Team owner Paul Dolan and baseball commissioner Rob Manfred decided that starting in 2019, Chief Wahoo will be taken off jerseys since the mascot “is no longer appropriate for on-field use.” People have recently been standing up to insults against their culture and views. Therefore, no one should have to feel like they are being targeted, especially by a professional baseball team.

The controversial team logo features mascot Chief Wahoo, who is depicted as a Native American. Chief Wahoo resembles a weak man. Most other mascots from other teams and schools nationwide are strong and furious-looking while Chief Wahoo is not. To add on, Chief Wahoo is red, which implies that he is red for the racist term “redskins.” Redskins, to some, is a derogatory term used to refer to Native Americans. Not only that, but the name of the mascot, Chief Wahoo, offends people on its own.

Everyone who opens themselves up to this conflict needs to see the side of the people who feel like they are being attacked. They feel as if their culture is being made fun of and insulted. While to most fans, they are simply just rooting on their team. However, the mascot is inappropriate. The team name, Indians, is not since there is no insulti going on. It should actually be a honor to Native Americans since the team is representing them and making a statement saying they are just as strong as them.

But overall, the MLB should not influence targeting of any group of people because they need to act professional, and they are doing just that.

Some claim the mascot is appropriate since it is based off ex-player Napolean Lajoie, also known as Nap, who was Native American. Lajoie was such a great player that the team named themselves after him from 1903 until 1915 and called themselves the Naps. However, it offends some people and that leads me to ask, would you want to constantly be faced with derogatory slander of your race?