Native American Redskins fans posted a petition on MoveOn.org addressed to politicians asking that they “Stop Wasting Our Nation’s Resources on a Football Team.”
Move On has a decidedly Progressive voice. Progressive Democrats use the Washington Redskins team name as a new front in the culture war with Conservative Republicans who have been all too happy to accommodate them. Lost in the controversy are the voices of everyday Redskins fans, especially Native American Redskins fans, incensed that a cabal of social activists are assumed to speak for them without authority to do so. They want you to know they embrace the Redskins, both the brand and the term, when it is applied respectfully to sports mascots. Congress has better things to do than grandstand on the issue, says the petitioners.
A super majority of sports fans are not following where media and activist elites are trying to lead, but you will not read that in The Washington Paper. Media stories about fan sentiment are not presented in a straightforward way. An ESPN poll of Redskins players found that half of them did not oppose the name. Twenty-five others declined to give an opinion or said it was the owner’s decision. One opposed the name. The lede line on washington.cbslocal.com? “ESPN: Poll Reveals One Redskins Player Thinks Team Should Change Name.”
The more accurate headline would have been “Majority of Redskins players support the name.” A Redskins story supporting the name cannot be published without more pixels devoted to reasons why it should change. Online polls that show support quickly disappear — the greater the support, the faster it goes. Stories are written as if change is inevitable, or already made. Flaws are found in evidence, supporters and Redskins charities. Ray Halbritter considers the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation and “odious tactic” by Daniel Snyder.
Move on placed this petition under review for awhile today. I suspected it would not reappear. However, it was accessible when I wrote this story this evening. Given Move On’s point of view, I cannot assure you it will remain there. So if when you sign this one, head over to Change.org and sign the petition to Keep the Redskins Name too.
UPDATE: See fmbarclar’s statement in the Comments explaining why the petition was under review.
Image Credit: Janine “LadyofRedskins” Vandenberg
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