"Steve Greene," 3/31/2005

(Chief opinion: Neutral)

I am not native. I am not going to speculate on why or if native Americans and their supporters should spend time on this issue. They can determine their own priorities. I would not be very offended if the mascot was a white, protestant, heterosexual, male, not confined to a wheelchair, but those are my own feelings. Perhaps my peers would feel differently. Still, I can't help but think that the western movies of the 40's, 50's, 60's, etc. portrayed Indians in a rather more unflattering way than the mascot. So what's next, folks? Do we do away with old books and movies too? How about museums and carnivals? Wouldn't it just be easier to try to understand satire and learn to laugh at ourselves now and again? Or is that type of tolerance politically incorrect in these days of minority rights and the ever-present reality that there is a buck to be made protesting "injustice"?

"Steve Greene," via the web.