When President Donald Trump begins to tweet, it is difficult for him to stop. He posted his second sports tweet of the day on Monday, this time focusing on possible name changes for the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians. Surprise! He is not happy with that.
They name teams because of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Indians of the Washington Redskins and Cleveland, two legendary sports franchises, look like they are going to change their names to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
Both Washington and Cleveland announced last week that they are considering changing the names of their teams in light of the recent movement against systemic racism, one of the many social ripples that have been felt since the murder of George Floyd in late May.
Why is Washington, Cleveland considering name changes?
Calling both teams “legendary” is not exactly true (Washington has been the laughing stock of the NFL for several years and Cleveland has a long history of loss and misadventure), but Trump is not wrong about political correctness. For years, Native American groups have been asking both teams to change their names, organizing protests, writing opinion pieces, and even creating an ad campaign to highlight the racism and cruelty of using Native American cartoons as pets.
That both teams are considering a name change only now, after years of protests, feels false at best. But regardless of why each team can change its name, it is still progress to treat Native Americans like humans rather than pets.
Native Americans as sports pets
However, Trump is obviously wrong about the “Indians” being angry about it. While there may be some who are fine with that either way, there is a long history of defending against using Native American imagery as pets. Since 1971, more than 80 Native American groups and tribes have called on Washington to get rid of the “Redskins.” Native American groups have protested Cleveland’s opening day and other games since 1972.
Teams may have chosen those names and pets to convey strength, but that doesn’t make it right. Naming a team after an over-the-top cartoon or ethnic group stereotype was always wrong, and always will be. Trump is not happy that Washington and Cleveland are finally forced to consider that.
Donald Trump is not happy that the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians are considering a name change. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
