Brave-less New World

Asinine political correctness won big last week with the NCAA bringing the tomahawk- er, the hammer- down on mascots, team names, attire, symbols, and colors it deems “offensive.” Never mind what the majority of America thinks, never mind what the majority of the supposedly-offended group thinks, and never mind what mascots, team names, attire, symbols, and colors might be offensive to other groups in this country. This time, the group in question was Native Americans. With schools changing their Native American themes in favor of more “culturally-sensitive” names for the past thirty years already, the NCAA decided that was not enough and made their reservations- I mean, their objections- clear.

The NCAA has developed a list of 18 mascots they find offensive, “abusive and hostile” toward Native Americans. One of those mascots, the Seminoles of Florida State, has been endorsed- repeatedly- by the actual Seminole tribe. Indeed, every aspect of the university’s use of Native American symbolism, from the name of the tribe to their use of garnet and gold to the pre-game ritual performed by Chief Osceola at home football games, has the approval of the tribe itself. So much for “abusive and hostile.” FSU has stated it will seek legal action to stop the NCAA’s ridiculous act of political correctness. This marks the first time I’ve ever rooted for Florida State in anything. Florida governor Jeb Bush, uh, hit it right on the head earlier in the week when he said that the arrogant presumption of abusive hostility insulted the intelligence of Native American groups, like the Seminoles. Then again, that has always been one of the roles of liberals- telling entire groups of people what to think.

It should serve as no surprise to anyone that the only ones who have been complaining about Native American names have been pissant, whiney white liberals, apparently believing Native Americans cared less about their own cultural genocide than their supposed modern-day hurt feelings. Obsessed with political correctness, cultural sensitivity, and a load of other Berkeley buzzwords, the left is meddling in issues they do not understand. Perhaps one piece of irony is that the very same anti-BCS liberals who pined for the Utah Utes to play for college football’s national championship are now demanding they be prevented from playing for next year’s college basketball national championship. NCAA Myles Brand is a college president, his last stint at Indiana University where he fired basketball coach Bob Knight. They talk endlessly about what is offensive and what is tolerant without knowledge or interest in what it really means.

The NCAA has taken it upon itself to decide what is and is not offensive, particularly without any regard or consultation of the group in question. Somehow “Indians” is offensive and somehow “Fighting Irish” is not. Just who is to decide this in the first place? Furthermore, why are only references to people considered offensive? Just a couple of years ago, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (not to be confused with People for the Eating of Tasty Animals) tried pressuring the NCAA to take similar action against teams with animal names. Truly, this move by the NCAA, this crusade for an idiotic notion of political correctness and cultural sensitivity is the first step down what may become a slippery slope.

First the NCAA strikes down 18 names with Native American themes it- and nobody else- finds offensive. Next PETA gets their bite of the apple and abolishes animal names. Then religious groups force the NCAA to get rid of names they find offensive, like Sun Devils and Blue Devils. Then to be fair, anti-religious groups force the NCAA to get rid of names like Saints, Crusaders, and Friars. Maybe storm victims will want us to get rid of names like Hurricanes and Cyclones. Personally, I find Portland’s Jefferson High team name, the Democrats, to be offensive. In this victimized and guilt-ridden society, truly the sky is the limit.

Perhaps we shouldn’t just limit this to team names. Perhaps the very states themselves should stop harboring these racist, “abusive and hostile” sentiments toward Native Americans and change their names too. The states of Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Utah are directly named after Native American tribes originally settling in the region. Just about every other state in the union can trace its name to something else attributed to a Native American tribe, unless they were named after European monarchs. Several cities share this distinction as well. I guess it wouldn’t be that far off to make such a demand. States have already had to change their flags, symbols, mottos, and histories to accommodate the ideal of political correctness. This ideal can have a rather enigmatic and arbitrary nature about itself. It allows one set of speech in the name of tolerance and vehemently disallows another in the name of whatever –ism it can think of. Yes, the left says it tolerates the Nazis marching through Skokie but it may be a long time before we see the Seminoles running through Tallahassee again.