Okay maybe that heading was a little emotional, or maybe it reveals to all of you Tennessee fans that I am a fanatical Alabama fan who believes that NCAA actually means National Conspiracy Against Alabama. Of course some of you might actually be intelligent enough to realize that it was just a clever way to get this post noticed on an aggregator.
The purpose of this post though was not to complain about Philip Fulmer and the NCAA's effort to bring down Alabama's football program. Believe it or not, I am actually over that. It took about three years and a lot of therapy but I am okay now. What I want to talk about today is the NCAA's silliness in regards to the use of American Indian mascots by member institutions. Yes, I know I am supposed to say Native American, but I will be damned if I ever give in to that politically correct BS and start calling Indians Native American. I don't think it makes anymore sense to call them Native American than it does to call Americans who happen to be black, African-Americans. This is the way I see it. If you were born in this country, are you not also a native American, and if your skin happens to be brown and you were born in this country, does that not also make you a native American, as opposed to an African-American? Before I get too far off topic, I will just direct you to this old post that addresses this very subject.
I realize that a few American tribes are offended by these mascots, but you see I don't care. Yes that is right. I don't care. I don't care if individuals who are overly sensitive get their feelings hurt. In my opinion, those types of individuals need to get over it. These schools are not trying to offend anyone with those mascots. Think about it. Would you want your University to be referred to by a derogatory term. Of course not. The political activists who litter the NCAA seem to think though that calling your team the FSU Seminoles is equal to calling your team the FSU Piles of Excrement.
I am just tired of tiptoeing around and making sure that what I say or do does not hurt someone's feelings. I mean, can people not just get over it? I can tell you that the 1/16 Cherokee in me could care less about these nicknames. But do the Indians really care? I realize that some do, but I would guess that most do not. I posted about some of them that did not on March 11. In that post I discussed how the NCAA had asked the University of North Carolina Pembroke, who used the name Braves, to undergo an institutional self evaluation because their nickname was deemed offensive. But as it turned out, the nickname dated back 50 years when the University was an all Indian school, and the Indians for whom it was named vehemently opposed a name change. But guess what. UNC Pembroke went ahead and changed the name anyway. Talk about ridiculous!
I have never understood these people who are so worried about offending certain individuals. At some point, we just have to tell folks to get over it. I refuse to walk on pins and needles around anyone. If I offend you, then maybe instead of shaming me, you should take a look at yourself. Maybe you are the one with the problem.
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