Quote:
Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Although I see where you're trying to go with this post, I don't think it makes much sense at all.
I don't understand where you get the idea that racism only exists as a "black/white thing." Asians were interned. Native Americans were slaughtered and removed from their land. Blacks were enslaved. All of these things were done, at least in (large) part, because of the colors of the victims' skin and the attitudes of whites towards them. One can argue that slavery is different, as an institution than these other problems, but that doesn't somehow change the definition of racism as it is applied to people who aren't black. And I'm not going to address "new racism" or "moderen Holocaust" because I don't really know how you are applying either here. To me, racism is racism.
This idea that you can be ethnically insensitive without looking at the root of such insensitivity is bullshit. The type of attitude that is behind someone saying, "Injuns are no good, lazy drunks (and I ain't gonna hire one, my daughter ain't gonna date one, etc. -- and I believe this is the type of "real" racism of which you speak)," is the same as, or is the foundation for, the attitude where one finds it okay to turn a race of people into a mascot for one's amusement.
The fact is, when you look at people that way, you perpetuate stereotypes and attitudes towards a group who is fighting hard to be recognized as people and not some image that has been thrust upon them by those in power. If you don't want to be viewed as some kind of savage, being labeled a "Redskin" and caricatured to the point of being reduced to a mascot of some fucking football team, ain't gonna help.
I guess my point is, a society that can tolerate something like that (over the objection of the very people being caricatured) is the type of society that will tolerate the many more tangible (for lack of a better word) types of racism towards Native Americans (among others).
If you watched the old Looney Tunes when you were a kid, like me, you were probably bombarded with savage or sambo images of blacks. You can argue that they're harmless because "they're just cartoons, after all." Or you can look deeper and ask yourself how that affects people (white, black, hispanic, whatever). I don't see a difference between that and the "Me scalp 'em, and then smoke peace pipe" mindset of "the drunken white kids" running around in full Native American dress at these games. And if you think that any (there are exceptions to everything, of course) of the fans think of it as a "nod to state heritage," then we shouldn't even be arguing.
TM
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While its true that piles of drunk sunburned bleach blondes and Fred Durst lookalikes mimicking a Seminole war chant probably don't do any favors for the general impression of Indian culture, I don't think the Seminole figure itself (the mere artwork and mascot picture) is insulting to Indians.
Being Irish, I think it'd be nice to be considered spawn of warriors, rather than drunkards, theives and con artists. You'd be amazed how many people automatically assume I like to drink because of my name. And worse, they assume I want to go to a pub, and drink beer. I'm not joking. I have worked in places chock full of Wasps and Jews, and they always look at me as the guy who ought to know the best cheap watering hole come happy hour time.
Granted, I do little to disabuse them of their preconceived notions... But still, at least give me the benefit of assuming I'm not a drunk BEFORE our first happy hour or office function.
