So now it appears there's some actual offended native Indians, who want to see the Washington Redskins name changed. I hadn't seen any instances of it prior to this, so I was skeptical about the need for the name change. The question I kept asking myself was "Why now?" In fact I'd read somewhere that there were native Indians who claimed they had no problem with the name. I'm sure for many native Indians, this isn't high on their priority list, compared to issues like education, standard of living issues etc. But it's always been possible that some view the name as insulting and certainly if that is the case, there's a case to be made that the underlying issue with respect to everything else that affects native Indians (like education and living standards) has been impacted by negative societal attitudes.
Fair enough. But let's see how the free market reacts to the notion that FedEx be boycotted unless the team name gets changed. Will it spread across all tribal employees as the chief had requested? Will it spread beyond that? If so, the Washington Redskins might react, since FedEx is a major sponsor of the organization (the Redskins play at FedEx Field).
This is how real pressure gets applied - not by media complaining. This is an attempt at creating a real economic impact. If it works, the Redskins will have to change their name. Even if enough native Indians react as suggested, a strong statement can be made. On the other hand, perhaps this is just a squeaky wheel making some noise. Time will tell whether this is the free market in action or just more rules for radicals in action, or perhaps just more political correctness in hyper-drive.