There are some things in this day and age that should not be offensive, but many find a way to be offended. It has grown to a point where it is irritating. If everything offends you, even something small, you need to lighten up, take a look in the mirror and fix your thin skin. On the other hand, there are a lot of things that offend people that make sense. Racial slurs, homophobic language and things of that nature, that should not be used in 2016, are some examples. With that said, I do not get offended easily. I also am not offended by the Cleveland Indians' use of the "Chief Wahoo" logo. It has no reason to offend me and it has no impact on my life if it is used, or not. I do, on the other hand, feel it needs to be phased out and replaced.

Indians fans will disagree with me 100% on this. Before I get into the details of why I don't agree with the "Chief Wahoo" logo, I do want to express my views on Native American team nicknames. I am not against most nicknames in sports that revolve around Native Americans. I was a big fan of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux name before it was changed. The logo, one of the most majestic and beautiful of any depicting a Native American (in my opinion), was designed by Bennett Brien. Brien is a University of North Dakota alumnus and an artist who happens to be Native American. The nickname was meant to honor the Sioux because the Sioux warriors were "the most courageous of all warriors". I was in favor of the nickname and logo for those reasons. They were not made to offend or belittle. The University of Illinois Fighting Illini and Florida State University Seminoles are regional tribal names in which I am not out of favor with. There isn't anything truly offensive about the names or logos, in fact the Seminoles have a great relationship with the tribes and the name and logos are supported by them. The Illini dropped their Native American mascot and logo in favor of an orange block "I" to help diffuse tension. I am also in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Braves names and logos. They aren't derogatory or offensive with their names or logos either. In fact, there are many Native Americans who wear their apparel and support their organizations. Now as for Native American dressed mascots, tomahawk chops and things of that nature, there may not be support for those, but I will not get into that. That is for another time and place, which could go on for ages.

Now, Indians fans, I don't want you to feel like I'm only going to attack your beloved team so I will point out one thing before I move on. The Washington Redskins need to change their name. It is probably the most offensive to Native Americans and I believe it should be changed. While it was acceptable when Jim Crow laws were still around, it is not today. Unfortunately when you have a bonehead named Daniel Snyder running the show, it could be a long and drawn out battle.

Now, back to the "Chief Wahoo" logo. I don't expect the people of Ohio to agree with my opinion (not to be demeaning). After all, in the state of Ohio there is a Native American population that makes up 0.2% of the total population. That is a minuscule 24,000 plus people. They also celebrate Columbus Day (like almost every other state in the country). I am originally from South Dakota which has a Native American population of 8.9% (almost 80,000 people) in a state that has over ten times less people than Ohio. The Native American culture is prominent in South Dakota, which celebrates Native American Day instead of Columbus Day, (I am still confused on why we Americans celebrate someone who did nothing but harm, didn't actually discover America and found something by accident, in the first place) and even if you are not Native American you are exposed to their beautiful culture, something that should not be taken for granted because someone doesn't know anything about the culture. That is all fine, but what needs to be understood is that the name Chief Wahoo itself is stereotypical and, quite frankly, unacceptable. The logo itself, with the triangle eyes, feather and red skin is a sad excuse for a logo to describe Native Americans. It is grossly stereotypical and should be replaced in today's society where stereotypical imagery does not need to be a public brand. While I understand there is tradition with the logo to the fans of the team, there is also Native American tradition that the logo is stomping on. Heck, if you really wanted to get deep into it, the Indians name should be changed too. Native Americans are not from India. Just because someone didn't know where at in the world they were, doesn't mean we need to keep using the improper term. But I am not here to tear the whole thing down. I am here because the logo is outdated.

"Chief Wahoo" originated in the 1940's, a time where equality was not yet established. A time when African Americans were still being put through absolutely atrocious discrimination legally and we were not yet a truly equal society. Why is something from that age that is clearly out of date still in use? That is something that puzzles me. The Indians organization has a perfectly suitable replacement (which keeps getting used more and more, a positive sign) in the block "C". The block "C" is a great way to keep the not-so-ideal Indians nickname. Also, it is historically wrong being called "chief" as chiefs would more than likely have more than one feather on their headdress.

While the Indians are trying to keep their "legacy", they are disgracing another legacy that is much bigger, whether it is intentional or not. The tradition of a baseball team established just over 100 years ago should not tarnish a culture that has been around far longer than that. Native Americans are people that are proud of their culture, and they very well should be. Their culture has been through a lot, with white people trying to "Americanize" them and pretty much take away their culture little by little. That was almost 200 years ago. Why do we have to keep demeaning their culture through things that aren't truly that important today? That is my reasoning behind wanting to phase out the logo. It is not accurate. It is offensive to many Native Americans that are proud of their culture. It is outdated by our societal standards of today. It just isn't right to have the Native American culture depicted in such a way. Just because it has been used for decades and helps identify a baseball team, doesn't mean the organization should keep using it knowing perfectly well it is derogatory. Native Americans and their culture should be treated with respect. If the Indians don't want to change their name, they can at least get off their high horse and phase out the "Chief Wahoo" logo. I think that would, at the very least, be a compromise that many would be okay with.