETELY and people would follow. Change is good and changes need to be made.
Ask yourself this question. Would you play for a team that still carried a racist mascot? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. What if that mascot was directed at your culture, would you still play for them? Probably not. Just because these mascots do not effect you, doesn't mean they are right and innocent. The mascots do hurt people and carry racism years after it was said to be terminated. Come on America. It is time to truly unite.
Word count: 502
When watching a NFL game involving the Washington Redskins racism might not come to mind. However, when you think about it, it is just like calling a team "the Washinton N words". A term that allows racism to stay present in our society, but why wont people do something about it if it getting rid of it is such a doable task?! Just because the fans watching the game don't take offense to the mascot makes it OK? Absolutely not. Nobody would want a team to represent a negative term towards their own race. This issue is not just in professional football either, the Cleavland Indians, Illinois Fighting Illini, and many other colleges still obtain a mascot that is racist. It is a known issue to the sports world, which leaves me wondering why nobody is making changes.
Racism in sports isn't just present in the big leagues. Look right here in the TVL. Millis Mohawks. Seriously? How can you represent a negative stereotype of Native Americans. And for what? To make your school look tough with a bad ass mascot? I just don't see it. Yes there has been other schools in the area changing their mascots because they were thought of to be racist, but why isn't there a chain reaction. Its time to have a nation wide discussion, or a poll, or something that would generate this overlooked matter into a bigger proportion.
Native Americans have lost their voice in the U.S. if they don't have a right to claim that the present day mascots are injustice to their culture. They take a slap to the face when the bright red, feather headed Indian pops up on ESPN. It wont change the sport if the mascots are changed. People barely notice the racism now, why would they care if the mascots were changed. Many people thing the new president will bring change to this country. I know he has numerous tasks to accomplish and obtains hardly any free time, but all it would take is him to say racism has got to go COMPLETELY and people would follow. Change is good and changes need to be made.
Ask yourself this question. Would you play for a team that still carried a racist mascot? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. What if that mascot was directed at your culture, would you still play for them? Probably not. Just because these mascots do not effect you, doesn't mean they are right and innocent. The mascots do hurt people and carry racism years after it was said to be terminated. Come on America. It is time to truly unite.
Word count: 502
Christian-
ReplyDeleteThe point that you made in this entry is easily understood by so many people. You have a good point - Why arn't people changing it when they understand it's wrong? I think I know what you want to say in this sentence but is sounds a bit weird:
A term that allows racism to stay present in our society, but why wont people do something about it if it getting rid of it is such a doable task?!
Great Job!!
You show a lot of personality in this blog and it's great! I liked how you used a lot of questions, it made me really think about your topic, since I never have thought of it like that. There was mistake I saw, "Many people thing the new president will bring change to this country." It should be many people think... But overall it was a really good blog :)
ReplyDeleteI love the way you conclude this blog. The last two sentences are effective. Not to mention the fact that i never noticed this before...although i'm not much of a sports fan.
ReplyDeleteThere could be a few changes needed in this. "Yes there was a time where discrimination based on one's culture, gender, or race existed, however, in America those times should and COULD be long gone." This quote sums up some of your problems. After saying, "Yes," you need a comma. It's a pause that is needed to separate the ideas. Also, i think you should make this two sentences. Just plop a period right before "however."
"A term that allows racism to stay present in our society, but why wont people do something about it if it getting rid of it is such a doable task?!" This right here seems like a fragment or it's awkward phrasing, but my mind just has a problem wrapping around it easily. I know what you're saying, i just think you could say it much clearer.
"Its time to have a nation wide discussion, or a..." you need "It is..."
"People barely notice the racism now, why would they care if the mascots were changed." I think you should take this out completely, or change the wording, because it made me double take. It subtracts from the point you're trying to make, which i thought was racism is bad and noticable.
"Many people thing the new president..." you want "think" here.
"Change is good and changes need to be made." I think this is one of those times where Mr. B would right, so what? It just seems simple. you could easily add much more thought here, and i think that's what you need to do.
Other than those small changes, you did a really good job. You opened up my eyes to a view i'd never seen before. Your personality shines through (that is definitely one of your strong points). Keep on keepin' on.
~morgan
Your post this week was very good and you made a good point: Why aren't the racist mascots of teams are changed? You showed your opinion in this entry really well, and you also showed you personality.
ReplyDeleteHere are some minor things you could change-
"the Washinton N words" I think you mean Washington
"the Cleavland Indians..." Also here it should be Cleveland.
"How can you represent a negative stereotype of Native Americans." here just put a question mark
lastly "Yes there has been other schools in the area..." It should be there have been.
Thats all that you really have to change, other than that your blog was great!
Here's a link for you: http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/q-a-fighting-racism-in-european-soccer/
ReplyDeleteTry not to use however in the middle of a sentence. In this one, "but" works a lot better: "Yes there was a time where discrimination based on one's culture, gender, or race existed, however, in America those times should and COULD be long gone." Slap a comma after the "yes" too!
Go back and put some more apostrophes in here, and some other students have noted some agreement problems.
"Native Americans have lost their voice in the U.S. if they don't have a right to claim that the present day mascots are injustice to their culture." What's the missing word?
A proofing before posting would go a long way.
Affect v. effect = verb v. noun
You express some very interesting thoughts here and your point about Native American stereotypes is well-founded. The lack of voice of the culture has a major effect on these team names. You also used the cartoon quite effectively.