You can't possibly argue that the Pocahontas thing while at an event intending to honor Native Americans is acceptable behavior. If he thinks Warren is lying about her heritage, fine. Say she's lying about it some other time. Nobody put a gun to Trump's head and said he has to call her that. And on top of all that, at least have the courtesy to not do it at that event. Honoring World War II Native American veterans has jack shit nothing to do with Elizabeth Warren.

Even if you happen to think that there's nothing wrong with the Washington Redskins name, do you think it would be appropriate for the President of the United States to bust through the wall Kool Aid man style dressed head to toe in Redskins garb doing the Tomahawk Chop at an event intended to honor Native Americans? FFS!

What next? Meet with a Chinese delegation and walk in doing slant eyes and the ol' "Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, *lift shirt* LOOK AT THESE!!!"

All he had to do was turn his "be a dick" switch off for a few hours to honor war veterans. Is that so hard? Apparently, it's impossible for him.

Watching this guy as President is just astounding to me. Every damn day seemingly he finds new ways to be a total dick when he completely doesn't have to be. Elizabeth Warren is going to be fine, I don't care he insulted her. But acting like an ass clown in a way that's very likely to offend actual war heroes in the process?! Zero justification, zero excuses.

Being President isn't supposed to be a 24/7 reality TV show where everything revolves around petty partisan/personal vendettas, including disregarding basic tenets of acting like a mature adult.

I look at it in a simple way: words having meanings; people have motivations. A conversation has a context, and in your example the passerby isn't aware of that context. If she chooses to eavesdrop and feels offended, well, while I do feel sorry for her...it's really not any of her business what you and your brother are conversing about. You might as well turn to her, give her a once-over and criticize her choice of pantsuit. She doesn't know you; she didn't ask for your opinion; and your retort probably made her upset.

Should people try to be aware of their surroundings and try not to say inappropriate things? Of course, but that's just common courtesy...like not commenting on a funky smell at a funeral visitation. Political correctness is fine if we all agree, but we usually don't. And therefore we get people who virtue signal over others because they refuse to kowtow to the newest linguistic fashion.

Now, I'm a fairly polite guy. I hold open doors, give up my seat, offer to carry heavy packages, smile, wave and nod greetings to many strangers, etc. Yet I still occasionally get someone who disagrees with my legitimate use of a term (as I understand its meaning). Generally, I still apologize...but I don't then re-evaluate my language ability. I'm not willing to let the connotations of words take on new, questionable-yet-popular meanings.

I've had a Native American friend laugh at me for asking what he preferred I say: redskin, indian, aboriginal, first people, etc. I've also asked a "retarded" person if they preferred if I said "intellectually challenged." He preferred retarded because...wait for it...he had a lot of trouble saying the other one. Now that's irony.

I think my heart's in the right place. I was taught to be polite, and I try to be at all times. But it gets under my skin to have a total stranger "chastise" me when they know nothing about me. Frankly, I find it more offensive to interrupt and belittle a stranger than it is to overhear some stranger's questionable utterance.

I'm a card carrying Social Justice Warrior.

I want social justice and I'm prepared to fight for it. If that's a pejorative, then it's one I'll happily claim.

But these people aren't after social justice, they're just fucking idiots, like that dumb arise who didn't get Colberts redskin satire.

I'll just leave this here
http://videosift.com/video/The-Daily-Show-The-Redskins-Name-Catching-Racism#comment-1806159

Odd. Where I live we have many native American casinos. Not one of them has stereotypical 'indians' in head dresses, loin cloths, war paint, and beaded dresses. Except for the totem pole in front and their names, you might think they came direct from Reno. Is it different where you live?

My mom had the best solution to this Redskins issue, just change the mascot to a red potato, problem solved, name remains.

The referenced story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-daily-show-springs-showdown-with-native-americans-on-redskins-fans/2014/09/19/c6c5f936-3f73-11e4-b03f-de718ede
b92f_story.html

The Daily Show - The Redskins' Name - Catching Racism has been added as a related post - related requested by eric3579 on that post.

If you support the name "Redskins" you've got your head so far up your ass, you probably just don't realize because you're stuck in your ways. Dr. Dre calls a black man a nigga, so why don't we start up a team called the L.A. Niggas. Or, to be fair, the L.A. Blackskins, since not everyone agrees with what that blackskin has to say. Especially the whiteskins.

Anyway, I'm not big on the political correct thing... but the very people which have "red" skin are telling us it's offensive. Having a blind eye turned to the native minority in our country since, well, since we arrived as immigrants, doesn't make it right; is not a valid argument; is not just.

And it certainly is not respectful of our fellow man.

I've yet to hear a valid argument for this. Just a bunch of entitled assholes with dumb traditions.

You can google a pic of real native americans so offended at Redskins stadium that they put on the team jackets.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=code+talkers+redskins&pc=MOZI&form=MOZSBR

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has canceled the Washington Redskins trademark registration, calling the football team’s name “disparaging to Native Americans.”
http://wapo.st/1qd3bki

Change the name from Redskins to the Washington Cavalry.

Watch the twits explode.

...And the United Negro College League still calls themselves 'Negro'...I guess the progressives haven't told them what is politically incorrect yet, or perhaps they were created in a culture where that label was considered non-offensive by those in control and the new leadership of today has decided that, even though it's offensive to most people today, re-branding an otherwise positive organization in the name of minimizing temporal offensiveness could do more harm than good, but they may still realize their name is uncomfortable for many and an issue.
..or perhaps this sub set of natives is not offended by 'redskin'...it's far more offensive to believe all natives must think alike than it is to call them 'redskin' IMO.

I believe your story as much as I believe "Some of my best friends are black".

I live in Washington; there's First Nations people all over the place here. I've never once heard any of them refer to themselves as "Redskins". I've been on reservations, been to potlatches -- never once did the word "Redskin" come up. And I'd no more call a First Nations person "Redskin" than I'd call a black person a "nigger".

Sorry you don't have the same level of respect for others.

They call themselves Redskins at the native american high school I drove by years ago.

I guess the progressives haven't told them what is politically correct.

I can imagine John Oliver making the trek out there and telling them 'Bloody 'ell, you cahn't call yourselves Redskins! It's degrading!"

Seems like the ad will actually air during the NBA finals in selected markets.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11061396/opponents-run-anti-washington-redskins-ad-nba-finals