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Half & Half
I have to say that I am half and half about this situation. I see the side of both DrPhil and Kevin. If any of this is incorrect, please feel free to correct me. This reminds me of the Donald Sterling situation. Is the guy a racist? It would appear so. Has he probably made some disparaging remarks about marginalized populations? That is what has been reported. I do not personally know him, so I will not accuse anyone of anything. I have to admit that, while he may have said some incredibly disgusting things regarding African Americans, being forced to sell his team and having the NBA tell him he is banned from attending games is a bit extreme--in my eyes. Isn't the team a private entity? This is where I could be wrong, so please feel free to correct me if that is the case.
Now, we have the Washington Redskins. Once again, this can be quite offensive. In fact, it may just be coming to light in the last few years, as noted by DrPhil, because as a marginalized group of people, their voices have not been heard. While the name of the team is offensive, what I think Kevin is asserting is that no one should be able to tell someone who is a property owner of something privately owned what they should do with their team. If that is what he is saying, I have to agree.
This is a really sticky situation. On one hand, you want there to be justice for the marginalized group, whoever that may be. On the other hand, if we start allowing others to dictate what we do with our own privately-owned businesses, then where does it end? I am not saying I am for or against the name change. I am just saying that I can see how people would be on both sides of the coin.
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