Having reflected long and hard on the matter, I have decided that, going forward, I am not willing to call the “Washington Commanders” by that name when discussing or writing about football. Instead, I will use “Redskins” or, if necessary, I will refer to the team obliquely, as “the NFL team that plays in our nation’s capital.” This is the year 2023, after all.
I have been inspired to make this change by the Washington Post’s editorial board, which, in 2014 made a similar decision in relation to the team:
“While we wait for the National Football League to catch up with thoughtful opinion and common decency, we have decided that, except when it is essential for clarity or effect, we will no longer use the slur ourselves.”
I agree. Which is why, henceforth, I will not be using the slur “Commanders.” As has been made clear to me by a recent petition, the word “Redskins” — the use of which, the Washington Post confirms, is favored by nine out of ten Native Americans — carries with it “an obligation of honor and respect.” Using it “recognizes America’s original inhabitants,” “encourage[s] Americans to learn about, not cancel, the history of America’s tribes and our role in the founding of this Great Nation,” and acknowledges the “bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture.”
As someone who wishes to recognize America’s original inhabitants; to learn about, rather than to cancel, the history of America’s tribes; and to acknowledge the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture, I cannot in good conscience participate in the ongoing erasure of Native culture that is being perpetrated by the press.
I understand that some people will disagree with me on this point, but, quite obviously, they are insensitive bigots.