Posted on 05/15/2009 10:08:46 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON The Washington Redskins won another legal victory Friday in a 17-year fight with a group of American Indians who argue the football team's trademark is racially offensive.
The decision issued Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington doesn't address the main question of racism at the center of the case. Instead, it upholds the lower court's decision in favor of the football team on a legal technicality.
The court agreed that the seven Native Americans waited too long to challenge the trademark first issued in 1967. They initially won the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel canceled the trademarks in 1999 but they've suffered a series of defeats in the federal courts since then.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overturned that decision in 2003 in part because the suit was filed decades after the first Redskins trademark was issued. The U.S. Court of Appeals then sent the case back to Kollar-Kotelly, noting that the youngest of the plaintiffs was only 1-year-old in 1967 and therefore could not have taken legal action at the time.
Kollar-Kotelly issued a new ruling last summer that rejected that argument. She wrote that the youngest plaintiff turned 18 in 1984 and therefore waited almost eight years after coming of age to join the lawsuit.
The judge did not address whether the Redskins name is offensive or racist.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
My all time favorite: Albuquerque Isotopes
Some much more culturally correct than those Mighty Ducks
Intentions should count for something. Members of ethnic groups are not the owners of their ethnicity. It is simply a fact of their existence.
My high school student body referred to themselves as the "Cherokees". Their (our) intention was to demonstrate pride in ourselves and establish an identity separate from our rivals. We would certainly ridicule them, but intended no ridicule regarding ourselves.
I'm Irish, but I see no problem with Notre Dame being "the fighting Irish". (And if anybody claims I should be offended, we can meet out back later to straighten this out.)
For entertainment value, I was tempted to write to Notre Dame claiming to be offended that predominately Catholic Irish are being portrayed as accomodating to a pro-abortion Obama. Maybe if I get some free time later I can work up some outrage. (If offended alumni really are withholding 11 million dollars in donations, that ought to suffice.)
I don't know why I remembered that little factoid . . . but I've read a lot about that great franchise over the years.
The L.A. Galaliens
Or the LA Illegales
“By the way Im proud to say Im a Native American.
I was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, a part of America.
Thus I am a Native American.”
Exactly. And every time the government insists on a race being listed as in the census, we should remember that.
na·tive (ntv)
adj.
1. Existing in or belonging to one by nature; innate: native ability.
2. Being such by birth or origin: a native Scot.
3. Being ones own because of the place or circumstances of ones birth: our native land.
4. Originating, growing, or produced in a certain place or region; indigenous: a plant native to Asia.
It is one of the more storied hockey franchises, isn’t it.
I don’t follow hockey that much. I do remember some of the terms an old buddy tried to explain to me. Like poke check, blue line, off side, high sticking, tripping, etc...
The teams get real serious at Stanley Cup time. ;)
Is the Chief's image still on the Indians' caps?
Yes, Chief Wahoo is still the main image on the Indians' caps. They also have the letter "I" for a logo as an alternate cap, much like most of the other ball clubs (sells more merchandise, I guess).
I wasn't clear in my previous post about the "actual" mascot. I meant there is no guy running around the park in a Chief Wahoo suit as a mascot. The Indians organization have a pinkish-purple creature named "Slider" running around the ballpark and dancing on the dugout, etc. I assume Slider is a PC substitute for the very red Chief Wahoo.
The L.A. Galaliens.
LOL!
Yes! I admit I only recently learned that while on a tour of Progressive Field (Jacobs Field). They have a really nice "Heritage Park" at the ballpark, with a special plaque honoring player Louis Sockalexis.
A fisher cat is a type of weasel. Gooooooooooo Weasels!
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