The Washington Redskins have been playing football for over 80 years and their name is no more derogatory to Native Americans than the New York Giants is to vertically challenged people.
—Aaron Goldstein, of the conservative American Spectator.
You see, as a non-Native American, Goldstein believes he’s in the perfect position to dictate to Native Americans what they can and can’t find offensive. He doesn’t seem capable of understanding that if the Redskins name has been around for 80 years, it only means we’ve tolerated this kind of racism for 80 years.
You have to imagine that Little Black Sambo had defenders like this; “It’s not racist — why, Sambo is a beloved children’s character! How can it be racism when we don’t hate Sambo?”
And there’s rightwing racism in a nutshell — so deeply ingrained in their entire worldview that they have no clue that they’re even doing it. Goldstein has no idea that his statement is in itself racist.
And I’m willing to bet he’s not interested in learning any different.
