Florida Governor Jeb Bush, that paragon of virtue and righteousness, said that it is "ridiculous" for the NCAA to ban the team name and mascot of Florida State University, "home of the Seminoles." He bases this assertion on the fact that the "costuming and rigging" of the mascot, Chief Osceola, and his horse, were designed by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The trouble is that many other Native American tribes, including other Seminole tribes, find the name and the mascot offensive and degrading.
I for one applaud the NCAA for their bold decision to ban racist team names from postseason tournament play, and I hope it leads to teams changing their names. Jeb Bush's position shows just how out of touch he is with the majority of people who realize that it's just as offensive to call a team the Redskins as it would be to call a team the Niggers or the Kikes.
Here's another great quote from Governor Bush:
"How politically correct can we get?" Bush asked. "The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often."
No, Mr. Bush, I think you need to get out more often. Just because you have one Native American tribe on your side doesn't give you or Florida State University the right to insult all Native Americans.
