Rebrand Washington Football will be writing periodic blogs about changing the name. One of the founders of this group, Josh Silver, is Jewish. I have thought how I would feel if the logo on the helmet was swastikas. It is a symbol of genocide. While shocking, this is how Native Americans feel about the current symbol on the helmet. R-skins was yelled by attackers as they were scalping and murdering Native Americans. Mr. Snyder believes the name and symbol honors Native Americans. While I take him at his word, I do not think he is listening carefully to Native Americans who have made it clear what the origins of the name really are. As a fellow Jew, Mr. Snyder should be quite sensitive to name calling and how names have been used to dehumanize Jews during the centuries. Mr. Snyder should follow the lead of another Jewish owner, Abe Pollin, who changed the name of the professional basketball team because he felt that "Bullets" connoted violence. Mr. Snyder must not be allowed to gain a profit from the use of this name and we hope that the copyright ruling against the name be upheld during appeal. To continue the Jewish analogy, it would be almost like selling "Auschwitz" burgers during the games. In the case of the current team name, "The United States Patent and Trademark Office ruled in early 2014 that the Washington Redskins name is not subject to trademark protection "based on the evidence properly before us ... these (trademark) registrations must be canceled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered." Yes, the trademark is disparaging, demeaning, and offensive. It is time for it to go. Fans should not be ashamed to root for the team and to confront the name and logo when they merely want to watch football teams. More importantly, Native Americans must not endure more hurt and harm. Let's change the name now!
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2/13/2021 07:57:38 am
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AuthorJosh Silver is one of the founders of RWF and is a life time fan that wants the name changed! Archives
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