Maryland School Bans Clothing With Washington Redskins Logo

I thought we were done with this instance of subjective targeting, but it’s back. A self-described “progressive” school is living up to that description after the principal sent a letter home to parents saying kids need to leave Washington Redskins merchandise at home.

From The Federalist Papers:

Neal Brown, the head of the Green Acres School in Bethesda, Maryland, issued a directive on the school’s home page to all parents. In the letter, Brown wrote that “Redskin” was a racial slur. Intentional or not, its use is “deeply insulting and offensive.” It’s a term that “demeans a group of people.”

“Similarly,” Brown’s letter continued, “the team’s logo also can reasonably be viewed as racially demeaning. At best, the image is an ethnic stereotype that promotes cultural misunderstanding; at worst, it is intensely derogatory.”

As a result, Brown said:

I ask that you please not send your children to school wearing clothing with either the team name or logo in the year and years to come. I will be speaking with students to share with them my decision and to enlist their understanding and support. Additionally, we invite you to reach out to us with any questions you may have about how to discuss this with your child.

…

A Washington Post poll last year showed that 90 percent of Native Americans are not offended by the Washington Redskins name — the same polling numbers when the question was asked 12 years prior. The term “Redskin” is so inoffensive that eight in ten said they would not be bothered even if a non-native called them that.

Some so-called leaders in the Native American community disagree with those numbers. However, my own experiences indicate they are correct. Native Americans I’ve spoken with through the years do take issue with the Washington Redskins, but not with the name itself — they just all agreed that the team perennially sucks.

It’s funny how “tolerance” is such a buzzword on the Left, but people like Brown make it clear that the only tolerance the Left has is for its own opinions.

The team has a name. A lot of people don’t like it. But there are plenty of logos and brands and organizations out there that people find offensive, yet the Left only targets certain ones for destruction. Let’s see if Brown ever sends out a letter barring Planned Parenthood pins, for instance.

These students, rather than learning about liberty and free speech, are learning that pontificating jackwagons with authority often abuse it to their own ends. Ironically though, this “progressive” school may end up churning out a lot of libertarians and conservatives.