While he’s not pursuing it in his job as the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder’s feelings about the Redskins nickname are clear.
Holder made it clear he was opposed to the name during an appearance on ABC’s This Week.
“I’m going to speak very personally now,” Holder said, via ESPN.com. “The name ought to be changed. It’s an offensive name. The Redskins, that organization is a great one. It’s a team with a storied history that has huge amounts of support in Washington, D.C., and in the 21st century they could increase their fan base, increase their level of support, if they did something that from my perspective that is so obviously right.”
While it might not carry the governmental weight of the U.S. Patent Office’s recent trademark ruling, it’s still interesting to note.
Politicians will generally try to stay out of such matters, as President Barack Obama said last fall they should consider changing the name. But Holder’s opinion provides some counterweight to the pandering of some Virigina legislators.