A Collision of Race, Sports, Public Relations, and Social Media

For quite some time now the campaign to get the Washington Redskins to change their name has been building.  This week saw the back-and-forth reach new heights, when a group of Senators wrote a letter to Redskins management in support of a name change.  The Redskins asked their fans to get on Twitter and show Senator Harry Reid their #RedskinsPride.  While there were some early positive responses, as the hashtag started trending the majority of the responses were decidedly against the name.  What the team was hoping would be a big public relations boost turned out to be a gift to the very campaign they have been resisting.

This once again brings up the question of (a) whether the nickname is racist and (b) whether the Redskins should change it.  What do you think?

It also brings up some interesting questions about the way both individuals and organizations attempt to shape their image in the age of social media.  How can social media help to positively shape one's image?  How can the use of social media also be turned against the user?  Can you think of any examples that support each side??

Drone Warfare

We've discussed the justification for using controversial weapons in war, from the atomic bomb to Agent Orange. The latest debate in this unending cycle involves the use of unmanned drones to carry out attacks and assassinations. Watch the video and read the short article that accompanies it:

Are US drones terrorising civilians? - Inside Story Americas - Al Jazeera English

Then post a comment to this posting answering the following questions:
Is the use of drones to assassinate terrorist targets an acceptable tactic? Why or why not?
Also, what fears and concerns could be caused by the increasing use of drones? (Think about how the atomic bomb led to fears of nuclear war.)

Finally, you must respond to a classmates' posting, replying thoughtfully to their opinion and ideas, not simply agreeing or disagreeing.