NCAA is pandering to white guilt

Years ago I was reading a book by Larry Elders called The Ten Things You Can't Say In America. In it he mentions the phenomenon he calls "White Guilt". His premise is that the minorities claiming to be "victims" of systemic racism are the ones actually engaging racism and it is doing more harm to those groups. The only large scale harm that whites are engaging in is "white guilt". Affirmative action stems from "white guilt".

"Blacks do not need sympathetic whites to protect blacks' 'self esteem.'" Guilty whites who support affirmative action inherently believe that blacks need "an artificial boost without which they could not compete." Expecting less of a black person simply because he is black is "condescending," and, in the true sense of the word, racist.

Now the NCAA is ruthering its damaging guilt.

The NCAA issued a new policy that it announced earlier this week.

Institutions displaying or promoting hostile or abusive references on their mascots, cheerleaders, dance teams and band uniforms or paraphernalia are prohibited from wearing the material at NCAA championships, effective August 1, 2008.

Last, and effective immediately, institutions with student-athletes wearing uniforms or having paraphernalia with hostile or abusive references must ensure that those uniforms or paraphernalia not be worn or displayed at NCAA championship competitions.

Consider that there are now more and more tribes coming out AGAINST this policy. Central Michigan's mascot has support from the local tribe as does the Florida St Seminoles. The NCAA, in trying to keep to their sensitivity towards the named tribes being offended, declared that local support does not really matter.

Charlotte Westerhaus, an NCAA official, said that branches of the Seminole tribe elsewhere in the country objected to use of tribe’s name. Harrison, speaking hypothetically, also said: “Everyone has recourse through the courts. We think this is a very reasoned and solid approach that governs those things that we control. But we would be prepared to defend that if actions were brought against us.”

So, here is the NCAA's position, in effect. 1) Indians cannot protect themselves so we must protect them from being offended at anything. 2) We are banning "offensive" or "abusive" masocts to prevent Indians from being offended. 3) Those Indians that support the mascots just do not know any better and so we will dismiss what they say. 4) If you don't like it then sue us...literally.

Regardless of if the tribes support the mascots it should be the business of the school and the school only to determine what mascot will be used.

If the NCAA truly wants to take a No Offensive position then it should do so with a very broad brush. Names like "Fighting Irish" should be banned as well. (Marty's Blog has a good list of others that should be banned.)

Frankly, I am offended that I'm being left out. I would like to see a team called the "Wetbacks" or the "Beaners".

Just stop trying to protect minorities from being offended. Life contains offense AND if someone is offended let them worry about it.