California Says No to Racist Names and Logos

Governor Jerry Brown signed into law today a prohibition against public schools using the R-skins name as a mascot and logo. California becomes the first state to enact a law of this type and hopefully other states will follow soon. When the government creates schools or copyrights, it has the right to declare what the schools or copyrights sanction. Some defenders of the name cry that this is an infringement of free speech. But this is separate from free speech rights. In these cases, the government has created something and the government has the right to say what can and cannot be affixed as a name to its creation. It is just like a private corporation saying what its logo and mascot will be. We hope other governments at all levels follow as well as several private sector organizations. The more pressure, the more this stays in the news, the more heat Mr. Snyder will feel to step into the 21st century. As we chant when we gather petitions, "No honor in racism, stop celebrating manifest destiny and genocide. It is time to evolve. Change the name and logo!" See http://time.com/4070615/california-redskins-ban/ for more.