Senator Birch Bayh, the primary senate sponsor and author of Title IX. (Yes, I had to look it up on Wikipedia).
The first time I heard anything about Title IX it was related to something about a men's college sport program being canceled. I was fairly young and don't remember the exact context, and I am certainly not any sort of expert on Title IX, casual or otherwise. However, it does make me think of what my mother has told me about her going to college in the early 1960's: My grandparent's friends (and some family) wondered why they were wasting all the money to send a girl to college; and she was asked if she was going to be a teacher, or a nurse (I mean, what else to women go to college for?).
My sister and I weren't much into sports growing up (just a dabble of park district soccer or 4-H softball), and I wonder if my nieces will be. If not, that's OK. I've already got photo's from ballet recitals, and I love that my niece (when presented with the options) choose playing outside in the park over shopping for stuffed animal accessories. But if she chooses to, I would never want her being told that she shouldn't play sports because she is a girl. Seeing the look sheer ecstasy (that really is the best word) on the USA football team member's faces, and the thought that they don't deserve that joy is not simply unfair, it's un-american.
Go USA.
Kurt, I had no idea you were blogging again! I can tell you one thing, growing and being in school sports, I'm really happy for Title IX.
ReplyDeleteHey Jen! I was watching highlights of Women's Judo and though of you and your martial arts training.
DeleteOne thing I think Title IX may have done is push the acceptance of women's physical activity and participation in sports in general, not just in NCAA sanctioned activities, or the like. Going back to my mother's experience, I can only imagine what those same people would have said about her studying Kung-Fu and sparing with other women.