Patent Office Cancels Redskins Trademark

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Except that the Cantonese term you refer to doesn't just refer to white people, but non-East Asian foreigners in general. It's a bit like gaijin in Japan, except that gaijin applies to East Asian foreigners too.

But it's still derogatory, if you want to think that, as those who have bought into the Left's "victim mentality" want to.

Yes, it is derogatory, and if the U.S. Patent Office had any say over the matter, I'd say that they should cancel the trademark. However, as they're not in a position to do so, that's irrelevant to the matter at hand. In other words, if you're trying to argue that the use of a derogatory term in another part of the world somehow mitigates the offensiveness of the name of the Washington team, then you're wrong.

[Northwest Slobovia]

This is such PC bullshit.

The name is popular, not all Indians want it changed, it's used by many schools, including many Indian schools, and the word was first used by Indians.

None of which makes the name less racist.

The first and third don't, the second and fourth might. If only a part of a group finds a term derogatory, is it? If so, how many does it take? It wouldn't surprise me if there are some black Americans who object to "colored people", but yet -- as a recent bit of local political stupidity reminded us -- that term is part of the name of one of the largest black civil rights organizations.

I expect this case is gonna be in the appelate courts for a long time...

[Yumyumsuppertime]

None of which makes the name less racist.

The first and third don't, the second and fourth might. If only a part of a group finds a term derogatory, is it? If so, how many does it take? It wouldn't surprise me if there are some black Americans who object to "colored people", but yet -- as a recent bit of local political stupidity reminded us -- that term is part of the name of one of the largest black civil rights organizations.

I expect this case is gonna be in the appelate courts for a long time...

67% of people interviewed who could actually be established as having tribal membership and Native American ancestry found the name to be offensive.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The law shouldn't be changed for this team, so I'm fine with it. There isn't much defense for "redskin", just like there's no defense for calling a sports team "faggots" or "niggers". If you aren't okay with the latter two, you shouldn't support redskin.

I would totally root for the Kansas City Faggots, if only for the Blazing Saddles reference.

I approve of this message. De Camptown ladies sing this song, doo-da, doo-da!

[Nazi Flower Power]

What the actual fuck.

Clearly, he wants the team to be true to its history of casual racism.

Evidently.

As much as I think some people get oversensitive about these types of issues, Redskins is a bad name and they should just stop fighting this. It's one thing to name a team after a race or ethnic group using neutral terminology, but when they're using a racial slur that most people wouldn't use in polite company, that's crossing the line.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Clearly, he wants the team to be true to its history of casual racism.

Evidently.

As much as I think some people get oversensitive about these types of issues, Redskins is a bad name and they should just stop fighting this. It's one thing to name a team after a race or ethnic group using neutral terminology, but when they're using a racial slur that most people wouldn't use in polite company, that's crossing the line.

Exactly. I mean, of course there are larger immediate issues to deal with in America, but the team ownership has been unnecessarily obstinate and intentionally obtuse on this issue.

[Trollzilla]

There is a difference between using a derogatory term as the name for your team and the legitimate name of a group of people.

I am sure you have heard of the "Fighting Irish" or the "Fighting Illini" which are far cries from the racist term "redskin".

The problem here is not that they are using the name of a group but that they are using racist terminology in reference to an entire group like it is supposed to be a big joke. Racism is no joke.

[Geilinor]

Evidently.

As much as I think some people get oversensitive about these types of issues, Redskins is a bad name and they should just stop fighting this. It's one thing to name a team after a race or ethnic group using neutral terminology, but when they're using a racial slur that most people wouldn't use in polite company, that's crossing the line.

Exactly. I mean, of course there are larger immediate issues to deal with in America, but the team ownership has been unnecessarily obstinate and intentionally obtuse on this issue.

This^. The team ownership doesn't seem to be understanding what the issue is.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The first and third don't, the second and fourth might. If only a part of a group finds a term derogatory, is it? If so, how many does it take? It wouldn't surprise me if there are some black Americans who object to "colored people", but yet -- as a recent bit of local political stupidity reminded us -- that term is part of the name of one of the largest black civil rights organizations.

