FCC says ‘Redskins’ is not obscene

In the latest saga involving the controversial Washington Redskins name, the Federal Communication Commission has declared the term “Redskins” is not obscene, according to Maya Rhodan of Time.

Professor John Banzhaf of George Washington University submitted a petition for the FCC to refuse a license renewal to WWXX-FM,  a Virginia-based sports radio station, based on its repeating of the term. However, the FCC cited a Supreme Court decision that obscenity is something sexual, ultimately leading to the petition’s rejection. The station in question is partially owned by Daniel Snyder, who is also the owner of the team in question.

Washington’s nickname has been a source of heavy debate over the past few years, with many Native American tribes calling for a name change. However, Snyder publicly and loudly refuses to go in a different direction, much like D.C.’s basketball team, the Washington Wizards, once did. The Wizards had originall been called the Bullets from 1963-97, but changed because of its connection to violence.

Snyder should change the name and look like a decent human being, but it’s not in his DNA. Snyder is notorious for being stubborn, something which has been proven by his team’s miserable play over his ownership. Snyder will eventually lose the battle, with plenty of media outlets already refusing to utter or write the term. Earlier in 2014, the U.S. Patent Office decided to no longer endorse it, cancelling the trademark license.

[Time]