>> Jon: WELCOME BACK!
SO RECENTLY WE SENT OUR INTREPID REPORTER JASON JONES
OUT TO THE FIELD TO EXPLORE THE PHENOMENON OF A
CERTAIN WASHINGTON D.C.'S FOOTBALL TEAM'S CONTROVERSIAL
NAME. WE LEARNED LATER THAT SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PIECE, THEY DIDN'T
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. (LAUGHTER)
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS A LOT LESS THAN YOU WOULD THINK.
BUT WE TAKE THE COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY.
WE GENERALLY DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE SHOW TO
HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE.
WE WORK VERY HARD TO FIND REAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL BELIEFS AND
WANT TO EXPRESS THOSE BELIEFS ON TELEVISION AND WE WORK HARD TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE GIST OF THOSE BELIEFS ARE RESPECTED
ACCURATELY -- ALBEIT SOMETIMES COMEDICALLY ON OUR PROGRAM.
(LAUGHTER) IF WE FIND OUT THAT SOMEONE IN A
PIECE WAS INTENTIONALLY MISLED OR IF THEIR COMMENTS WERE
INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTED, WE DO NOT AIR THAT PIECE.
WE WOULD NOT AIR THAT PIECE.
SO THAT BEING SAID, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE FOLLOWING PIECE.
(LAUGHTER) >> FOOTBALL IS BACK, AND ONCE
AGAIN, THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS ARE GETTING THEIR ASS KICKED.
BUT THIS TIME INSTEAD OF COWBOYS AND PATRIOTS, IT'S BY LIBERAL
ACTIVISTS.
>> A MOVE IS UNDERWAY TO CHANGE THE NAME.
CRITICS SAY IT'S OFFENSIVE TO NATIVE AMERICANS.
>> BUT ACCORDING TO CHIEF DANIEL SNYDER OF REDSKIN NATION, THE
ONLY CRIME HIS PEOPLE HAVE COMMITTED
IS BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.
>> THE NAME OF OUR TEAM IS THE NAME OF OUR TEAM AND IT
REPRESENTS HONOR, IT REPRESENTS PRIDE, IT REPRESENTS RESPECT.
>> WELL, THAT DOESN'T SOUND THAT BAD.
SO WHY WAS THIS GROUP OF NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVISTS SO UPSET?
>> IT'S A NAME THAT IMPAIRS, DISABLES, DISENFRANCHISES OUR
POPULATION.
>> THE MOST POPULAR MASCOTS IN THE COUNTRY ARE INDIANS AND
ANIMALS.
>> RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE ANIMALS AND WE ALL LOVE INDIANS.
>> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS. >> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS.
>> WE'RE NOT MASCOTS.
>> THAT'S A DICTIONARY DEFINED RACIAL SLUR.
>> YEAH BUT THAT'S ACCORDING TO WHAT?
>> THE DICTIONARY.
>> OK BUT PLENTY OF WORDS IN THE DICTIONARY HAVE MULTIPLE
MEANINGS. IT JUST TURNS OUT THIS ONE DOESN'T.
HELP ME OUT, WHITE MAN.
>> TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, YOU CAN TAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT ALL
OVER THE PLACE BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE IT IS WHAT
IT IS, IT'S VERY OBVIOUS.
THAT THE NAME REALLY MEANS HONOR.
>> HONORING WHAT?
>> YOUR STRONG, PROUD, COURAGEOUS, BRAVE HERITAGE.
>> REDSKINS IS A BOUNTY.
>> IT MEANT PROOF OF INDIAN KILL.
>> WELL WHEN YOU PUT IT LIKE THAT, 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 TO BE A NATIVE IN THIS TOWN?
>> I DON'T. I DON'T. TERRIBLE.
>> TO WALK DOWN THE STREET EVERY SINGLE DAY AND BE SURROUNDED BY
THAT IMAGERY AND BEING TOLD TO GET OVER IT?
>> NO BECAUSE... >> CAUSE, CAUSE, CAUSE...
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO, JUST BECAUSE I'M UNCOMFORTABLE
DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO MAKE FUN OF MY UNCOMFORTABLENESS.
YOU DON'T SEE ME DOING THAT TO PEOPLE.
>> SURE THESE NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVISTS MAKE A COMPELLING
CASE. THAT IS UNTIL YOU HEAR WHAT IS AT STAKE
FOR THE TRUE VICTIMS. THE FANS.
>> IF THE REDSKINS NAME IS CHANGED AND I HAVE
CHILDREN ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD I PASS ON TO THEM?
>> IT'D BE TOUGH. IT WOULD BE LIKE LOSING A FAMILY MEMBER.
>> AND THEY'VE ALREADY LOST SO MUCH, 58 STARTING
QUARTERBACKS, 28 HEAD COACHES, 12 UNIFORMS WITH TEN LOGOS,
PLAYING IN FIVE STADIUMS AND TWO CITIES.
THEY EVEN CHANGED THEIR NAME ONCE BEFORE SO FORGIVE THEM FOR
CLINGING TO WHAT FEW TRADITIONS REMAIN.
(SINGING FIGHT SONG) >> SING IT.
>>(SINGING) FIGHT FOR OLD D.C.
