Washington Redskins Mascot Controversy

Nallelie Vega
For 75 years Washington D.C.’s National Football League team has been known as the Redskins. What many in the sports world don’t realize or choose to ignore is that the term redskin is a derogatory nickname for Native Americans Indians.

In the past decade, many high schools, colleges and pro teams have gotten rid of mascots and team names that are considered racial slurs, such as redskins. But Washington is standing by its 75-year history, refusing to make any changes.

The unwillingness for change has caused an uproar in the Native American community. Earlier this month at the Smithsonian Symposium of American Indians in Washington D.C., the nations capital football team became a hot topic. According to some Native Americans, regardless of franchise history, Washington’s nickname is racist and it needs to be changed.

And considering that George Preston Marshall, the founder of the Redskins, was openly known to be racist, the mascot controversy has been taken to a whole different level, at least in the minds of American Indians.

But the Redskins current ownership does not feel the same way. And NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is reluctant to do anything. According to Goodell, he sees both sides of the situation, but ultimately the franchise has the last say.

Many are probably wondering how it even became a hot topic and my guess is all the attention paid towards Washington’s rising star Robert Griffin III. Before Griffin, the Redskins were an after thought, now they’re the fifth most valuable sports franchise in the world.

Worldwide name recognition is probably one of the reasons the Redskins don’t want to change any aspect of the franchise. Many might argue though, that names and mascots aren’t the only forms of franchise recognition. Take the Golden State Warriors, for example. Golden State changed its derogatory logo decades ago because of a similar controversy and today many don’t even remember the Warriors had such a logo.


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North Korea threatens nuclear war against U.S.

(CNN) -- North Korea, who is threatening nuclear war against the United States, kept tensions simmering around its borders Thursday, reportedly moving a medium-range missile to its east coast and continuing to put pressure on a joint industrial complex where hundreds of South Koreans work.

Wednesday, the United States announced it was sending ballistic missile defenses to Guam, a Western Pacific territory that's home to U.S. naval and air bases. North Korea has cited those bases among possible targets for missile attacks.

This comes amid the disclosure of what one U.S. official calls an Obama administration "playbook" of pre-scripted actions and responses to the last several weeks of North Korean rhetoric and provocations.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a parliamentary committee in Seoul that the North has moved a medium-range missile to its east coast for an imminent test firing or military drill. The missile doesn't appear to be aimed at the U.S. mainland, Kim said, according to the semi-official South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Georgia town passes law requiring gun ownership

(CNN) -- Nelson, a small Georgia city north of Atlanta, is requiring the head of virtually every household to own a firearm, the city's clerk told CNN Tuesday. The community's five-member council voted unanimously to approve the measure Monday night.

The proposal was modeled on a similar law in nearby Kennesaw, a measure that has been on the books since 1982. Nelson, which numbers around 1,300 people, is the second city in the state to mandate gun ownership.

"In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore," the ordinance said. People with physical or mental disabilities are exempt from the law, as are "paupers," felons, and those who oppose gun ownership based on belief or religious doctrine.

Councilman Duane Cronic recently said that the law would give every family the right to protect themselves and their property "without worrying about prosecution for protecting themselves."

Same-sex marriage: A potential Supreme Court blockbuster

By Bill Mears
CNN
It's an issue that does not get more basic, yet the complexity surrounding the legal, social, and political implications of expanding that right to gays and lesbians is now squarely before the Supreme Court.
The justices launch an epic public dialogue on Tuesday when they hear oral arguments in the first of two appeals to state and federal laws restricting same-sex marriage. The second round will be on Wednesday.

However, the real challenge and drama will come when they go behind closed doors later this week and vote as a group -- at least preliminarily -- on questions presented in cases with landmark potential.

The political, social, and legal stakes of this long-simmering debate have once again put the high court at the center of national attention, a contentious encore to its summer ruling upholding the massive health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama. The outcome in this one could have profound influence on how America defines family. The court is likely to take its time and not act before June.

On Tuesday, the justices were set to hear arguments concerning the appeal of a federal judge's decision that struck down down California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The overriding legal question is whether the 14th Amendment guarantee of "equal protection" prevents states from defining marriage as California has.

There are an estimated 120,000 legally married same-sex couples in the United States. It is legal in nine states: Washington, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland, and New York, along with the District of Columbia. Another nine states have civil union or strong domestic partnership laws, that stop short of marriage.

A new national poll indicates increasing public awareness around the issue and stronger overall support for same-sex marriage specifically. According to the CNN/ORC International survey, 57% say they have a family member or close friend who is gay or lesbian, up 12 points from 2007. Also, the number of Americans who support same-sex marriage has risen by almost the same amount over the same period - from 40% in 2007 to 53%.

In its separate argument on Wednesday, the justices will tackle the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law defining marriage for federal purposes as between a man and a woman. That means legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied federal benefits and privileges -- things like tax breaks and survivor benefits.

