The Review

Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Editorial

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In my life I have been a Blue Demon, a Blue Hen, a Phillie, an Eagle, a Flyer and a 76er - not really names which draw much attention about being politically incorrect. As much as those seem meaningless to you, they hold a special meaning to me.

If someone came up to me tomorrow and told me they were personally offended by the depiction of those characters I would laugh at them.

However, on Feb. 21, Chief Illiniwek, the University of Illinois' mascot for the past 81 years, danced his final jig. In the past two years since the NCAA joined the "let's be politically correct" movement, 17 schools have been asked to re-establish themselves by removing their "offensive" names and finding a better approach.

Illinois is doing just that. But at what point does being politically correct give way to censorship?

I applaud Illinois for removing Chief Illiniwek from dancing at their sporting events - it realized that a painted, white, frat boy dancing around screaming at opposing teams is not the best way to depict ancient people such as the Illini.

I guess the university came to the realization that after years of death and removal from their own land, the Illini had suffered enough. At the same time, the university took a strong stance on not removing the name "fighting Illini" from their school.

Many of the groups fighting against the use of Indian names still find this to be offensive because the names are still in place. The only problem I see would be if the groups being defamed pushed to have the name removed.

Personally a small group of middle class white Americans telling me they are offended for the Native American culture does not get my blood pumping to charge the White House and rise up in protest.

The only name which has ever been officially dubbed offensive by the Native American culture is that of the Washington Redskins.

So when is enough, enough? In the case of political correctness, it seems it is a question of how censored you want your culture to be.

I can understand changing a few derogatory terms here and there, but like the old adage says, if you give an inch, they will take a mile.

The language-planning movement, a movement by a group of people to change the English language so that it no longer contains any type of gender-based wording, has taken the inch given by those trying to be politically conscious and is on its third trip to the sun.

Continued...

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