>> I HAVE AN OLDER COMPUTER. I PULLED IT UP ON NETSCAPE.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DIDN'T SAY THE WORD "SCALP 'EM."
>> IT ALSO SAYS WHOMP THEM, TOO.
>> OH, SO THE SONG CHANGED.
>> OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS CHANGED FOR SENSITIVITY REASONS.
>> AND THE TEAM SENSITIVITY HAS PAID OFF. I MEAN,
RIGHT HERE ON THE HOME PAGE OF THE WEB SITE DANIEL SNYDER PAID
FOR, IT SAYS THAT, IN 2004, A POLL FOUND THAT 90% OF NATIVE
AMERICANS DID NOT FIND THE NAME OFFENSIVE.
>> THE ANNENBERG REPORT, THE FUNNY THING ABOUT THE ANNENBERG
REPORT IS THAT IT WAS CONDUCTED IN PENNSYLVANIA BY
SELF-IDENTIFYING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHICH MEANS IT COULD HAVE
BEEN ANYBODY OFF THE STREET THAT SAYS OH YEAH, MY GREAT GREAT
GREAT GRANDMOTHER WAS A CHEROKEE PRINCESS.
>> COME ON. WHO WOULD DO THAT?
>> MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS FULL BLOOD
CHEROKEE. >> SHOW OF HANDS, WHO HAS
HAS CHEROKEE HERE? ANY NATIVE AMERICAN.
BRIAN, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOU?
>> CHEROKEE.
BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OR LITTLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> I'M ACTUALLY ONE-TWELFTH.
>> ONE-TWELFTH CHEROKEE.
>> AS ONE-TWELFTH CHEROKEE I AM NOT OFFENDED.
>> WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE QUESTION FOR THE
OTHER 11/12. AREN'T YOU BEING A LITTLE SENSITIVE?
>> AFTER EVERY SINGLE THING THAT AMERICAN INDIAN PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN THROUGH, HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY SAY THAT WE ARE
THIN-SKINNED AND OVERSENSITIVE? WE HAVE TO SAY THINGS LIKE,
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY BECAUSE AS WE 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 THIS CONVERSATION DOWN.
>> OK, SO REDSKI -- ALL RIGHT, THE WASHINGTON TEAM NAME WAS
STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLE INSENSITIVE. WHAT WAS I MISSING?
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, COME TO A FOOTBALL GAME, MEET SOME
FANS, COME SEE WHAT OUR CONTEXT IS ABOUT AND I THINK,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY YOU WOULD LEAVE THAT OFFENDED.
>> SO I WENT TO A GAME. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IT WAS TRUE
I WAS IMMEDIATELY WELCOMED INTO THIS RICH CULTURE,
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS, BUT THE MORE TIME I SPENT
WITH THESE PEOPLE, THE MORE I BEGAN TO FEEL WARM AND HAPPY AND
NUMB AND, THEY WERE RIGHT, THAT LOGO IS COOL!
BUT THEN I MET WITH TRIBAL ELDERS.
>> THIS IS OUR CULTURE.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
>> WOULD YOU CALL A NATIVE AMERICAN A REDSKIN?
>> DO YOU KNOW ANY NATIVE AMERICANS?
>> YEAH, ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM.
>> AM I NOT NATIVE AMERICAN?
WAS I NOT BORN IN THIS COUNTRY?
>> I DON'T WANT TO AUTHORIZE THAT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS WAS A CULTURE SO PROUD THEY DIDN'T EVEN WANT THEIR FACE ON
TV EVEN AFTER THEY HAD SIGNED OUR RELEASE FORMS.
>> I WENT TO A GAME.
LET ME ASK YOU, IF YOU BROUGHT A NATIVE AMERICAN,
WOULDN'T THEY BE A LITTLE UPSET?
>> I THINK THE CONVERSATION THAT'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 JUST THAT.
BUT IT TURNS OUT THESE FANS WEREN'T COMFORTABLE HAVING THAT
CONVERSATION.
IN FACT, AFTERWARD, THEY RELAYED TO "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT
THEY FELT AMBUSHED, IN DANGER AND DEFAMED AND, YES,
THE CONVERSATION WAS HEATED AT TIMES BUT THERE WERE ALSO
HANDSHAKES AND EVEN THE CEREMONIAL HANDKERCHIEF.
IN THE END, THEY SAID THEY STILL WOULD HAVE GONE ON THE SHOW HAD
THEY KNOWN THERE WOULD BE A DEBATE BUT AT LEAST ONE OF
THEM WOULDN'T HAVE WORN HIS RED SKINS JACKET WHICH FORCES THE
QUESTION -- >> IF THEY CHANGE THE TEAM NAME,
WOULD YOU STILL ROOT FOR THEM?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> UNEQUIVOCALLY.
>> I WOULDN'T HIDE MY REDSKINS MEMORABILIA.
IT WOULD STILL BE ON THE WALLS, THE BELT WOULD STILL BE ON THE
SHOULDER. THEY'LL ALWAYS BE REDSKINS TO ME.
>> THERE WE GO. PROBLEM SOLVED.
HEY, HE WHO STANDS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY,
CHANGE THE (BLEEP) NAME. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> Jon: JASON JONES. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.