The Washington Redskins name has become a hotbed issue in the National Football League over the last year and  is now seeing lawmakers getting involved. Team owner Dan Snyder has publicly stated on multiple occasions that he will not change the name as long as he is with the organization. League commissioner Roger Goodell has told Snyder that he will not force the owner to change the name of his team.

These events have led to Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell and Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole sending the NFL a written letter calling for the Washington franchise to change its name and threatening to hold hearings if it does not.

The congress members, who both have Native American heritage, told the New York Times , “It is not appropriate for this multibillion-dollar 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization to perpetuate and profit from the continued degradation of tribes and Indian people.”

The Redskins, as a name, is one that can certainly be taken as racist. Many would agree with Cole and Cantwell that the name is racist and should probably be changed. Washington’s name should be addressed sooner rather than later, but not by the government.

The Redskins are a professional football team but they are also a private company. If the NFL wants to force Washington to change its name, that is fine because the (also private) league is making an internal decision regarding one of its members. Having congress tell a private company to change its name, no matter how ignorant, is not a good precedent to set.

Locally, Massachusetts has run into similar mascot problems in recent years. In 2007, the Tewksbury Memorial High School Redmen name was called into question and the town debated changing it. If members of the town’s congress had decided to do so, that would be just fine because  TMHS is a public school and thus a government institution.

It would be wrong of the town of Walpole, home of the Walpole High School Rebels, to remove the Confederate Flag that hangs next door to the high school football field, however. The town actually did try to get the resident to remove the flag from his property but failed because even though it is ignorant, it is his private property.

The federal government should take a cue from the town of Walpole and let the NFL and Washington ownership choose what to do about the Redskins name. Whether Rep. Cole and Sen. Cantwell like it, the Redskins’ ignorant name should stay unless the NFL or team owner decides to change it. If towns like Tewksbury want to change its high school’s mascot that is fine because public schools are a part of the government. But telling private companies to change their name, no matter how ignorant, is wrong.