The announcers at tomorrow’s big game have been spared from recapping plays by “the Washington football team,” better known by a name that is so racist and offensive, Sen. Harry Reid and 50 U.S. Senate Democrats sent a letter to the NFL commissioner demanding it be changed.
Students at Dartmouth University now find themselves in a similar situation, but over “cultural appropriation.” As National Review’s Katherine Timpf reports based on a piece in The College Fix, Greek houses will face a fine for cultural appropriation if they publicly display the traditional Dartmouth Indian head.
Dartmouth Greek Houses to Be Fined for Displaying Dartmouth Indian Head https://t.co/tU63T7GYJK pic.twitter.com/9qU9IYUhdw
— National Review (@NRO) February 6, 2016
Rules against cultural appropriation had already existed at Dartmouth, but the Greek Leadership Council chose to include the Indian head as a specific item, “in part as a response to the display last term of a pong table stolen from Theta Delta Chi fraternity displaying the Dartmouth Indian head,” reports the Dartmouth. Out of respect for freedom of speech, students would be allowed to wear clothing with the symbol or decorate their rooms with it.
The president of the Gender Inclusive Greek Council hoped the council would update its rules to grant anonymity to those who choose to make accusations of cultural appropriation, citing fears of harassment or retribution for students who choose to speak out.
Historian Bridget-Kate Sixkiller McNulty added that “students should feel welcome and safe wherever they are on campus” and was glad to see concrete steps being taken to contain racist imagery.
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@NRO so what is so wrong about that logo? Big deal. For God's sake start living in reality.
— Sun Devil '85 (@BoblutfyMy) February 6, 2016
@NRO Isn't the logo an expression of free speech?
— peyton fan (@GBenack) February 6, 2016
@NRO That is idiotic. Ok to have in room but not otherwise? The First Amendment protects both. "Live Free or Die" died!
— Michael Kennedy (@capmotion) February 6, 2016
@NRO An insult to proud Native Americans! Whitewashing (how's that for a term) is wrong.
— J'etoile (@OneMinPsychic) February 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/RDLSR/status/696069470222213123
Or he might choose to put his vice president, Elizabeth Warren, on the case, or at least delegate it to the new Secretary of Gender Inclusivity and Cultural Appropriation Prevention.
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