Change the Mascot Campaign Praises Hillary Clinton for Strongly Opposing the Washington NFL Team’s Name
Oneida Nation Homelands (NY) (PRWEB) July 28, 2014 -- The National Congress of American Indians and the Oneida Indian Nation, which lead the grassroots Change the Mascot Campaign, today strongly praised Hillary Clinton for calling on the Washington NFL team to drop the R-word slur as its name and mascot.*
"I think it's insensitive, and I think that there's no reason for it to continue as the name of the team in our nation's capital," Clinton reportedly stated in an interview with Fusion’s Jorge Ramos. "I would love to see the owners think hard about what they could substitute."
National Congress of American Indians Executive Director Jackie Pata and Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter stated the following in response:
“The Change the Mascot Campaign thanks Secretary Clinton for clearly stating that the R-word racial epithet is insensitive, and for making clear that there is simply no reason for that word to continue as the name of a football team, especially one that represents our nation’s capital,” said Pata and Halbritter.
“Considering that her remarkable career has included being Secretary of State, serving the people of New York in the Senate, and representing our entire nation for eight years as First Lady, Hillary Clinton is certainly well-qualified to judge how the use of a dictionary-defined racial slur reflects on our capital city and our entire country. We sincerely hope that team owner Dan Snyder will take to heart Ms. Clinton’s comments, especially given that she is one of the world’s most celebrated advocates for equality and fair treatment. When the time eventually comes to select a new President, every individual who aspires to that office should be prepared to oppose the continued use of the R-word, which is a deeply hurtful epithet. Just as our current President has called for a change, our next President should also be willing to stand on the right side of history, to insist that we end the use of the R-word, and to ensure that our nation lives up to the celebrated values of diversity, fair treatment and mutual respect for Americans of all backgrounds.”
*Hillary Clinton thinks the Redskins should change their name, 7.29.14, ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/hillary-clinton-redskins
Jim Heins, Oneida Indian Nation, +1 (315) 829-8310, [email protected]
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