>> Jon: WELCOME BACK!
SO RECENTLY WE SENT OUR INTREPIDREPORTER JASON JONES
OUT TO THE FIELD TOEXPLORE THE PHENOMENON OF A
CERTAIN WASHINGTON D.C.'SFOOTBALL TEAM'S CONTROVERSIAL
NAME. WE LEARNEDLATER THAT SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED INTHE PIECE, THEY DIDN'T
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. (LAUGHTER)
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALOT LESS THAN YOU WOULD THINK.
BUT WE TAKE THE COMPLAINTSERIOUSLY.
WE GENERALLY DON'T WANT PEOPLEWHO PARTICIPATE IN THE SHOW TO
HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE.
WE WORK VERY HARD TO FIND REALPEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL BELIEFS AND
WANT TO EXPRESS THOSE BELIEFS ONTELEVISION AND WE WORK HARD TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE GIST OF THOSEBELIEFS ARE RESPECTED
ACCURATELY -- ALBEIT SOMETIMESCOMEDICALLY ON OUR PROGRAM.
(LAUGHTER)IF WE FIND OUT THAT SOMEONE IN A
PIECE WAS INTENTIONALLY MISLEDOR IF THEIR COMMENTS WERE
INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTED, WEDO NOT AIR THAT PIECE.
WE WOULD NOT AIR THAT PIECE.
SO THAT BEING SAID, I HOPE YOUENJOY THE FOLLOWING PIECE.
(LAUGHTER)>> FOOTBALL IS BACK, AND ONCE
AGAIN, THE WASHINGTON REDSKINSARE GETTING THEIR ASS KICKED.
BUT THIS TIME INSTEAD OF COWBOYSAND PATRIOTS, IT'S BY LIBERAL
ACTIVISTS.
>> A MOVE IS UNDERWAY TO CHANGETHE NAME.
CRITICS SAY IT'S OFFENSIVE TONATIVE AMERICANS.
>> BUT ACCORDING TO CHIEF DANIELSNYDER OF REDSKIN NATION, THE
ONLY CRIME HIS PEOPLE HAVECOMMITTED
IS BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.
>> THE NAME OF OUR TEAM IS THENAME OF OUR TEAM AND IT
REPRESENTS HONOR, IT REPRESENTSPRIDE, IT REPRESENTS RESPECT.
>> WELL, THAT DOESN'T SOUND THATBAD.
SO WHY WAS THIS GROUP OF NATIVEAMERICAN ACTIVISTS SO UPSET?
>> IT'S A NAME THAT IMPAIRS,DISABLES, DISENFRANCHISES OUR
POPULATION.
>> THE MOST POPULAR MASCOTS INTHE COUNTRY ARE INDIANS AND
ANIMALS.
>> RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE ANIMALS ANDWE ALL LOVE INDIANS.
>> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS.>> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS.
>> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS.
>> THAT'S A DICTIONARYDEFINED RACIAL SLUR.
>> YEAH BUT THAT'S ACCORDING TOWHAT?
>> THE DICTIONARY.
>> OK BUT PLENTY OF WORDS IN THEDICTIONARY HAVE MULTIPLE
MEANINGS. IT JUST TURNS OUTTHIS ONE DOESN'T.
HELP ME OUT, WHITE MAN.
>> TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, YOU CANTAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT ALL
OVER THE PLACE BUT IN THISPARTICULAR CASE IT IS WHAT
IT IS, IT'S VERY OBVIOUS.
THAT THE NAME REALLY MEANSHONOR.
>> HONORING WHAT?
>> YOUR STRONG, PROUD,COURAGEOUS, BRAVE HERITAGE.
>> REDSKINS IS A BOUNTY.
>> IT MEANT PROOF OF INDIANKILL.
>> WELL WHEN YOU PUT IT LIKETHAT, IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE.
PUT IT IN CONTEXT ON SUNDAYS -->> AND SATURDAYS AND FRIDAY
NIGHTS.
