Skarie ACE Debate

Saying the team name Indians is offensive is like saying that the Chicago Bears are offensive. Just because a team is named after something doesn't mean it's offensive or hurtful. As David Hinkle says about the school name Arabs in Coachella Valley, "I don't think it can be viewed as offensive. I don't think the images they have now are offensive." Why would the Arabs be offensive? Especially after the article Arab-Americans cry foul over high school mascot explains that "The community's fascination with the Middle East dates as far back as the late 19th century, when U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and entrepreneurs went on expeditions around the world in search of crops that would thrive in the U.S. They traveled to the Middle East-mainly North Africa- and brought back date palm shoots, which they planted in various parts of the country. Where they flourished was the Coachella Valley." This shows that they did not name the school Arabs to offend these people, they did it to honor them.

You may say that these mascots offend groups of people, but we say that they do not offend these people, they honor them. The article "Arab Americans Cry Foul Over California High School Mascot" talks about Coachella Valley High School and their Arab mascot. David Hinkle, who graduated from the school in 1961, says "I don't think the images they have now are offensive." Art Montoya, who also graduated from Coachella Valley High School said "I have heard very few comments on our mascot name name. Each time that I heard it, it came from a shallow-minded person that I never took seriously."

According to the article "Arab Americans Cry Foul over California High School Mascots" a town with the mascot of an Arab has a long history with Arabs. If they changed the mascot, the whole town would revolt. The town choose Arabs as their mascot because they show respect toward Arabs, which helped make the city what it is today. These mascots are not chosen to offend these groups of people, they are made to honor them.

Mascots are not disrespectful. According the the article "Honor or Insult?" (Pg. 2)

"Members of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe sued the University of North Dakota to keep it's Fighting Sioux nickname. 'I am very, very honored that they would use the name,' Spirit Lake member Eunice Davidson told 'The York York Times.'"

This shows that not only are Native Americans not offended by these mascots, they are actually honored by them. They are even going so far as to fighting to get the name back. Also, according to the article "Indian Mascots, Matter of Pride or Prejudice?" Seminoles had no problem with a team using their name. There was also an experiment done where Native Americans were shown the Cleveland Indians logo and then they were ask to write down their thoughts and they were mostly positive, according to the article "The Native American Mascot, Tribute or Insult?" These mascots have a deep history in towns. In the article "Mind Your Own Mascot" it says "Shortly after Carey and the school board voted to toss out the Onteora Indian on January 24, the local community voted to toss out most of the school board. Carey survived, but her decision didn't. On September 11 the new board restored the mascot. The same thing happened last year to the Marquette High School Chief on Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula. After the school board yanked the stoic Indian logo, an angry, 1200-person protest was led by-of all people-Marquette's Native American community."