The sun beat down on the pale skin of the crowd as a constant murmur echoed through the field. The hands went up and then down simultaneously, repeatedly, as all eyes stared intently at the figure standing alone on the grass in the center of the field. It had a bright red face, an oversized nose, and a red and white feather pointing to the sky. As the song continued to resonate, the figure began to dance to the soft harmony of an organ. His nose playfully bounced up and down while the stupid smile on his face never seemed to dissipate. Those who watched the dancing figure smiled at him and wondered where the hot dog vendor had gone. It was the seventh inning of a Cleveland Indians baseball game and the crowd, in a rather drunken state, was cheering wildly for the team's mascot. This mascot was not a bull or a wild horse, or a giant or a jet, but rather, in my view, it was a mean stereotype of a proud and noble people. In this age of political correctness, what minority in this country would allow themselves to be portrayed in such a demeaning manner? African Americans, as well as other minorities who have a strong political voice in this country, would not tolerate such behavior and would take immediate action to remedy such a serious offense. The question that must be asked then is: why do we, as a society, silently allow such conduct, disrespectful and harmful to Native Americans, to continue without taking any positive action to limit it? The answer to this question raises fundamental questions that we must address. as a society. If the United States continues to shame Native Americans, such actions will not only hinder the equality that Native Americans deserve, but… middle of paper… a playoff game, then there may be a headline that reads: “ The Africans beat the Poles” (Royko, 3). The continued bombardment of such headlines would undoubtedly give rise to serious ethnic and racial conflicts. After a few years of mascots dressed as rabbis or priests and bagel and spaghetti logos, would American society still wonder why Native Americans are so upset when they look at a newspaper that says "Yankees crush Indians"? Works Cited Buchbaum, Herbert. “Mascots” Scholastic, (February 10, 1995). Fletcher, Michael A. “Crazy Horse Again Sounds Battle Cry” Washington Post, Section A (February 18, 1997). Reddick, Tracie. “Indian Mascot Debate Brewing,” The Tampa Tribune, Metro Section (September 15, 1997). Royko, Mike. Chicago Tribune, Section 1 (March 17, 1989). Wright, Ronald. Stolen continents. Houghton Muffin Company, New York, March 1992.