>> AND MONDAYS.>> AND LIVING IN D.C. EVERY DAY.
>> AND THURSDAY NIGHTS.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TOBE A NATIVE IN THIS TOWN?
>> I DON'T. I DON'T. TERRIBLE.
>> TO WALK DOWN THE STREET EVERYSINGLE DAY AND BE SURROUNDED BY
THAT IMAGERY AND BEING TOLDTO GET OVER IT?
>> NO BECAUSE...>> CAUSE, CAUSE, CAUSE...
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO, JUSTBECAUSE I'M UNCOMFORTABLE
DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO MAKEFUN OF MY UNCOMFORTABLENESS.
YOU DON'T SEE ME DOING THAT TOPEOPLE.
>> SURE THESE NATIVE AMERICANACTIVISTS MAKE A COMPELLING
CASE. THAT IS UNTIL YOUHEAR WHAT IS AT STAKE
FOR THE TRUE VICTIMS. THE FANS.
>> IF THE REDSKINS NAME ISCHANGED AND I HAVE
CHILDREN ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD IPASS ON TO THEM?
>> IT'D BE TOUGH. IT WOULD BELIKE LOSING A FAMILY MEMBER.
>> AND THEY'VE ALREADY LOST SOMUCH, 58 STARTING
QUARTERBACKS, 28 HEAD COACHES,12 UNIFORMS WITH TEN LOGOS,
PLAYING IN FIVE STADIUMS AND TWOCITIES.
THEY EVEN CHANGED THEIR NAMEONCE BEFORE SO FORGIVE THEM FOR
CLINGING TO WHAT FEW TRADITIONSREMAIN.
(SINGING FIGHT SONG)>> SING IT.
>>(SINGING) FIGHT FOR OLD D.C.
>> I HAVE AN OLDER COMPUTER. IPULLED IT UP ON NETSCAPE.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DIDN'T SAYTHE WORD "SCALP 'EM."
>> IT ALSO SAYS WHOMP THEM, TOO.
>> OH, SO THE SONG CHANGED.
>> OBVIOUSLY THAT WASCHANGED FOR SENSITIVITY REASONS.
>> AND THE TEAM SENSITIVITYHAS PAID OFF. I MEAN,
RIGHT HERE ON THE HOME PAGE OFTHE WEB SITE DANIEL SNYDER PAID
FOR, IT SAYS THAT, IN 2004, APOLL FOUND THAT 90% OF NATIVE
AMERICANS DID NOT FIND THE NAMEOFFENSIVE.
>> THE ANNENBERG REPORT, THEFUNNY THING ABOUT THE ANNENBERG
REPORT IS THAT IT WASCONDUCTED IN PENNSYLVANIA BY
SELF-IDENTIFYING INDIGENOUSPEOPLE WHICH MEANS IT COULD HAVE
BEEN ANYBODY OFF THE STREET THATSAYS OH YEAH, MY GREAT GREAT
GREAT GRANDMOTHER WAS A CHEROKEEPRINCESS.
>> COME ON. WHO WOULD DO THAT?
>> MY GREAT GREAT GREATGRANDFATHER WAS FULL BLOOD
CHEROKEE.>> SHOW OF HANDS, WHO HAS
HAS CHEROKEE HERE? ANY NATIVEAMERICAN.
BRIAN, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOU?
>> CHEROKEE.
BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH ORLITTLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> I'M ACTUALLY ONE-TWELFTH.
>> ONE-TWELFTH CHEROKEE.
>> AS ONE-TWELFTH CHEROKEE I AMNOT OFFENDED.
>> WHICH MEANT THAT THEREWAS ONLY ONE QUESTION FOR THE
OTHER 11/12. AREN'T YOUBEING A LITTLE SENSITIVE?