I expect this case is gonna be in the appelate courts for a long time...

67% of people interviewed who could actually be established as having tribal membership and Native American ancestry found the name to be offensive.

You mean, "66 hard-core Native Americans agreed with the biased statement, 'The Redskins team name is a racial or racist word and symbol.'". Both statements are in fact correct, given the small sample, selection of the group, and framing of the question. The results may in fact apply to all of them, but this study is too poor to say that.

However, thank you for providing it: even if broken, it's data. It may not be good data, but it's still a big improvement over unsupported statements. (No sarcasm intended.)

[Geilinor]

67% of people interviewed who could actually be established as having tribal membership and Native American ancestry found the name to be offensive.

You mean, "66 hard-core Native Americans agreed with the biased statement, 'The Redskins team name is a racial or racist word and symbol.'". Both statements are in fact correct, given the small sample, selection of the group, and framing of the question. The results may in fact apply to all of them, but this study is too poor to say that.

However, thank you for providing it: even if broken, it's data. It may not be good data, but it's still a big improvement over unsupported statements. (No sarcasm intended.)

They aren't "hard-core Native Americans", they're "actual Native Americans".

[Nedvia]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

[Yumyumsuppertime]

67% of people interviewed who could actually be established as having tribal membership and Native American ancestry found the name to be offensive.

You mean, "66 hard-core Native Americans agreed with the biased statement, 'The Redskins team name is a racial or racist word and symbol.'". Both statements are in fact correct, given the small sample, selection of the group, and framing of the question. The results may in fact apply to all of them, but this study is too poor to say that.

However, thank you for providing it: even if broken, it's data. It may not be good data, but it's still a big improvement over unsupported statements. (No sarcasm intended.)

If by hard-core, you mean people whose actual ancestry and tribal membership could be established, rather than "My great-great-great-great grandmother was Indian, but I don't know the tribe", then yes.

[Geilinor]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

(Image)

It depends on if people know that the name refers to the potato.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

(Image)

Not only that, I might actually root for them...no pun intended.

[Ifreann]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

(Image)

Not only that, I might actually root for them...no pun intended.

Potatoes really are the lowest hanging fruit.

[Seaxeland]

Butthurt liberals being butthurt as usual I see. Grow a pair and start complaining about issues that matter, for Christ's sake. There are literally thousands of things more important to complain about other than what a football team calls itself. It's just a fucking word, get over yourselves people, you're not the new Civil Rights movement. Words can be ignored, so fucking ignore them why don't you? Complain about things that deserve complaints against, like healthcare, the economy, our corrupt government, the fact our president just told one of our allies to fend for itself.

A word is just a fucking word. Ignore it and move on. It's not even being used in a pejorative sense.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Not only that, I might actually root for them...no pun intended.

Potatoes really are the lowest hanging fruit.

Now we're being speciesist.

[Northwest Slobovia]

You mean, "66 hard-core Native Americans agreed with the biased statement, 'The Redskins team name is a racial or racist word and symbol.'". Both statements are in fact correct, given the small sample, selection of the group, and framing of the question. The results may in fact apply to all of them, but this study is too poor to say that.

However, thank you for providing it: even if broken, it's data. It may not be good data, but it's still a big improvement over unsupported statements. (No sarcasm intended.)

They aren't "hard-core Native Americans", they're "actual Native Americans".

Read Yum's piece and the linked press release:

Fenelon collected data for a poll about what “real Natives” thought about the baseball team. He went to large pow wows in the Cleveland area, and related events, and polled people individually, making sure that “at a high level of certainty” their tribal identity was legitimate; and that all who claimed Native ancestry were actually American Indian.

So, it's not just "actual" ones, but actual ones at pow-wows. That's a particular small subgroup, and their beliefs may not reflect the rest of the Native Americans.

Fundamentally, I don't see much difference between this study's methodology and one of saying it represents the opinions of the members of a religion (Catholics, for example), but only recruited people leaving church who could prove they were baptised Catholic.

