Aaaaaaaaaaand Bye Bye Chief Wahoo (Picture Screams a 1000 Words Dept.)

[HughBeaumont]

https://twitter.com/ClevelandFrowns/status/452165322519216128/photo/1



At a protest before the Indian's home opener, a paleface whitemansplains to Robert Roche of the Apache Nation that Chief Wahoo is "all about Cleveland pride, not racism". Yeah, I'm pretty sure people say the same thing about the Confederate flag too . . . "heritage not hate", and all that . . .

Way to go, dumbass. You just sealed the Red Sambo's long-overdue disappearance.

[99Forever]

1. Some members of my race...

... make me want to vomit.

In the words of another redneck:

"There ain't no fixin' stupid."

[HughBeaumont]

3. Here's a three-fer from last year's playoffs:

I can't help but think this viral representation of our idiotic attachment to Wahoo sealed the gradual phase-out done by the Cleveland Indian's brass. The nation face palmed in unison.

[Botany]

12. What they are doing is hideous and racist but I have lived in N.E. Ohio and they ....

..... grew up with Chief Wahoo figures, flags, posters, and pennants in their yards, on their walls,
and on their homes and so they can not make the intellectual connection between Chief Wahoo and
being racist. To them Chief Wahoo was the figure in the hosta and day lily bed in front of Jimmy's
house and to them that is a warm memory of their childhood. Although one would hope that they
would have grown up and understand things better now but to some that is a heavy lift.

[yuiyoshida]

46. That artwork says it all...

wow.

[Initech]

34. Are those Cleveland Indians fans or Insane Clown Posse fans?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

41. Good question nt

[roguevalley]

43. black face, red face, still racism. guy probably will never get it.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. I know it's probably just a coincidence, but the knowing expression on the

black American in the background is priceless.

To me it says, "Dear God, he went there."

[malaise]

5. Compare that with the moron with the camera

[yardwork]

8. I think the woman with the camera is documenting stupidity

Her face looks grim behind the camera. My read anyway.

[whopis01]

37. So someone in the photo taking a picture of this makes you want to vomit

and you think they are a moron - do you feel the same way about the person who took the photo that is posted in this thread - because they were doing pretty much the exact same thing that the so called "morons" (I see at least three with cameras in the picture) are doing.

[HughBeaumont]

23. +1.

As if to say "It's not ENOUGH that I suck, but let me tell you why I'm an asshole."

[malaise]

4. Despicable

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. Monster-size facepalm.

[alterfurz]

9. it's unanimous...

[Heidi]

7. Kick!

[Worsel]

10. Aberration

Having attended hundreds of Indians games for almost 60 years, I remembers seeing a shot of those three fools at the end of last season and wondering where they came from. I never saw a painted red face at either the new or old stadium or saw any of the stereotypical nonsense that goes on at Braves games in Atlanta ( war chants, tomahawk chops ).

I had seasons tickets the first 6 seasons the new stadium opened.

These few are looking for attention, not being fans. 99.99% of Indians fans don't do this.

[Botany]

15. Welcome to DU

Please meet some of DU's administers .... they're swell kids. That is Skinner on
the left with the dog in his lap.

[pinboy3niner]

18. DU has ad ministers?

Are they ordained?

[Botany]

20. We are not allowed to post or speak about "them" because "they" control us

[Curmudgeoness]

28. OMG, a Skinner box!

Now it all makes sense.

[thucythucy]

39. In my best Jack Benny voice: "Now cut that out!"

Funny AND clever! I'll be chuckling about that for the rest of the night.

[HubertHeaver]

33. For most seasons over the past 50 years or so

Indians fans would have had a paper bag over their heads.

[unionthug777]

11. damn boatpeople....

sigh...

[mac56]

13. Says it all

[TroglodyteScholar]

45. Alcaraz is one of the sharpest wits working...

Thanks for sharing

[Nye Bevan]

14. And DU continues to offer Chief Wahoo as a preprogrammed avatar for members to use.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023795411

[paleotn]

51. That needs to stop. (nt)

[dhill926]

16. Mr. Roche's expression says it all….

[Auggie]

17. Everybody: write a letter to team owner Larry Dolan. I did.

Mr. Larry Dolan
Progressive Field
2401 Ontario Street
Cleveland, OH 44115

[MineralMan]

19. Great photo! Teabagger bigots always look stupid

in real life.

[leftyohiolib]

21. i work in that area - cleveland has it's share of idiots

[Comrade Grumpy]

24. Meh. I have Indian blood in me, and I have better things to worry about.

[shanemcg]

26. They are clever

Our ruling elite and their organ, The Media, would much rather divide us one more way and this is accomplished by getting every one fighting about whether a sports mascot is racist. One more divide they can exploit. I'm not even going to address whether I think it is or isn't; I don't spend much time thinking about things like this while struggling daily for survival.

I'm sure to Native Americans the horrific poverty and lack of opportunity on the reservation is something they would rather all the attention be focused on.

But that wouldn't serve to further divide the 99%.

[noiretextatique]

31. it is a racist, offensive depiction of native americans

and the idiot who doesn't grasp that is probably going to have to get over it. i will gladly be divided from the insensitive jerks who insist this racist mascot is perfectly fine. i doubt they would be my allies anyway.

[shanemcg]

32. Mission Accomplished

One more wedge effectively driven into the 99%.

Before you know it, you're divided down to 10%.

