Melvin P.
Race and Justice are two of the many controversial issues society faces, and struggles to overcome. Often times one cannot exist without the presence of the other, this is credited to ignorance related to race that which allows justice to then be served. Throughout history race has become an issue used to target a specific group of people; a clear example of this is illustrated in Ward Churchill’s Acts of Rebellion. In this piece he opinionates heavily on the heavily on the issues of Native Americans, and how America as a country has treated them.
Churchill would agree that Native Americans have been ostracized from society, be either being left “landless’ (Churchill 59 ), or through methods of ridicule. In Acts of Rebellion he goes into detail about the way Native Americans are portrayed in professional sports through the use of Mascots. I understand why he takes offense to these stereotypes, but he undermines the intentions that the owners of the these professional teams have, it isn’t to mock Native Americans instead it is to represent their bravery, and strength. The names of these teams often come with the connotation of an Indian that resembles a savage, but that does not seem good enough to me, it is to broad of a claim to make, and just does not hold valid for every instance. One could view these mascots as warrior, with admirable courage, that seem to dominate their every competition, this is a more symbolic way of viewing it, when Churchill takes it literally he overlooks their true meaning.
In conclusion Ward Churchill makes a case, although I do not believe it is a valid one. Let’s take the Cleveland Browns for instance, who’s to say that is not targeted towards African Americans, its immense statement for me to say. At the end of it all it boils down to opinion.
