Hail to the Native Americans

I root for the Washington Redskins. I harbor no ill will to Native Americans. I sympathize with their plight, but a team nickname is the least of their problems.
I'm not sure what sparked this latest and most powerful round of outrage but I'm quite certain it wasn't Native Americans, but more likely people who felt guilty about the horrible treatment of the American Indians throughout the years and think the Redskins team name is the latest slight to a downtrodden people.
It's offensive they say. That word is thrown around a lot and I think we need to be very careful in how we interpret it so that we don't get hijacked by the political correctness police.
In order to determine if something is offensive you need to look at the person saying it.
Forget what happened 200 years ago and the historical etymology of the word. Do you think for a minute that any Redskins fan or anyone involved with the team harbors any ill-will, scorn or hatred towards Native Americans? And are any of those people perpetuating the name or the likenesses that go with it as a means of insulting those people in order to economically and socially oppress them?
Of course not.

But we also have to consider those who claim to be offended. Are they seriously hurt by the use of the word and the imagery? I sincerely doubt this. Maybe some do, but there is also a huge portion of the population, according to polls who are honored by the team nicknames. Redskins, Chiefs, Braves were also chosen because they invoke images of proud warriors.

I actually think it would be a shame if this part of Native American culture were wiped out of the public consciousness by some well-meaning and misguided people who think they're helping and by some desperate, helpless Native Americans who want to feel powerful.
So I stand with Dan Snyder and hope he has the will to resist these forces calling for a name change.
I am a Redskins fan, and I am proud of it. Just as Native Americans should be proud of their heritage and the fact that millions of fans each Sunday choose to honor their past by rooting for the Redskins!