1 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 October 31, 2013 DRAFT 25 resolution may be cited as the “Sense of the Council to Rename the Washington National Football 26 League Team Resolution of 2013”. A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 20-239 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ________________ To declare the sense of the Council that the Washington National Football LeagueTeam change its name. RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 27 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia finds that: 28 (1) In 1992, eight members of the Council of the District of Columbia introduced a resolution 29 (PR 9-330) requesting a change in the name of Washington’s NFL football team. In 2001, the 30 Council adopted a resolution (R14-263) requesting a change in the team’s name. On May 1, 2013, 31 nine members of the current Council introduced the present resolution. 32 33 (2) For more than 80 years, the Washington National Football League (NFL) team has brought great pride and joy to the Metropolitan Washington area. 1 (3) The word “redskins” is objectionable to many Americans who consider it to be racist and 1 2 derogatory, and the use of the term is increasingly considered to be insensitive in our multi-cultural 3 society. 4 (4) A quick survey of dictionaries demonstrates this evolution in the meaning of the word. 5 The 1964 edition of the Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language defined 6 “redskin” to mean: “A North American Indian.” The 1983 edition of the Webster’s Ninth New 7 Collegiate Dictionary defines “redskin” to mean: “American Indian – usually taken to be offensive.” 8 The 1983 edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language Second Edition 9 Unabridged defines “redskin” to mean: “Slang (often disparaging and offensive) A North American 10 11 Indian.” (5) Some believe that the term “redskins” was derived during a time in our nation when a 12 bounty was offered on Native Americans, those killed by the bounty hunters were scalped as proof of 13 their slaughter, and bounty hunters began referring to the scalps of the dead Native Americans as 14 “redskins.” 15 (6) By Resolution 43-01, adopted on November 14, 2001, the Board of Directors of the 16 Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments found that “the term ‘Redskins’ is viewed by 17 many sensitive and progressive-minded individuals as a demeaning and dehumanizing racist insult 18 that embodies a history of degradation and slaughter.” 19 (7) In recent years, prominent sports writers such as Peter King have urged using a name 20 different than “Redskins” for the name of a sports team. Most recently, NBC announcer Bob Costas 21 urged a name change for the Washington NFL team: “…think for a moment about the term 22 ‘Redskins,’ and how it truly differs from all the others. Ask yourself what the equivalent would be, if 23 directed toward African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, or members of any other ethnic group. When 2 1 considered that way, ‘Redskins’ can’t possibly honor a heritage, or noble character trait, nor can it 2 possibly be considered a neutral term. It’s an insult, a slur, no matter how benign the present-day 3 intent.” 4 (8) A number of sports teams have changed names that reference Native Americans. St. 5 John’s (New York) changed its mascot from the Redmen to the Red Storm, and the Miami University 6 (Ohio) Redskins are now the Red Hawks – to list two among many. 7 (9) On October 15, 2013, the Anti-Defamation League called on professional sports teams to 8 “seriously consider moving away from the use of hurtful and offensive names, mascots and logos,” 9 and specifically cited the Washington Redskins. 10 (10) Ten days earlier, President Barack Obama said he would consider changing the 11 Washington NFL team’s name if he owned the football team, saying such names offend “a sizable 12 group of people.” He further added: “I don’t know whether our attachment to a particular name 13 should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things.” 14 (11) Changing the long-standing name of the professional sports team might have an 15 economic cost—the cost of losing a well-known brand. However, profit should not trump doing what 16 is morally right. 17 (12) In 1995, Abe Pollin, the owner of Washington’s professional basketball team, announced 18 he was changing the team’s name because the word “bullets” was associated with violence, an 19 association with which he was uncomfortable in part because of the high number of homicides and 20 gun-related violence at that time in Washington, D.C. As a result, the team’s name was changed. 21 (13) Last month the San Francisco Chronicle joined a growing list of publications that no 22 longer use the word “redskins” when referring to Washington’s National Football League team. 3 1 Other publications include the Portland Oregonian, Kansas City Star, Slate.com, Washington City 2 Paper, and Richmond Free Press. 3 (14) The Council of the District of Columbia is in an important position to acknowledge the 4 controversy over our local NFL team’s name, and to urge the football team’s owners to end the 5 controversy and rectify what many believe to be an insult by changing the name of the Washington 6 NFL team. 7 Sec. 3. It is the sense of the Council that: 8 (1) Out of respect for the multi-racial and cultural makeup of this nation, our city, and the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 team’s fans, the Washington NFL team should change its name; (2) Changing the name of a National Football League franchise, while not a simple task, is the right and prudent thing to do in this case; and (3) The owner of the Washington NFL team is hereby urged to change the name of the football team to a name that is not offensive to Native Americans or any other ethnic group. Sec. 4. The Chairman of the Council shall transmit copies of this resolution to the principal owner of the Washington NFL football team, Dan Snyder, and to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Sec. 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 4