Major League Teams with Native American Names

I believe that everyone should know their history, but history belongs in a museum. A statue honoring a Confederate general in a museum is a history lesson. A Confederate statue in the public square represents endorsement by the state, as though people should still be proud of having fought against America to preserve slavery. Moving something from a public square into a museum isn't erasing history (unless you're acknowledging that Americans don't read or go to museums).

Likewise, I expect to see Native American names in a sports almanac. When a team is still using one of these names, they're saying that it's still okay to do so. It doesn't matter if the name was chosen before people knew better; they know better now. If it wouldn't be an acceptable name for a team to start using, it isn't an appropriate name to still be using. There's no place for casual racism in sports. Put it in the museum where we can learn from it without endorsing it.

Incidentally, the Cleveland Indians were previously known as the Cleveland Naps, Broncos, Bluebirds, and Lake Shores. The Edmonton Eskimos used to be called the Edmonton Elk. We need those names back; those are teams of the past. And changing their names is clearly erasing them.