I was in the office Saturday talking to News-Times photographer Jim Lemon. Lemon is a Native American. He said his tribe has a school on the reservation. Joking, I asked him what the mascot for the school's athletic teams might be.
I was shocked when he said he thought they might be called "Indians."
Being a jokester, I immediately offered to pen a letter condemning the tribe for using "Indians" as a mascot because it is so insulting to Native Americans.
As I thought about it, I decided to change the school from Native American to African-American. What if a school of all-black students called its sports teams something like "Brothers?" What if the school's mascot was a black dude sporting an Afro hairstyle and ran around acting like Rollo from Sanford & Son?
Would I be offended?
No. Actually, that might be kind of cool.
Then again, what if the mascot wasn't a black man with an Afro but was a white man in a costume?
Now that wouldn't be cool. In fact, that would be incredibly offensive.
Bottom line is, it isn't what you say but it's who is saying it.
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