/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2020/07/16/edmonton-eskimos-to-make-major-announcement-amid-name-change-speculation/eskimos.jpg)
So Ananias went and entered the house.
He laid his hands on Saul[ and said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here,
has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes,
and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized...
Two professional football teams, one in the United States and the other in Canada. Both have names which are offensive to First Nations and Inuit peoples Now both the Washington _______ and the Edmonton ______ have agreed to change those nicknames. Both teams have been asked to do for for years, but insisted that they weren't meant to be derogatory and, besides, they are traditional.
The pressure has mounted as protests around the world have called out racism in its many forms. Other teams have been challenged as well, including the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Chiefs, both of which have fans performing the "tomahawk chop". Why did we think it was okay to use theses derogatory names and gestures in the first place? It's as if the dominant culture figured that Indigenous, Inuit, and Metis peoples are caricatures not worthy of our respect, so therefore anything is permissible.
Why the change now for Washington and Edmonton? Have they seen the moral light? After insisting that they wouldn't bow to pressure the search is on for new names and the reason is...money. Major sponsors have told the teams that they would end their lucrative agreements unless the changes happened. Voila. Money does more than talk. It shouts.
I do feel that there is a strong moral component to all this, and its important to have the scales drop from our eyes, to use a common expression. This is from the story of the conversion of Saul, who becomes after persecuting the first Christians becomes Paul, a devout disciple of the Risen Christ. We've all seen the prayerful gestures of athletes through the years, expressing their allegiance to God.
Perhaps another gesture, the knee taken by spurned quarterback Colin Kaepernick, can become a broader symbol of doing the right thing for the right reason, not just for economic gain.
Should we be praying for rain as enlightened souls in the 21st century? Some thoughts in today's Groundling blog
https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2020/07/praying-for-rain-in-2020.html
These are enlightened times, and I support the changing of the names of some of these teams. I remember when the Atlanta Braves were a baseball powerhouse back in the 90's, and watching them in the playoffs and World Series, with their ravenous fans doing the tomahawk and the chant. Among them was Jane Fonda and Ted Turner, participating in the tomahawk with everyone else.
ReplyDeleteMy feeling is Jane Fonda doesn't have a racist or hateful bone in her body; she's probably known as one of the most liberal actors of our time. But again, these are enlightened times, and perhaps it's time to make some changes.