Supreme Court Asked if "Redskins" Offends

(AP)  A group of American Indians who find the Washington Redskins' name offensive wants the Supreme Court to take up the matter.

The group on Monday asked the justices to review a lower court decision that favored the NFL team on a legal technicality.

Seven Native Americans have been working through the court system since 1992 to have the Redskins trademarks declared invalid. A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel ruled in their favor in 1999. But they've been handed a series of defeats from judges who ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their suit in the first place.

A lawyer for the group says he'd like to see the highest court decide whether the Redskins' name defames Native Americans.

[petis76]

Actually when the skins started they were the Boston Braves, then they moved into Fenway park and their owner wanted to share a similar name with the baseball club "REDSOX" so the name was changed to the Redskins, it was never meant to offend. Let it go, grow up, and move on!

[love2ridend]

If you do not think redskins isn't offensive. I dare you to go on a reservation go to the bar and yell how are you bunch of redskins doing. See what happens.

[docpeter1953]

Sounds like fun. Where is the nearest Indian reservation?

[cs4466]

How about "Whiteskins" or "Blackskins" or "Yellowskins"?

All offensive.

Redskins - same. Just because it's more common doesn't make it any less offensive.

[legacyabq]

What is the LEGAL, repeat, LEGAL basis for this case?

Gosh darnit, I just cant find "thou shalt not be caused to feel offense" in the constitution. What is this BS??

Im not saying its not offensive,maybe.
I'm saying that there is no law against it.

WHY NOT BAN THE WORD NAZI?

Duh, duh, duh

Those Native Americans should be worried about the coal burning power plants and uranium mines on their lands rather then this silly pathetic crapp.

How was this case not thrown out in the first place? I mean, to bring a case you have to show that a law was broken. So what law would that be?

This is feel-good politically-correct stupidity designed to play on public guilt; it's not a legal case.

[sommersdavid]

Many peolpe forget their history lessons. It's true---- the whites started the Native Americans scalping.

[sommersdavid]

I have always thought that the Redskins should change their name. The Washington Bullets changed because of all the shooting in D.C., but they never concidered changing the name of their NFL team. How would people feel about a sports team with a name like "Crackers" and "*******"? I think they would think it awful, and with good reason ---it is horrible. They should do the right thing here and change the name.

[billpl-2009]

"cracker" would be a good name for a hockey team

[AOCGUY]

There is nothing in the Constitution that gives any of us freedom from being offended and I can see no legal authority to force the owners of the Washington Redskins to change the name of one of the oldest teams in American professional sports. If one is offended then don't watch the game.

[mjb89]

Maybe if we had a better win/loss ratio people would be objecting. Who wants to associate themselves with a team that can't seem to win?

[mjb89]

Should be "wouldn't be objecting."

[Questionews]

I vote for the Washington Whitey Scalpers!
Sounds like a politically correct name!

[docpeter1953]

Now, how about we change Tennessee Titans name.

I was always in favor of the Tennessee Pickers.

Even had a logo for them of a finger with a brown substance on the end, could have been a guitar pick, or other.

[brianbwb-2009]

Scalping was begun by Whites, the French offering a $2 bounty for the scalp of the native peoples. When it was revisited upon them as a ***-for-tat, as usual, the "whites" conveniently forgot that they started it, and used it as an example of the "savage" nature of the "Indians", to further justify genocide.

[geminispyder-2009]

"A lawyer for the group says he'd like to see the highest court decide whether the Redskins' name defames Native Americans."

Since Congress "defames" regular Americans and offends many of them by their callous ineptitude, can we have them changed as well?

[brianbwb-2009]

Work on it, just like the Native Americans are working for their goals, and the "Black" people are working for ours.

We can both tell you, it isn't free, or easy, but it is up to you.