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'A teachable moment'

By TIMES STAFF
Published August 12, 2005

	Florida State files NCAA appeal Today's Times: NCAA will rethink ban

Excerpted from NCAA President Myles Brand's letter on the mascot controversy:

"Finally, this is a teachable moment. A major part of this effort is aimed at initiating discussion on a national basis about how Native American Indians have been characterized and, in some cases, caricatured. In that, the decision has already been successful.

"To be fair, some American Indian tribes have expressed their approval of the manner in which their names and imagery are used by specific institutions. Florida State University is a well-documented case in point, and that will likely be the basis for any appeal. The Executive Committee must take such claims seriously.

"At the same time, many individuals and tribes view such uses as disrespectful toward their customs and culture. They see a level of contempt in the same way African Americans saw black-face minstrel shows decades ago as contempt for their race. We would not think of allowing nicknames or mascots that disrespect African Americans. Surely, American Indians should be accorded the same treatment.

"This is America, where individuals and groups have the right to express how they feel about the way they are presented to the public. Organizations such as the NCAA have the responsibility to pay attention to and respect such expressions. This is not about an effort to be politically correct. It is about doing the right thing."

[Last modified August 12, 2005, 18:51:26]