Showing posts with the label redskins

Should the Washington Redskins Be Renamed the Washington Rednecks?

The Washington Redskins' name controversy Wikipedians have outdone themselves in outlining the multiple aspects and perspectives of the Washington Redskins' name controversy . Personally, I have always interpreted the expression "redskin" as a racist slur. However, despite complaints, protests and a number of court cases, "Redskins" has survived as the name of the Washington NFL team since 1933. Justification and defense of the name include the fact that some Native Americans support its use and even use it themselves as an object of pride. Additionally, the expression's origins are etymologically neutral and only took on negative connotations from the way the locution has been used.   How language evolves As I've pointed out elsewhere, in the evolution of language, usage trumps definitions and origins . How a word gets used eventually becomes its meaning. "Redskin," particularly as it has been dominantly used in American culture, is