pic: The Fighting Rednecks

Ah, the time old "could be offensive team name" debate. As is my style, this will be harsh. I'm not here to make friends or to play nice, that's for real life, not the internet. Instead, here's an honest opinion:

What gives an obscenity its power? What is it about a four letter word being uttered that makes some people gasp? Nothing more than the lack of use. Colorful language keeps its power when it is reserved for only special circumstances, such as an angry moment.

The same applies here. A term for a racial, ethnic, or social group only holds power in a derogatory sense. If the term "redneck" is put on a fun loving team's logo, it isn't intended to be offensive. If it's said over the shoulder in a slightly muted voice, with the intent of belittling another, THEN it becomes an issue.

So here's my blunt opinion in a nutshell: If you're offended by the word being used by a fun loving group, one who promotes nothing but good, you're part of the problem that you yourself are suffering from. So suck it up, grow a spine. This is harsh, but we live in a harsh world. The more one stigmatizes the word, and the more one draws it out of context to make it offensive, the larger the problem gets. The very problem of cursing can be removed by simply making the word no longer taboo. Desensitize yourself to the terms, and you'll be able to move on and focus on things that actually matter.