06-20-2014, 10:51 PM
Free speech for the advancement of ideas in the marketplace of ideas is fine. Free speech on, say, high school grounds, has not been a carte blanche for pro-drug use clothing, for example. I don't think Mr. Snyder's team name is a good use of free speech at all. I think, if it were ever to be brought before them, the SCOTUS would agree. And if you don't think the the use of the name leads to disparaging remarks, perhaps you've had the good fortune to avoid hearing the chants and epithets employed by fans of opposing teams who play against Mr. Snyder's football team.
The extremely unique historical origin and cultural context of Mr. Snyder's team name makes it downright unlikely that such a ruling would lead to a slippery slope wherein the word "nerd" would be regulated. And those who keep saying that "surveys show" that Native Americans don't mind the name surely are ignoring the surveys and personal anecdotes that show that Native Americans by and large *do* take offense to the name. (Also, I'm not sure how the question(s) were worded in some surveys, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were worded one way only to have the results interpreted another way. Applies to all surveys.)
The extremely unique historical origin and cultural context of Mr. Snyder's team name makes it downright unlikely that such a ruling would lead to a slippery slope wherein the word "nerd" would be regulated. And those who keep saying that "surveys show" that Native Americans don't mind the name surely are ignoring the surveys and personal anecdotes that show that Native Americans by and large *do* take offense to the name. (Also, I'm not sure how the question(s) were worded in some surveys, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were worded one way only to have the results interpreted another way. Applies to all surveys.)