Personal foul

            I am a football fan, despite the dark side of the sport: brain damage, domestic abuse, violent crimes. Through my Husson students, I’ve witnessed how football serves as academic inspiration, physical well-being, escape from poverty and hardship, and a powerful sense of belonging. The elaborate, cooperative assaults and defenses on the football field make me think of war room strategies. I don’t like war, but maybe humans need a warlike outlet, and in football, generally, no one dies.
            However, the thoughtless exploitation of Native American people seems like something even football should have outgrown by now. While the Kansas City Chiefs vied for a berth in the Super Bowl today, tens of thousands of fans gave war cries and did tomahawk chops in unison. WTF? This is not about hurt feelings. This is about publicly perpetuating a demeaning caricature. The callous ignorance make me cringe. I can’t imagine how it would feel to a Native American of any age, especially young people. I hope Kansas City loses the Super Bowl.
 
My 60th year in 60,000 words
Day 146: 170 words, TOTAL = 23,810; 36,190 remaining