Ethnically Speaking, January 3
by Larry Meeks
Dear Larry: When it comes to dealing with different ethnic groups and deciding what is the politically correct thing to do, I use what I call the "replacement method." For instance, if it's OK to call a team "The Cleveland Indians," how would it sound if we had a team called "The Arkansas Arabs" or the "Jamestown Jews"? I can imagine the nasty letters they would get in response.
Now let's consider the image of that group pictured on the sweatshir ...
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Posted by: Kook Dean
Comment: #1
Fri Jan 9, 2009 9:32 PM
Thanks Larry for a great response. Suggest the "replacement" method be replaced with the "learning" method. The learning method will encourage people to learn the history and the identities of the people involved. Using the learning method would courage students to learn and ask questions:
1. Why is Thanksgiving is a holiday?
2. Who are the Pilgrims?
3. Who are the Indians? What tribe? The history of the tribe?
4. Etc.
This learning method applies to Sports Teams:
1. Who are the Florida Seminoles (The tribe)?
2. The history of the Seminoles?
3. Where are the Seminoles today?
Try applying the learning method to any holiday, team mascot
and etc.
Some people may object because it causes them to use their brains and not their emotions.
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Posted by: Matt
Comment: #2
Sat Jan 3, 2009 5:42 PM
Feh. Sounds like the nonsense controversies over Native-American-themed professional sports teams & mascots (Florida Seminoles, Washington Redskins, etc). Something that the natives themselves don't seem to mind. As usually, Larry nails it - if the portrayal is done respectfully, I am hard-pressed to see a problem. Next thing you know, we'll be hearing complaints about the Minnesota Vikings...after all, isn't dressing a guy up like a northman raider offensive to people of Swede or Norse ancestry? Apparently not, since the team hails from a heavily Scandinavian part of the US!
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Posted by: VAdame
Comment: #3
Sat Jan 3, 2009 9:24 AM
Or the "Fighting Irish?" ;-)
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