NewsMax.com Wires and NewsMax.com
Thursday, May 30, 2002

The Assembly voted 35-29 against Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg's bill. However, the Los Angeles far-left Democrat vowed not to stop her censorship campaign.

"This is a simple bill on civil rights," she claimed.

Opponents, such as Republican Dennis Hollingsworth of Temecula, denounced the anti-choice measure as "political correctness run amok."

The bill would prohibit government schools from naming teams after American Indian tribes or having mascots that could be taken as "disrespectful" of American Indians.

"Public schools in California are obligated to provide equal educational opportunity to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin," Goldberg said last week in offering amendments to her bill. "They are also required to promote diversity and respect for different cultures. However, the use of team names that single out an ethnic group ... is inconsistent with those requirements," she claimed.

Bay Area Democrat Joe Canciamilla warned that Goldberg's proposal was dangerously close to censorship and should be avoided.

"It's not our job," he said. "It is not our responsibility."

But the damage has begun. Many schools have already caved in and changed their Indian nicknames, according to the Sacramento Bee on Wednesday.

Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

School Choice

A product that might interest you:
"The New Thought Police: Inside the Left`s Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds"