I am saying that because I don't understand how redskin is seen as pejorative along with a slew of other words. Like cunt for example. I cannot comprehend why it carries such a heavy weight. I know it does, but the shocking, visceral, emotional reaction it provokes is alien to me and not just because I am not a woman.
In regards to redskins, this discussion reminded me of the western comics translated into Greek i used to come across as a child. I now realize that redskins was translated into Greek literally and not metaphorically in order to describe the native american heroes of those comics. It didn't have any pejorative hue, at least the way I read it. What was pejorative was mostly how Indians were portrayed, but then again, this may be all the old westerns from the 30s to the 60s that spring to my memory.
What I do remember from those comics though which is somewhat interesting IMO is that indians addressed white people in those comics as Pale Face ( I am translating from Greek here, perhaps the term is different in English). As in, "Why would you think that, Pale Face?" "Or the ways of the Manitou are strange to us Pale Face". Again, I don't think this was pejorative. On the contrary, the juxtaposition between redskin and pale face served to offer balance and illustrate the subjective and opposing way one set of people viewed another set of people. Which, when you think about it, it's the way people who first come across each other would conceive of each other.
