Politics and Title IX
I am not a fan of politicians. I just can’t relate to politics, because I am the kind of person who thinks black and white - I prefer that you say exactly what you mean, as opposed to beating around the bush and using words to confuse me or to avoid answering a question.
I recently read an article in “USA Today” where the two remaining candidates discussed Title IX. I found their responses interesting to say the least. With the Presidential primary winding down, I think I should take this opportunity to discuss a little politics. Excuse me if I am reading too much into their WORDS but I need some clarification…
John and Barack, I just want you to know that we as athletes are following the election and care what you are saying about the issues that matter to us.
Question: Title IX has been an important factor in expanding athletic participation for girls and women. What do you think of the way the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has enforced the law under the Bush Administration? Would your administration enforce Title IX differently? And if so, in what ways?
McCain:
“The US department of Education under President Clinton took liberties in interpreting the law and without debate determined that universities must fund men’s and women’s sports programs in proportion to the ratio of male and female students… Unfortunately many popular athletic programs have been cut because the overall amount of funding available for athletics will not sustain identical men’s and women’s programs in every sport…The positive effects of the law are indisputable, and John McCain supports the law’s intent of providing equal opportunities to all students in a manner that does not unfairly penalize or limit opportunities for any students.
John McCain will bring people to work together to find ways to help make Title IX accomplish its original intent without causing the elimination of athletic programs.”
My first question is…why is Senator McCain speaking in the third person? Someone wrote what he thinks on his behalf? Well did he at least read it before it went to print? Also why is he talking about Clinton when the question was about the Bush Administration? This response lets us know he knows what Title IX is but doesn’t seem to know a solution. So although he’s critical of Clinton’s implementations, he doesn’t suggest he has a better alternative. It is my opinion that you should want to be President because you think you can do the job better than everyone else and have real ideas about how to change important issues not getting in there creating a task force to come up with ideas once you are president.
Obama:
“We know that problems remain…as demonstrated by the number of complaints to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) about discrimination against female teams. Despite these ongoing problems, enforcement by the Office for Civil Rights has been ineffective. Although complaint volume remains high, compliance reviews have dropped, the focus of the reviews has narrowed and the agency has taken a lax approach to enforcement…I will do more to ensure effective protection from sex discrimination. I will target resources to improve Title IX enforcement, including compliance reviews and the technical assistance. To address discrimination at the high school level, I will support the High School Sports Information Collection Act, which directs schools to make information on equality in athletic programs publicly available. This information is already required at the college level.”
Well speaking in the first person makes me feel as if I can hold Senator Obama accountable for his statements and he does answer the questions posed…I would still like more detail on his intentions. What exactly is ‘technical assistance?’ What is the difference is making the equality information public going to do? Sounds as if he is happy with the current layout of Title IX and plans to enforce it better.
Well, now that you are informed on what our two candidates are saying and have heard my commentary, feel free to form your own opinion. After all voting is about making an educated decision based on the facts given. Stay tuned for my commentary on their statements regarding the doping issue.
–sub11