JUST ONE LAST TOMAHAWK CHOP!

 

Choctaw ball players

 

OK, I can’t stand it anymore. I have to jump into this moronic dialogue about the Washington Redskins.

OK, so I may sound a little perturbed and impatient. I am.  Our country has become a pathetic, moaning mass of sympathy seekers. We live in an age when attention-seeking groups, and usually just attention seeking individuals, demand fairness or consideration in the name of some formerly persecuted minority group. And more often than not, they get carried away until serious authorities actually respond the way they want… regardless of the truth or the cost, or what is right. 

I am fed up with all the nonsense. The present controversy, really just a silly objection, over the name “Redskins,” proves that we are a society that has lost its mind and one which allows anyone to rewrite our social guidelines. Anyone.  Any insignificant, ignorant malcontent with a persecution complex who has learned that this society is predisposed to listen and care about the most contrived causes, can put a whole professional sports organization on the whipping post.

The supposed purging of bigotry in America has birthed a jihad even more egregious than racial prejudice. It is a sort of intellectual terrorism, where accusations are hurled like Molotov cocktails at anyone perceived vulnerable. Somehow, even though a preponderance of Native Americans insist they are not offended by the term “redskin,” the United States Government is taking punitive action towards the Washington Redskins, all because of their name. The problem with the plaintiffs, and the problem with the morons in the government, is they know nothing about the term redskin. They are ignorant of the history. Americans of every ethnic group should be ashamed of their ignorance of of our history. Their history. And this is a major example.

Redskin is a Native American term. More accurately, it is a translation of (and here’s the irony) a Native American SPORTS team. Granted “redskin” was probably not a word any tribe used before the white man came, because they did not speak English. But the Cherokee, Natchez, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek, Sioux, Choctaw and probably many other nations were passionate ball players… probably more passionate about playing chunkey than Americans today are about football, and they basically divided the teams according to… skin color.

Red skins verses white skins- in a panting by George Catlin.

There were the red skins and the white skins. From ancient times the Native Americans, at least those in the so-called “Five Civilized Tribes” and others who met them on the ball field, recognized that some tribes were darker than others, or redder, and others lighter, or white. Players often painted themselves so as to be more red or white, if there was any doubt. Since everybody played naked, it was handy that there were sort of built-in uniforms. Many, perhaps millions of proud warriors played chunkey under the name “red skin.”

 

Chunkey stones.

Chunkey was the Native American predecessor to lacrosse. Dozens of red skin and white skin players used long rackets with rawhide baskets on the end to sling a round stone disc, often knocking some guy’s lights out. It was a tough game. It was in fact a good substitute for real aggression between neighboring tribes.

It turns out that there were whole “red” tribes and “white” tribes; “Red” towns and “white” towns. It turns out that red tribes were considered hawkish, or warlike, and whites were peaceful. There were “red” chiefs and “white” chiefs. War councils only went to war after both agreed. There has never been a society more defined or governed by red and white than many Native American tribes.

 

Here the white skins look overwhelmed... Nothing ever changes ... Painting by Catlin

And yet today a few Native Americans are offended at the name Redskin. But the Red Man has called himself red man, or red skin for a long time. Apparently no one else has the right to call him, or anyone by that designation, even if it is to bring honor, no matter how inadequate, to his race.

I could go on… But actually, Redskin is much closer to what the Native Americans called themselves... at least some of them, than “Indian” or Native American.” And it conjures up images of proud warriors proving their valor on the field. I have no use for professional football, but I always thought it would be cool to be up in the stands at a Washington game, in the Capital of our country,  waving the tomahawk chop. For one single, silly moment we are all Redskins, warriors, facing our enemies. But now that might change forever.

Our whole country must prove it is caring and sensitive, no matter how ridiculous the complaint. Some Native American does not even know or appreciate his own heritage, and yet we all must bend to his pathetic provincialism. So the pundits throw the redskins to the wolves.

All so some moron won’t have his ignorant feelings hurt. I will save one last tomahawk chop for him.