The foundation of western style liberalism is that the law applies to everyone equally and the law operates by a certain logic. A citizen does not have to memorize the laws in order to avoid violating them. The represents the habit of mind of the people. That’s the ideal and there are exceptions, but the general concept is what matters. The further away from the ideals, the more corrupt the society. You see that here.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office canceled six federal trademark registrations for the NFL’s Washington Redskins on Wednesday, saying the nickname is “disparaging to Native Americans” and cannot be trademarked under federal law that prohibits trademark protection on offensive or disparaging language.
The team has been under fire for the past year, with many groups, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, wanting the nickname changed.
Last month, the team hired a lobbying firm to help with the public backlash after senators sent a letter to the National Football League saying they also wanted the name changed.
“We decide, based on the evidence properly before us, that these registrations must be cancelled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered,” the Trademark Trial and Appeals board wrote in its opinion.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has repeatedly said that he will not change the nickname despite the opposition.
The Trademark Trial and Appeals Board said the “Redskins” name is the subject for cancellation for “entertainment services -namely, football exhibitions rendered in stadia and through the media of radio and television broadcasts.”
The team’s cheerleading squad, the “Redskinettes,” are also subject to the cancellation, for “entertainment services, namely, cheerleaders who perform dance routines at professional football games and exhibitions and other personal appearances,” according to the board.
This jihad against the Redskins is led by one of the most corrupt humans on earth, Harry Reid (D, Organized Crime). This is a man who entered politics penniless and is now super-rich. He made his money shaking down contributors and making land deals with organized crime figures. Dan Snyder may be an odious speck of a man, but he made his money honestly. He has a right to live in a land of laws and he has right to expect those laws will be respected by his government.
This is a national disgrace. Whatever your views on the name or the people involved in the dispute, willy-nilly stealing the owner’s property for political reasons is how banana republics function. What’s next? Will Reid send in thugs to break up Snyder’s house and threaten his family? We have allowed our country to be taken over by criminals, deviants and lunatics. We should be ashamed of what we have done.
Dan Snyder should offer to move his team to Los Angeles and rename it the Los Angeles Stars. It’s an offer that could not be refused. Los Angeles desperately wants its own team and the NFL desperately wants to put this issue of the Redskins name behind it. The city and the league are so desperate, I suspect they might be willing to build Snyder a stadium for free. The Stars could replace the St. Louis Rams in the NFC West and the Rams could move to the NFC East, which is a pretty decent alignment. Plus, there’s the delicious… Read more »
It’s time to change that offensive name. I would suggest “Washington Dirty Politicans”. Or perhaps “Washington Crooked Senators”. Or maybe “Washington Tax and Spenders”. How about “Washington Red Ink”?
Never! Always fire from the hip. The pondered anger has no spark.
Also “ashamed of,” not “ashamed at.” Otherwise, I agree with the content. No need to post my comments.
Anger blogging has its downside.
It’s “contributors,” not “contributers.”
Z, your screeds could have been written by my more-inclined self. The rule of law has indeed been thoroughly cheated and in short order. The hippies clearly expect the general populace to follow suit directly. It will be fun to watch them get theirs…