>> AFTER EVERY SINGLE THING THATAMERICAN INDIAN PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN THROUGH, HOW CAN YOUPOSSIBLY SAY THAT WE ARE
THIN-SKINNED AND OVERSENSITIVE?WE HAVE TO SAY THINGS LIKE,
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY BECAUSE ASWE SAY RACISM OR RACIST --
>> NO ONE SAID RACIST.>> THE WHOLE ARGUMENT SHUTS
DOWN.>> EXACTLY. NO ONE SAID RACISM.
>> THE TERM IS RACIST.
>> OK, I'M SHUTTING THISCONVERSATION DOWN.
>> OK, SO REDSKI -- ALL RIGHT,THE WASHINGTON TEAM NAME WAS
STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLEINSENSITIVE. WHAT WAS I MISSING?
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, COME TOA FOOTBALL GAME, MEET SOME
FANS, COME SEE WHAT OURCONTEXT IS ABOUT AND I THINK,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY YOUWOULD LEAVE THAT OFFENDED.
>> SO I WENT TO A GAME. AND YOUKNOW WHAT, IT WAS TRUE
I WAS IMMEDIATELY WELCOMED INTOTHIS RICH CULTURE,
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ITWAS, BUT THE MORE TIME I SPENT
WITH THESE PEOPLE, THE MORE IBEGAN TO FEEL WARM AND HAPPY AND
NUMB AND, THEY WERE RIGHT, THATLOGO IS COOL!
BUT THEN I MET WITH TRIBALELDERS.
>> THIS IS OUR CULTURE.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
>> WOULD YOU CALL A NATIVEAMERICAN A REDSKIN?
>> DO YOU KNOW ANY NATIVEAMERICANS?
>> YEAH, ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM.
>> AM I NOT NATIVE AMERICAN?
WAS I NOT BORN IN THIS COUNTRY?
>> I DON'T WANT TO AUTHORIZETHAT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS WAS A CULTURE SO PROUD THEYDIDN'T EVEN WANT THEIR FACE ON
TV EVEN AFTER THEY HAD SIGNEDOUR RELEASE FORMS.
>> I WENT TO A GAME.
LET ME ASK YOU, IF YOU BROUGHT ANATIVE AMERICAN,
WOULDN'T THEY BE A LITTLE UPSET?
>> I THINK THE CONVERSATIONTHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS
THAT WE NEED TO BE SITTING DOWN,TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT
ACTUALLY ARE OFFENDED.
>> A LITTLE LATER, WE DID JUSTTHAT.
BUT IT TURNS OUT THESE FANSWEREN'T COMFORTABLE HAVING THAT
CONVERSATION.
IN FACT, AFTERWARD, THEY RELAYEDTO "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT
THEY FELT AMBUSHED, IN DANGERAND DEFAMED AND, YES,
THE CONVERSATION WAS HEATED ATTIMES BUT THERE WERE ALSO
HANDSHAKES AND EVEN THECEREMONIAL HANDKERCHIEF.
IN THE END, THEY SAID THEY STILLWOULD HAVE GONE ON THE SHOW HAD
THEY KNOWN THERE WOULD BEA DEBATE BUT AT LEAST ONE OF
THEM WOULDN'T HAVE WORN HIS REDSKINS JACKET WHICH FORCES THE
QUESTION -->> IF THEY CHANGE THE TEAM NAME,
WOULD YOU STILL ROOT FOR THEM?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> UNEQUIVOCALLY.
>> I WOULDN'T HIDE MY REDSKINSMEMORABILIA.
IT WOULD STILL BE ON THE WALLS,THE BELT WOULD STILL BE ON THE
SHOULDER. THEY'LL ALWAYSBE REDSKINS TO ME.
>> THERE WE GO. PROBLEM SOLVED.
HEY, HE WHO STANDS ON THE WRONGSIDE OF HISTORY,
CHANGE THE (BLEEP) NAME. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> Jon: JASON JONES. WE'LL BERIGHT BACK.