Keep Title Nine

If you haven't already noticed, this page will be about Title IX, a law which mandates equal funding for boys' and girls' school sports. Just as obvious, I support this law. However, it is in danger of being repealed. Read on:

Men's sports teams have been complaining that the law is unfair to them. President Bush seems to be sympathizing, as are many Congressmen. The reason for this belief, however, is in the way schools budget their sports funds.

Originally, boys' sports got about 90% of the funding, a large part of which went to the most popular spectator sports, like footbal, basketball, and wrestling. However, now boys' sports get only 50% of the money, yet they don't wants to spend any less on those polular events. Because of this, less popular boys' sports, such as golf or tennis, are suddenly going broke. A bit of a problem, no?

But Title IX is not at fault. It is the fault of the schools for organizing their funds that way. If all girls' sports can make do with 50% of the funding, I'm sure the boy's ones can do so as well. For this problem, it is best to go to the school administration.

Unfortunately, the teams don't see it that way. The repealing of Title IX would allow gender discrimination to run rampant in public schools. Already, in one New Jersey high school, the varsity girls' field hockey team is being relegated to a public field in a different part of the town, so that the football team can have full use of the school field. If the funding were uneven, this would get much worse.

Gender discrimination has not ended. In America, it is alive and well. Don't sanction it! Don't make it legal! Fight for the retainment of Title IX.

Do you know of a good site which would allow people to take action on this issue? If you do, please send me the link.

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