Indian Mascots

Why Some Sports Teams May Have to Change Their Name Have you ever been offended by a name that someone has called you? More likely than not, the answer to this question is yes. This is the stand that some Indian tribes and the government are taking on the use of Indian names and mascots in sports. This controversial topic has been discussed and argued over for at least the last decade, if not longer. People are starting to wonder if using these kinds of names are appropriate or offensive to the tribe the team is named after. The debate raises this question: should Indian names and mascots be allowed in sports? In the article “Indian Mascots—You’re Out” by Jack Shakely (2011), the author tries to convince his audience that the use of

To counter Miller’s argument, Shakely shows the other side of the issue by saying that the usage of Indian names is morally wrong. To have experienced so much personally he conveys his opinion in a way that isn’t his own experience. Shakely (2011) says, “In 21st century America, to name a sports team after an African American, Asian, or any other ethnic group is unthinkable. So why are Native Americans still fair game?” (p. 2) As seen in this quote, the author brings up other ethnic groups to get another perspective on the issue to show why these names are so ethically

In the article written by John J. Miller, the writer didn’t make a strong connection to the audience and didn’t impact the audience emotionally either because of the lack of personal examples. However, the word choice was good and he conveyed his message to his audience in a way that I felt made them think about their own values on this subject. This is evident when Miller (2001) says, “It should matter, however, that Indians themselves don’t uniformly believe that ‘these references… are disrespectful and offensive,’ as the commission’s proposed statement asserts” (p. 2) In this quotation, he is making the readers think about the other side of the argument that often isn’t considered. On the other hand, in article written by Jack Shakely, I sensed that the author was really connecting well to the audience and showing his own values to help his audience think about and realize what their own values are. His word choice was fantastic as well which helped him make a great emotional impact on his audience through his language. While still connecting to his audience, Shakely represented his own views well. Evidence of this is shown when Shakely (2011) says, “The Times’ editorial writer, however, while noting that the solons probably had better things to do,