ArcaMax

All states bar plates that are "obscene, lewd, lascivious, derogatory to a particular ethnic group, or patently offensive," according to Stefan Lonce, author of "LCNS2ROM: Vanity License Plates and the GR8 Stories They Tell."

Similarly the federal patent office is allowed to reject applications for trademarks that are disparaging to particular racial, ethnic or religious groups.

That's why a US Appeals Court in May upheld the patent office's refusal of a trademark to the website titled "Stop! Islamization of America." Although the owners contend the website only opposed "political Islamization" and not the Islamic faith, the court ruled, "The (patent office) board disagreed, as do we."

Yet, it is hard to see where the group's free-speech rights have been infringed. Their website and Facebook pages remain online. So do webpages by civil rights and anti-hate organizations that oppose the group's positions.

Snyder similarly remains free to use his team's name, if the revocation sticks, but so can anyone else. He only loses certain government protections, such as preventing other users of the team name from selling or exporting team souvenirs and presumably cutting into his profits.

Of course, the Redskins' name has seniority, as its defenders point out. The team has been using it since the 1930s. But words do change in their meanings and implications over time.

I am reminded of how tea party protesters used to display tea bags on signs and use "tea bagging" to describe their anti-tax protests in early 2009, until liberal commentators made a mockery of the verb.

As a sign of respect for the right of people to be called what they want to be called, I stopped using the term to refer to the movement in public after an avalanche of e-mails expressed their outrage over the "obscene slur."

Yet, I have been dismayed to hear some -- although certainly not all -- of the same people who were angrily offended by that T-word unable to understand why Native Americans are similarly offended by the R-word.

That's why I am not very upset that the federal patent office decided to cancel the Washington football team's trademark. I am only disappointed that the government had to be asked.

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E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@tribune.com.

(c) 2014 CLARENCE PAGE DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.