I guess I look at it like which is the greatest danger to us as a people; wealthy elites finishing their goal of turning us into peasants or a ridiculous sports mascot?

As for myself, I feel that adults that are so into sports most likely have the emotional development of teenagers. I can't imagine they put a lot of thought into anything they do.

[Gravitycollapse]

38. You realize there are more demographic identities than 1%/99%, right?

And that many, many identities who also are part of the 99% of income earners are diametrically opposed on other matters of great import

For instance, the local KKK chapter is probably made up entirely of other members of the 99% of income earners to which I also subscribe. But I find it hard to believe I should eschew addressing their rabid racism because we have ONE common economic enemy.

[shanemcg]

48. Apples and Oranges

Surely you're not comparing someone who paints his face like the Cleveland team with a rabid KKKer, are ya? Because that would be highly illogical and a fallacy.

Yes, it seems like basic math to me. 99% is everyone that is not a 1%er. I think that there are some things (like economic fairness and being able to live a decent life) that take precedence over anything else. You keep chopping off 5% here and 8% there and before long you have 35%, not 99%. And anything less than 99% is going to lose this struggle. Edited to add: In my FIRST post I said that I believe that is why divisive things like this always manage to burst into the news constantly, just to accomplish this effect.

I can't help but wonder, why all the passion about "racist sports mascots"? Have you ever seen a reservation or seen all the abuse and discrimination Native Americans experience? I'd like to see Native Americans polled. Which affects you worse, discrimination and exclusion from American Life or sports mascots like The Braves, The Indians, or The Redskins?

I'm not an Indian but I have known many over the years and while we did talk about the former quite a bit, their outrage over sports mascots never came out.

I see this stuff as something to be indignant about and wave the racism flag, but not have to actually do any heavy lifting, ie actually IMPROVE THE LIVES of any Native Americans.

[uppityperson]

50. As a Lakota friend puts it: beating an indian up and leaving them on the railroad tracks to be run

over because they are indian is a hate crime that happens too often. Having a team named "the fighting souix" is ok but pp rancing around in redface with red/white/blue feathers on your head shows how stupid someone is to reduce us to one simplistic physical characteristic and shows no respect for us or our culture. Disrespect like that leads to those hate crimes and being treated poorly
-----

uppityperson here now, and yes, I have "ever seen a reservation or seen all the abuse and discrimination Native Americans experience?"

The problem is not the sports mascots as such but how they are portrayed. Red face injun or respectfully.

[Gravitycollapse]

36. The mascot is racist. And saying it is racist divides us only from the morons.

And I actually find that to be a positive consequence.

[roguevalley]

44. we can multitask on problems. All of it sucks.

[shanemcg]

49. Reading this site I see this all the time "we can do more than one thing at a time!"

but somehow that never happens.

[roguevalley]

54. according to whom? I personally have as much pull in anything as anyone else

I can think about two or three catastrophes at a time and still manage. What would you personally suggest? I assure you all of us are open.

I can assume that you have been here longer than April 5, 2014 when you joined. If that isn't true along with your see it all the time remark, welcome aboard, n00b.

[Android3.14]

25. For the guy on the right, this has to be a life-changing event

How could anyone look at themselves in that picture and fail to realize they are an awful sports fan?
It may take some time, but the cognitive dissonance is going to drown out his indignation, and I predict the desire to not be that guy in the picture will change his world view, even if it is just ending up insane.

[Jamaal510]

27. If he wanted

to express Cleveland pride, why not just wear a shirt or jersey with "Cleveland" written on it instead? That would've been far less awkward than this right here.

[SunSeeker]

29. Oy.

[Curmudgeoness]

30. Anyone who is willing to get past the team spirit issue

and really look at Chief Wahoo has to admit that it is an idiotic looking character. I live in the area around Ohio, and everyone is in an uproar over this. They insist that it is not racist, and that it is a "likeable" figure, but I just see a goofy foolish character...this is not even a fierce, warrior like you might expect for a sports team. It is long past time to get rid of him.

[eShirl]

35. if his team were the Cleveland Darkies he'd be wearing blackface instead of redface

He hasn't the first inkling how disrespectful he's being to the man he's talking to.

[TxDemChem]

40. Offensive.

I hate when people say my mom's Cherokee and my dad's Blackfeet sides are sensitive, but damn it all. That is offensive. We're not "injuns" or "Indians" or "redskins." I don't go around throwing out racist comments or epithets.

Thanks to everyone who supports diversity and tolerance. Everytime my boss says "Indians" when referring to native Americans, I have the urge to bitch-slap the taste out of her mouth.

[yuiyoshida]

47. That photo makes me

wince in pain

[Arugula Latte]

52. *Cringing*

Awful, awful, awful.

[paleotn]

53. that is so pathetic....

....doubt he'll ever seen this, but I'm truly sorry, Mr. Roche. Your history and culture should be the subject of celebration and pride, and is endlessly fascinating to me. But after more than 500 years of enslavement, genocide, marginalization and slander, some of my European brethren still don't get it. It just shows how incredibly backward much of this nation still is.

At least it's not more southern racist stupidity this time. We've had way than our share of that bullshit, so thank you Cleveland for showing that some of your citizens can be just as utterly idiotic and despicable as our southern stealth racists. It's not about hate, it's "heritage" they tell me, even though the bulk of that heritage concerned the practice and fall out from enslaving millions of human beings.