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In a new letter, Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington State and Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, are calling on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league to support a name change for the Washington Redskins. The two say that the NFL is “on the wrong side of history,” adding that the league can “no longer ignore” that the name is simply “a racial slur.”
Responding on Twitter Monday, Lawrence tied this news to the fact NFL-draft prospect Michael Sam has confirmed that he is gay. He tweeted:
Will everyone tweeting support for Michael Sam now please tweet opposition to name of DC's NFL team? Can someone in White House start this?
In October, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas made headlines for weighing in on the controversial name. He called the Redskins’ name an “insult” and a “slur.”
“Think for a moment about the term ‘Redskins’ and how it truly differs from all the others,” Costas said. “Ask yourself what the equivalent would be if directed toward African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians or members of any other ethnic group. When considered that way, ‘Redskins’ can’t possibly honor a heritage or a noble character trait, nor could it possibly be considered a neutral term. It’s an insult, a slur no matter how benign the present-day intent. It’s fair to say that for a long time now, and certainly in 2013, no offense has been intended but if you take a step back, isn’t it clear to see how offense might legitimately be taken?”
— Ken Barnes (@kenjbarnes1) February 10, 2014
