Redskins, Racial Slurs, and Social Justice

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm by Francis J. Beckwith

Redskins, Racial Slurs, and Social Justice 2020-11-22T15:51:38-05:00 Francis J. Beckwith

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That’s the title of my latest installment over at The Catholic Thing. Here’s how it begins:

During halftime of an NFL game broadcasted on NBC on October 13, sportscaster, Bob Costas, opined that the ownership of the Washington Redskins should change its name. Following the lead of President Obama, who said that he would change the team’s name if he were the owner, Costas argued that “Redskins” is “an insult, a slur no matter how benign the present-day intent.”

Team owner, Dan Snyder, reacting to the President’s comments, defended the name, appealing to the team’s 81-year old tradition, that the name is employed by the ownership without malice or bigotry, and that a vast majority of Native Americans are not troubled by the name.

This is a very weak argument.

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