Sarah Says: Native Americans Vs. Americans Response

While I am aware that Native Americans have been persecuted by Americans throughout our history, there were a few details that really surprised me. One of which was the Handling of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. President Jackson to completely defied the Supreme Court and remained the President of the United States without so much as a slap on the wrist. He violated the intentions of the constitution by ignoring his role in the government and the theory of separation of powers. His ability to do this really calls into question the power of laws. If the most public government official can publicly ignore the supreme court and, in doing so, ignore the highest law of the land (the Constitution) without punishment, then what do laws really mean?
In regard to the contemporary issue of Native American mascots, I am completely against their use. Though the intention is not to make fun of Native Americans, the result is that many Native Americans are insulted by their use. Arguing that these symbols are central to school culture is just silly. These symbols are a part of another culture that has nothing to do with school rivalries and basketball, and it is insulting to use these religious and cultural symbols as logos for school teams. Imagine the controversy that would arise if a school had a stereotypical Muslim as their mascot. The difference is that Native Americans have become so far removed from most American societies that people have trouble identifying parts of their culture that are commonly used in mascots and logos as either sacred or offensive. The point is that changing a school mascot is a fairly easy and painless process. There really is no reason not to change considering the dignity of a historically mistreated people is at stake.