SKIN IN THE GAME

Redskins owner Snyder

The latest blow in the war against political incorrectness has been struck!

The US Patent And Trademark Office announced that the team’s trademark will be cancelled because the team’s name is disparaging to Native Americans.

Is it a coincidence that President Obama thinks the name should be changed and a Federal agency has taken action?

Why that would be like the IRS going after Tea Party members!

That’s crazy talk!

As a result, the team may have a harder time protecting its name and logo if other people use them without permission on, say, sweatshirts and hats, the Associated Press reported.

"This puts a big dent in their business model of trying to gain revenue from a disparaging term of slur," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wa.) told ESPN. "I find it very unlikely that someone is going to overrule the patent office on this. This is a huge decision by a federal agency."

Ms. Cantwell, who is obviously of Native American stock...
Since when can you be offended on someone else's behalf?

Allegedly, five Native Americans filed a petition that prompted the Federal agency’s action.

The familiar arguments are fundamentally the same as in Harjo et al v. Pro-Football Inc., a trademark suit filed in 1992 that wound its way through the courts for 17 years. 

If these people are really offended, why don't they sign on to the complaint?
Or did a politician with an agenda hand them a sign and pay them to pretend to protest?

Suzan Shown Harjo and six petitioners won that case before the trademark board in 1999 but lost on appeal, largely on a technical argument that they had waited too long to assert their rights.

Where I object to all of this is, of all of the tribes in the United States, some 5.3 million people claiming Native American descent, only SEVEN found it objectionable enough to be part of Harjo's lawsuit, and only FIVE signed the complaint that the patent office acted on.

Let’s assume both groups are mutually exclusive. That means ELEVEN out of FIVE MILLION were offended.

Since “Native American” can cover a lot of ground, I have not seen confirmation that the complainants are, in fact, red-skinned.

After all, I am a Native American.

And isn’t someone who spends too much time in the sun “red-skinned?” 

I have, at times, been red-skinned. I do not find the team name offensive. 

Reportedly, neither do 95% of Native Americans who are descendants of the indigenous tribes that lived here before the descendants of these politically-correct pinheads arrived here from Europe.

In fact, only 0.0002% of Native Americans found the name offensive enough to sign on to the complaints.

If the name change were to be made, it would be a windfall for Snyder and the NFL.

Gratuitous cheerleader photo

Sales of new team merchandise would undoubtedly propel the fourth most valuable NFL franchise up a notch or two.

I respect Snyder for standing his ground against what appears to be a small minority.

If an overwhelming number of Native Americans had signed on, I might feel differently, but at what point do you stop trying to make a warm and happy place for everyone (except for Christians of course-they should be fed to the lions)?

I have the best solution for Snyder.

Move the team. I hear Los Angeles may be in the market for a team.

That way, it makes sense to do a name change.

All those idiots in Washington can explain to the DC market why they no longer have a football team.

Or, if you’re hell-bent on staying in DC but are going to cave to the pressure, might I suggest re-naming the team the “Politically Correct Liberal Pussies?”

Proposed Uniforms For The Washington Pussies

You can have pink uniforms (which would go over big in October), and a nice little fluffy kitty as the team logo.

New Logo For Washington D.C. NFL Franchise