Every weekend, like millions around the country, I witness a revolution. I go to a sports facility, outdoors or in, and watch girls and young women flex their muscles, sweat and compete to win. On the sidelines, family and friends passionately cheer on the girls. When I was in high school and college, this was unheard of: Girls sat on… return to article
-
subscribe to print magazine
-
email this article to a friend
-
Reader Comments (11)Page 1 of 1 pagesAwesome - i wish i could say it like this. “But why take on the guys in helmets when you can go after the girls” hope you don’t mind if i borrow some - i’ll give proper credit. Wish i’d found this site sooner.
Posted by joseph croskey on Mar 1, 2003 at 11:40 AM I am far from being any kind of a Bush suporter, however title IX needs to be altered. Many talented athletes are losing opportunities to compete even on olympic levels because of this law. Also, the law is selectively enforced. How many dance departments are in compliance with the law? The law needs to be changed so that no one loses an opportunity in the name of supposed equality.
Posted by Dave on Mar 4, 2003 at 9:57 PM although it pains my head to think that this is in support of bush i have to agree that although title IX has done all of these things for womens sports it has also done harm to those male athletes that do not play football or basketball. i was a scholorship athlete playing baseball at Texas A&M;, at the time because i was a scholorship athlete i was not allowed to work or find other ways of making money. not that i would have had time anyway. my scholarship never rose above 10% of my costs...and that is the average for most athletes that do not play football or basketball. the reason is because football and basketball make the money. there are no female teams that make money for the university that i am aware of, nor many baseball or other male athletic programs. I am now 30,000 in debt because of loans that i could not work to pay back during my years at A&M;. and because i was not a full scholarship player i was also cut off from any help after my elligibility ran out. there has to be a better way to assure equality for all athletes.
Posted by colby on Mar 5, 2003 at 11:15 AM Blaming “Team Bush” is a little too simplified for this complex issue… The real problem is money and what colleges are willing to pay, as opposed to what they are forced to pay under title IX. For example, schools offering crew team scholarships to girls who have never rowed a boat in their life, and then taking a scholarship from high school champion male wrestlers to even out the finances… It has come down to eliminating positions for men in order to make room for the women. It’s good to see the girls getting the opportunity, but if you deny it is wrong to take that same opportunity away from the men any opinions you express about improving equality of the sexes have lost all relevance. Look deeper than the girls success, lady. You seem to think they’ve been “held down by the overbearing male”. Statistics show high school girls and boys going opposite directions in overall classroom performance, which appears in direct proportion to the attention focused on the girls success. Educated adults are succumbing to the thought that the boys can fend for themselves, while the girls are given an ego boost - again contradicting the very equality that is so highly praised by the equal rights movement. I’m all in favor of self confident young ladies with athletic prowess… But equal treatment does not mean better treatment, and young men become bitter when they see the adults go along with that idea…
Posted by ROCKTIME on Mar 5, 2003 at 8:24 PM While there can be no argument that Title IX has produced incredible gains for women in this country, there does appear to be at least the allegation that some men’s programs have been lost due to the required increase in opportunities for women to participate in college sports. While there is a disagreement as to whether these men’s programs would have been cut with or without Title IX, it seems that your approach of totally discounting the concerns of these potentially harmed individuals is not productive. If we approach the issue of Title IX as one of so what for these male athletes, women have been left out before are we promoting the ideas of equality? Your arguments concerning football also seem to ignore the fact that football and basketball pay for women’s sports at many universities. I agree that the approach taken by Bush’s team is not the way, and I do not want to reduce the opportunities for women athletes, but I think that there is evidence that the manner in which Title IX is being implemented may be unfare to some male athletes. I have as of yet seen a discussion that attempts to examine the issue fairly, either it is some disgruntled good ole boy or a person who views any criticism of Title IX as evidence that all gains in women’d rights are under attack. If your argument is that you cannot see how Title IX can be changed to help out these male athletes while still increasing opportunities for women, that would be one thing. However, dismissing the concerns be they real or imaginary of supporters of these male athletes will only result in the type of committee that Mr. Bush put together. A
Posted by Mark on Mar 7, 2003 at 3:57 PM I just wanted to say that too many people are using Title IX as a scapegoat for the cutting of men’s programs. I mean, really, you don’t need 80 guys to play a game of football. Men’s programs don’t need to be cut to comply, but that’s the university’s way of dealing with the problem instead of keeping other sports in moderation
Posted by Liz on Mar 7, 2003 at 4:05 PM That is an excellent point about the selectivity of enforcement of title IX? Most dance departments are 90-95% female. Imagine if they had to trim the number of female dancers to meet the number of male dancers. I doubt if women like Ms. Douglass would be singing the same tune. Further advocates of title IX have set up this slippery slope where any change to the law will magically erase the past. It is just not the case. Also, where does public interest play a role in this discussion? There is a real demand for college football and mens college basketball. People are want to see these activites. I cant remember many lines of scalpers to get tickets to the field hockey final. Sensible people want more opportunities for not just women but for everyone. Hurting mens sports is not right and should not be tolerated.
Posted by Allen on Mar 8, 2003 at 2:32 AM oh,oh its beginning to sound like the afirmative action arguments. And we all know that equal opportunity only applies to the elite
Posted by wendy on Mar 8, 2003 at 12:48 PM Football players and men basketball players, often poor blacks, at universities with top teams should be paid. They are being exploited by such schools to make money.
Posted by Pat on Mar 10, 2003 at 10:50 PM Why do we continue to use roman numerals when it much easier and uses less ink to write the number ‘9’? This makes no sense whatsoever…
Posted by Mike on Mar 30, 2003 at 1:53 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
register a new account »Posting Security
Also by Susan J. Douglas
Popular Discussions
- The 9/11 Faith Movement
Many Americans believe 9/11 was a conspiracy by the U.S. government
1972 posts since Jul 11 06 - What’s the 411 on 9/11?
891 posts since Dec 21 05 - Democrats: It’s the War
659 posts since Nov 1 05 - Was the Presidential Election Stolen?
462 posts since Jun 19 06 - A Fundamental History Lesson
The rise of National Socialism proved politics and religion don't mix
426 posts since Oct 10 05
© 2003 In These Times | Reprint Policy | Privacy Policy | Powered by Expression Engine | RSS Feeds
