11900 River Road
Potomac, MD 20854
October 4, 2014
Olivia Chen
10701 Gainsborough Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854
Dear Mr. Snyder,
Hi, my name is Olivia Chen and I’m an 8th grader at Cabin John Middle School. I have recently studied the dispute over whether or not the Washington Redskins football team’s name should change by reading three articles: “Moving Beyond the ‘Imaginary Indians’ Perception” by Fred Hiatt, “Dan Snyder Can Learn from when the Bullets Became the Wizards” by Robert Pollin, and “Redskins and Reason” by Charles Krauthammer. These articles have guided me to believe that the name of the football team should be changed.
I understand why you would not want to change the name. It would be difficult, and the team has carried the name Redskins for decades. However, “it is simple decency to stop using a slur” (Krauthammer), even if the target supposedly does not mind. Would you use an offensive name towards someone without having anything against them, even if they didn’t care? No, you would not.
Right now, you’re probably thinking, “Why does it matter? I visited reservations, and the majority of the Indians there supported the name.” This is when the “imaginary Indian perception” comes in. You might have visited reservations, but easily two-thirds of Indian descendants live in cities (Hiatt). An Indian in a suit and a tie is still an Indian, and if that Indian opposes the football team’s name, their opinion still most definitely matters. Americans need to relearn their history and learn what the real Indian is.
If that isn’t enough, then consider this. You could gain from changing the name as well. Such a show of consideration towards the offended peoples could have you raising “a massive new wave of support” (Pollin) for your football team. Some might be opposed at first, but it could earn you respect and support from many others.
Those are the main reasons I believe the name should be changed, though there are many more. There are also many reasons that the name should not be changed, but my belief is based on common sense, decency, and facts as well. I hope you will change your opinion and take a course of action that will settle this matter in a manner that benefits the majority. Thank you for your time and consideration!
Sincerely,
Olivia Chen
