Hypersensitivity upd…

Hypersensitivity update: New legislation in California is moving ahead to get rid of American Indian mascot names.

The California State Senate has passed what may be the most sweeping anti-Indian mascot law in the country. The legislation still has to clear a few more hurdles before becoming law.

The bill, by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, was approved 22-10 and returned to the State Assembly for a vote on additional amendments inserted in the Senate. The bill then goes to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for final approval.

The legislation bans the use of the word “Redskin.” If approved and signed, the Mascot Bill would make California the first state to put a ban on mascot names. The ban would affect all middle- and high schools in the state, and would take affect January 1, 2006, but schools could continue using old team uniforms with the Redskin name on them until they wore out if they selected a new team name and discontinued using Redskins as a name for any school publications or on any marquees or signs.

Would they add to that ban “the Fighting Irish” as well? Maybe it’s instructive that Irish folks aren’t up in arms about that, petitioning Notre Dame to remove it.

And let’s not forget the mascot born out of a protest against insensitivity, but it didn’t get the reaction the protestors planned on: The Fightin’ Whites.

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