There have been many arguments about Native American mascots such as the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo saying it is all about race. Some have seen the continued use of Native American Indian symbols and nicknames in sports as an honor while others consider it an insult.

There is little or no doubt that the use of Native American mascots by teams is intentionally meant to offend anyone. That has not stopped some from getting annoyed over the use.

This matter has been litigated in the past but remains unresolved. Lately, lawmakers have tried a different method by introducing legislation in Congress that would amend the Act of 1946 to ban the term from usage altogether. We wait to see how that goes.

The contention has been that term words such as the Redskins are contemptuous terms used to refer to Native Americans. Parallels of such terms have been made with the N- word. The N-word is one that has baffled me because I hear some black people use it as a term of endearment among each other but found not acceptable when another race uses it.

As in the case of the utilization of the Redskins, the use of the N-word has been the subject of debate and disgust and unsuccessful moves had been made to erase it from the general lexicon.

The N-word presents a bit of a dilemma because unlike the Redskins, the word is frequently used by blacks especially the younger generation. Many rap songs use it without any hesitation.

The irony of this accepted usage with some in the black community is that when songs are sold, they are not just bought by blacks. Whites, Hispanics, and Asians also buy them. Given that it is common to see or hear people sing along with songs they like, will a black person find it offensive if he hears a white person singing a song with the N-word in it?