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What is it with America's preoccupation with political correctness? Using Native American mascots was never intended as a slight against Native Americans, nor do they perpetuate negative stereotypes. I understand that Native American peoples were horrendously mistreated by "white" settlers (I guess that relieves the Spanish/Mexican settlers of their culpability),and that their lands were taken from them by those settlers (regardless of skin tone). But it was a different time, with different values and different social and economic imperatives. The use of Native American mascots is not derogatory, so what is the problem?

Native mascots, if anything, pay homage to the strengths, toughness and resilience of Native Americans. When was the last time you saw a a team called the "Pink Puffs?" Never! Because it does not convey the attributes we seek in our sports teams, and ourselves. The problem is political correctness.

While Native Americans were persecuted and driven from their ancestral homelands, nearly every ethnic group was persecuted when they first came to the "New World." But they overcame, they adapted, they learned new languages and adopted new mores. In other words, they exhibited toughness and resiliency, they refused to give up, made a stand and in the end, overcame hardship to build what I still believe is the greatest country in the world. Attributes and values we all share as Americans regardless of ethnic background.

Political correctness is a slippery slope, as the gentleman on the other side of this argument illustrates. He looks back at the wrongs inflicted by his great-great-great-grandfather and somehow feels responsible for that man's (whom he never knew)actions. But, he is unable to put that man's actions into the context of the times he lived. He interjects that man's actions into his own social context. And he hopes to right those ancient wrongs by standing up and defending the "Indians"(whom I believe are from Cleveland, or India, Columbus). It's nonsense, and it is never ending. That is the problem with political correctness, it is never ending. Even a well-intentioned individual can all too easily falter under the microscope of political correctness.

But because student-athletes, playing under the banner of some Native American mascot, can no longer win, or lose, Americans are losing the very characteristics that made us great. We'll call the game if the score is too lopsided (it will still be a tie)as long as everyone has had a chance to bat (and feels good about themselves). It's ridiculous!

Sports, especially team sports exist to teach children about hard work, teamwork, self-sacrifice, humility. They exist to teach children that even working hard, and trying your best isn't always enough, and sometimes, most times, we lose. We all lose. Sports exist to teach us to win with grace and to lose with dignity. To try. To always try, and to never give up. If those are the attributes of Indians, or Redskins, or Braves, or Warriors, or Redmen, than count me in! And Native Americans, take pride in the fact that your oppressors chose to honor you and bestow those names on their teams for those very attributes.

Learn more about this author, Robert Strayton.
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