Should the Redskins change their name?

Racism is and has always been a common thing. We've heard about African American slavery and other forms of discrimination against other racial groups. However, not too often do we hear about Native Americans being discriminated against. Over time, there have been several sports teams that have names that are used as racial slurs towards Native Americans. One of the most common cases of this right now is the Washington Redskins. There has been a large controversy going on about whether they should be obligated to change their team name or not. Some people say that the name should be changed due to it being racist. Other people say that the name has been around for almost 80 years and that it symbolizes the team and their history, so it should not be changed. This controversy has led to protests and even legislative action in order to eliminate this form of ethnic stereotyping.

Personally, in my opinion, I believe that if the name offends people, then it should be changed. If this name target a different race such as whites or African Americans, then the name probably would have been changed a while ago. If the Washington Redskins were actually known as the Washington Blacks or Washington Whites or Washington Hispanics, this would be a larger issue. However, since it is not concerning other racial groups, the situation is not taken as seriously as it should be. The owner Daniel Snyder is nowhere near on board with changing the name, not even in respect to those offended by it. He claims that it holds memories of where they came from, who they are, and who they want to be. However, even if that is the case, changing the name would change nothing about the team's playing history. Also, saying that it holds memories of where they came from has significance towards the Native Americans as well, just in a completely opposite way.

Overall, changing the name would have little to no effect on the players. Changing the name would have no impact on the players' physical abilities and their   Yes, it may cost the team and the fans lots of money by changing the name and having to buy all new gear, but that's a small price to pay compared to the blood shed by the Native Americans' ancestors and the discrimination that they have received. The Redskins is an offensive name to those who know the story behind what it actually means. However, since not enough light is shed on the situation, it is not as big an issue as it should be. Therefore, I do believe that the name change should take place in respect to the Native Americans. We wouldn't like it if the name was targeted towards our racial group, and I'm sure the Native Americans don't like it either.