Washington, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – Just hours after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it will consider banning the term ‘Redskins’ from the airwaves, Commissioner Tom Wheeler said it will do the same for the term ‘Rednecks.’
Redskins, of course, is the name of the NFL football team which Native Americans and other advocacy groups consider to be offensive and derogatory. There has been extensive debate in the media as well as in the sports and political arenas about the continued use of the name by the Washington, D.C. team.
The term Redneck is often used to describe a rural poor white person of the Southern United States. It can be a derogatory slang term similar in meaning to ‘cracker,’ ‘hillbilly,’ and ‘white trash.’ In the mid-1970’s, the term had expanded in meaning to refer to ‘a bigoted and conventional person, a loutish ultra-conservative.’ It is often used to attack white Southern conservatives. At the same time, some white Southerners have reclaimed the word, using it with pride and defiance as a self-identifier.
The FCC said it will soon conduct public hearings in America’s heartland, to determine whether to ban the term ‘Rednecks’ from all broadcasts. “The FCC is certainly sensitive to populations that are offended by any and all terms used in the broadcast industry,” said Wheeler.
One person that is sure to attend the public hearings to oppose the ban is Grammy Award-winner Gretchen Wilson whose 2004 debut song ‘Redneck Woman’ won the ‘Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2005.
Meanwhile, the Asian American Journalists Association is reportedly preparing a petition for the FCC to ban all terms and references that are offensive to Asians and Asian Americans, including ‘Jap,’ ‘Chink’ and ‘Gook.’
The Adobo Chronicles 
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