[Cetacea]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

(Image)

To honour the proud traditions of earthiness, nutrition and simplicity

Oh
And arguing that the Injuns said it first is like saying a Faggot is a pile of wood - obviously not offensive

[Ifreann]

Butthurt liberals being butthurt as usual I see. Grow a pair and start complaining about issues that matter, for Christ's sake. There are literally thousands of things more important to complain about other than what a football team calls itself.

Thousands of issues face the US Patent Office? Did you even read the thread title, or did you just see the word "Redskins" and react?

It's just a fucking word, get over yourselves people, you're not the new Civil Rights movement. Words can be ignored, so fucking ignore them why don't you? Complain about things that deserve complaints against, like healthcare, the economy, our corrupt government, the fact our president just told one of our allies to fend for itself.

Why can you complain about this issue, but we can't?

A word is just a fucking word. Ignore it and move on. It's not even being used in a pejorative sense.

Ignore trademark law for the sake of a football team? I made that joke on the first page.

[MERIZoC]

Butthurt liberals being butthurt as usual I see. Grow a pair and start complaining about issues that matter, for Christ's sake. There are literally thousands of things more important to complain about other than what a football team calls itself. It's just a fucking word, get over yourselves people, you're not the new Civil Rights movement. Words can be ignored, so fucking ignore them why don't you? Complain about things that deserve complaints against, like healthcare, the economy, our corrupt government, the fact our president just told one of our allies to fend for itself.

A word is just a fucking word. Ignore it and move on. It's not even being used in a pejorative sense.

Would you be okay if there were teams called "The New York Jews"? "The Seattle Faggots"? "The Houston Wetbacks?" I doubt it. You see, this is an issue that matters. It's offensive, and it undermines the struggle that the First Nations people have had to go through for the last 500 years.

[Nazi Flower Power]

If they keep the name Redskins, but change the logo to a redskin potato, will it still be racist?

(Image)

It would be an improvement. Potatoes don't seem to be bothered by racism like Native Americans are.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Butthurt liberals being butthurt as usual I see. Grow a pair and start complaining about issues that matter, for Christ's sake. There are literally thousands of things more important to complain about other than what a football team calls itself. It's just a fucking word, get over yourselves people, you're not the new Civil Rights movement. Words can be ignored, so fucking ignore them why don't you? Complain about things that deserve complaints against, like healthcare, the economy, our corrupt government, the fact our president just told one of our allies to fend for itself.

A word is just a fucking word. Ignore it and move on. It's not even being used in a pejorative sense.

Would you be okay if there were teams called "The New York Jews"? "The Seattle Faggots"? "The Houston Wetbacks?" I doubt it. You see, this is an issue that matters. It's offensive, and it undermines the struggle that the First Nations people have had to go through for the last 500 years.

Actually, I suspect that he'd be totally fine with it.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Butthurt liberals being butthurt as usual I see. Grow a pair and start complaining about issues that matter, for Christ's sake. There are literally thousands of things more important to complain about other than what a football team calls itself. It's just a fucking word, get over yourselves people, you're not the new Civil Rights movement. Words can be ignored, so fucking ignore them why don't you? Complain about things that deserve complaints against, like healthcare, the economy, our corrupt government, the fact our president just told one of our allies to fend for itself.

A word is just a fucking word. Ignore it and move on. It's not even being used in a pejorative sense.

Would you be okay if there were teams called "The New York Jews"? "The Seattle Faggots"? "The Houston Wetbacks?" I doubt it. You see, this is an issue that matters. It's offensive, and it undermines the struggle that the First Nations people have had to go through for the last 500 years.

"Jew" is not a derogatory term. If NY can have a team called the Yankees, they can have one called the Jews.

[MERIZoC]

Would you be okay if there were teams called "The New York Jews"? "The Seattle Faggots"? "The Houston Wetbacks?" I doubt it. You see, this is an issue that matters. It's offensive, and it undermines the struggle that the First Nations people have had to go through for the last 500 years.

"Jew" is not a derogatory term. If NY can have a team called the Yankees, they can have one called the Jews.

Isn't "New York Jew" in a whole a derogatory term though?