Discussion about the appropriateness of the Washington Redskins' team name continues to simmer this offseason. It reached the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa's non-voting delegate to the House, made a speech decrying the name.
"Mr. Speaker, it's time the National Football League and the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, face the reality that the continued use of the word 'Redskin' is unacceptable. It is a racist, derogatory term, and patently offensive to Native Americans." Faleomavega said, via The Washington Post. "The Native American community has spent millions of dollars over the past two decades trying earnestly to fight the racism that is perpetuated by this slur.
"The fact that the NFL and Commissioner Goodell continue to deny this is a shameful treatment of the mistreatment of Native Americans for so many years. It is quite obvious that once the American public understands why 'Redskins' is so offensive, it will know that the word should never be used again."
The entire speech can be seen here. Faleomavaega was one of 10 members of Congress to send a letter to Goodell and Redskins owner Dan Snyder asking for change. Goodell responded with a letter that defended the use of the name.
Snyder said this offseason that he would "never" change the team's name, although the Redskins have indicated some willingness to hear what their fans think.
According to Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog, the Redskins this week sent out an online survey that touched on a number of topics, including the team's name. It asked fans if the Redskins should change their name and followed up with a few more questions on the topic.
It's still hard to imagine the Redskins changing their name anytime soon, but the questions from the team show a degree of open thinking on the topic. It's a topic that hasn't gone away this year, even if the team would prefer it did.
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