Cory writes: "Here's the thing: the first coach of the 'Redskins' was NOT a 'Native American.' William 'Lone Star' Dietz was a fake, a fraud, and a huckster."
The battle over the Washington Redskins' name is ongoing. (photo: Geoffe Burke/USA TODAY Sports)
11 October 13
his past Sunday I happened to catch a few minutes of a news show on MSNBC that featured a brief spot about the issue of the NFL's Washington Redskins' name. There was a clip of Lanny Davis justifying "redskins" by explaining how there was no harm in the name, and besides, their first coach was a "Native American," he said as he sat in his "Redskins" golf shirt.
I don't like Lanny Davis. Never have. My first thought was - FU Lanny!
If Lanny Davis is justifying something, you can pretty well bet he's either getting paid to defend it or he's so poorly informed and so self-involved that he can't see or acknowledge the truth surrounding the issue. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I think it's a damn good opinion.
Here's the thing: the first coach of the "Redskins" was NOT a "Native American." William "Lone Star" Dietz was a fake, a fraud, and a huckster. This claim has been disproven over and over again. Instead of reading the team's PR releases, maybe Lanny should mosey on over to Indian Country Today Media Network and read the 5-part series Linda Waggoner wrote on this very topic back in July of 2004.
Let's be honest here, the story of William "Lone Star" Dietz being Indian is about as true as the story about a contest for fans to change the name of the Cleveland Naps to the Cleveland Indians in 1914 to honor the first Indian to integrate baseball, Louis Sockalexis. No such thing happened. Just plain B.S. - I mean, marketing PR.
When I was a kid, there was a popular and well-known restaurant that folks went to for Sunday dinner or a special meal during the week. The restaurant was called "Coon-Chicken Inn," and the entrance to the place was a huge open-mouthed, smiling, cartoonish black face that you walked through to go inside.
This was not in the South, mind you, no sir; the Coon-Chicken Inn was located in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon and was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Now it took some time and a lot of pressure, but the restaurant eventually went out of business in 1958 because of its blatant racial iconography and tone.
Here's a postcard image of the restaurant I found on Bing Images:
I have read a variety of the comment sections around the web regarding the Redskins' name issue and the usual suspects rear their ugly little "this is Political Correctness run amok" justifications for continuing racist names and logos. Maybe they wouldn't mind if we named some sports franchises: the Carolina Crackers, the Baltimore Bohunks, the Pittsburg Polacks, or the New York Kikes, or how about the San Antonio Spics? And why not the Washington Whiteys?
I think the issue of the name Washington Redskins is a pretty simple issue to resolve. It goes like this:
If this is wrong
Then this is wrong -
And this is wrong -
End of story. Find another name.
To paraphrase the great Vine Deloria: Custer died for your sins - get over it!
Oh, and Lanny Davis - STFU!
PEACE
