Is it time to retire ‘Redskins’ name?

TODAY’S MODERATOR

The topic comes up from time to time, and last week it made headlines when President Barack Obama offered his opinion. The subject? Sports teams that use names that are offensive to American Indians or other groups.

President Obama offered last week that he would “think about changing” the name of the NFL’s Washington Redskins if he owned the team, according to wire reports. Obama said that and similar names offend “a sizable group of people.”

If you’ve seen recent baseball playoff games in Atlanta, you’ve heard the Braves fans loudly doing their Indian war chant — another obvious example.

If you’ll recall, Miami University in Oxford dropped the “Redskins” moniker several years ago and became the “RedHawks” — in order to avoid offending American Indians. Should other sports teams follow suit?

Do these names offend you? Or do you think this is just an example of unnecessary political correctness? Please share your thoughts with me — with an email to mwilliams@coxohio.com.

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