Backers of DOMA and Proposition 8 say it should be up to the public to decide, not the courts. "Our most fundamental right in this country is the right to vote and the right to participate in the political process, " said Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian advocacy group. "We don't need the Supreme Court to take that right away from Americans of good faith on both sides of this issue and impose its judicial solution," Nimocks said. "We need to leave this debate to the democratic process, which is working."

Nations with nukes

United States FIRST TEST: 1945 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 7,650
Russia FIRST TEST: 1949 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 8,420
United Kingdom FIRST TEST: 1952 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 225
France FIRST TEST: 1960 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 300
China FIRST TEST: 1964 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 240
India FIRST TEST: 1974 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 80-100
Pakistan FIRST TEST: 1998 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 90-110
North Korea FIRST TEST: 2006 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: Fewer than 10
Israel FIRST TEST: ???? ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 80
Iran FIRST TEST: Not yet ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 0


* A number of Western nations have placed economic and arms-related sanctions on Iran since 2010, when the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran was pursuing technology that could be used to build nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only.

North Dakota legislature passes strictest abortion law in U.S.

BISMARCK, N.D. - As oil-rich North Dakota moves toward outlawing most abortions, it's in a better position than most states for what could be a long and costly court battle over its restrictions.

Lawmakers on Friday sent the Republican governor two anti-abortion bills, one banning the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy and another prohibiting women from having the procedure because a fetus has a genetic defect, such as Down syndrome. They would be the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S

Abortion-rights activists have promised a legal battle over the measures if they become law. But supporters of the bills say their goal is to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion up until a fetus is considered viable, usually at 22 to 24 weeks

Rep. Bette Grande, a Republican from Fargo who introduced the measures told lawmakers earlier in the week that fears about a legal challenge shouldn't prevent them from strengthening North Dakota's already strict abortion laws.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple hasn't said anything to indicate he would veto the measures, and the bills have enough support in each chamber for the Republican-controlled Legislature to override him. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the bills Friday, and the House passed them last month. The votes were largely on party lines, with Republicans supporting the measures and Democrats opposing them.

The American Civil Liberties Union called the measures "extreme" and noted that many women don't realize they are pregnant until after six weeks. "In America, no woman, no matter where she lives, should be denied the ability to make this deeply personal decision," ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said in a statement.

North Dakota is one of several states with Republican-controlled Legislatures and GOP governors that is looking at abortion restrictions. Arkansas passed a 12-week ban earlier this month that prohibits most abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. That ban is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the Arkansas Legislature adjourns.

North Dakota's measure doesn't specify how a fetal heartbeat would be detected. Doctors performing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Women having an abortion would not face charges.

The genetic abnormalities bill also bans abortion based on gender selection. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Oklahoma already have such laws, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion restrictions across the U.S. North Dakota would be the first state to ban abortions based on a genetic defect, according to the institute.

Sen. Margaret Sitte, a Republican from Bismarck, said the bill is meant to ban the destruction of life based on "an arbitrary society standard of being good enough." Some test results pointing to abnormalities are incorrect, she said, and doctors can perform surgeries even before a baby is born to correct some genetic conditions.

Catholics choose new pope

(CNN) -- From the Vatican to Buenos Aires, Catholics worldwide rejoiced when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became the new pope.
He's the first Jesuit and the first Latin American in modern times to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
But in some ways, he's just a normal guy.
Here are three things to know about Pope Francis:
1. His name says a lot about him Unlike other recent pontiffs -- John Paul II, Benedict XVI -- Pope Francis doesn't have a numeral after his name. That's because he's the first to take the name Francis. Why Francis? The pope wanted to honor St. Francis of Assisi, an admirer of nature and a servant to the poor and destitute.

St. Francis of Assisi was born the son of a rich cloth merchant. But he lived in rags among beggars at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Those close to Pope Francis see similarities between the two men. "Francis of Assisi is ... someone who turned his back on the wealth of his family and the lifestyle he had, and bonded with lepers and the poor," said the Rev. Thomas Rosica, the Vatican's deputy spokesman. "Here's this pope known for his care for AIDS patients and people who are very sick. Who is known for his concern with single mothers whose babies were refused to be baptized by priests in his diocese. "He scolded those priests last year and said, 'How can you turn these people away when they belong to us? '"

2. In some ways, Pope Francis is just a normal guy."The new pope is a very humble man," said the Rev. Eduardo Mangiarotti, an Argentine priest. "He takes public transport every day." He also chose to live in an apartment instead of the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine and cooked his own meals, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen wrote in a profile published by National Catholic Reporter. In his first public act as pontiff, Pope Francis broke with tradition by asking the estimated 150,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square to pray for him, rather than him blessing the crowd first. The pontiff broke with another tradition by refusing to use a platform to elevate himself above the cardinals standing with him as he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis."He said I'll stay down here," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "He met each of us on our own level."

3. He comes with a side of controversy
Francis opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, which isn't surprising as leader of the socially conservative Catholic church. But as a cardinal, Francis clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.