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eggwardsSure, our Texas schools are underfunded by a funding scheme that's bankrupting both school districts and property owners, as well as the demands placed by President Bush's No child Left Behind policies. The state also has needed child welfare reforms, currently held up due to a dispute over gay foster parents and tax appraisal reform and health care reform, but all that pales in comparison to one, leading issue that has caught our diligent legislature's attention.
Yes, the fall of western civilization his that much closer to being averted now that the Texas House has passed a bill to stop the lewd activities happening at football halftimes. those little tramps of the gridiron are in the spotlight. Finally someone's standing up to put a stop to those sexually suggestive routines that these little high school harlots do.
That young blonde chick with the rose petals won't be tempting Kevin Spacey anymore, at least in Texas. Not that we were really worried.
Well, that's probably a bad example, but it is true. The legislature, showing that time is meant to be wasted, and making moral judgments is better than having to create vital legislation, really did pass a lewd cheerleading bill in the House on Tuesday. The bill affects school drill teams, cheerleaders and even bands, but luckily won't be affecting their college and professional role models, such as the famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The Cowboys squad, famous for putting the sizzle into pro football.
Luckily it also won't affect the Strangerettes.
Of course the legislature must step in where society, and of course responsible parents fear to tread. The bill, with still must be sent to the state senate would allow the Texas State Education Association to - well - that's the problem. While it prohibits the little promising hoochie mamas from infecting our culture, it doesn't say what the the specifically prohibited behavior is or how it is to be penalized when students or schools cross the boundaries of good taste. Harsher language, including a provision denying funding to schools that allow the practice to continue, was stripped from the bill. Suddenly the shaky ground of "community standards" returns.
Of course, Representative Al Edwards (D-Houston, no relation) wants us to think of the children. "Why allow young girls 12, 13, 18 to be exploited like that?" he said. He connected the lewd shows and suggestive musics that accompanies it to the social atmosphere that leads to low test scores, criminal behavior, and teen sex and pregnancy.
What he's railing against is both sexy moves, such bump-and grind moves that have been seen not only in movies like Bring It On, but also in many music videos that mimic men's club dancers, but also cheerleading outfits that have gotten smaller, tighter, and more revealing. Some of this is blamed on older coaches bringing in clothing and moves that are age-inappropriate but also from the cheerleaders themselves who are influenced by popular culture.
"You can't legislate morality. This is a ridiculous bill. It's stupid and it's insulting," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a fellow Houston Democrat. "It's an embarrassment and indictment of this body that this kind of garbage has reached the floor of this House."
Rep. Rene Oliver, D-Brownsville, said it created "thought police" who could "decide for the rest of Texas" what is sexual and what is not. Critics also said it insulted a sport that is respectable and requires great athletic skill.
The proposed legislation is not popular with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The Director of the ACLU, Will Harrell, speaking to ABC Sports said the new bill reminds him of the former Afghanistan regime, the Talaban. "This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban," he said. "Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burqa?"
The National Cheerleading Association is also unhappy with the legislation, and is based in Dallas. The association was founded in 1948 by Lawrence Herkimer, the cheerleader from Southern Methodist University credited with creating the pompom and the spirit stick. Perhaps they can offer censors to their services.
Of course Texas, is also the home to crazy cheerleader moms like Wanda Holloway, who was accused of hiring a hitman to murder the mother of anther girl who was competing with her daughter for the local squad. If parents are a little blind to what their daughters are doing, perhaps they don't totally realize what they are doing themselves.
Still others state that there are many responsible parties and it's only a few bad schools/drill teams that are the troublemakers. There's also the added pressure on the teams to prove themselves, as most schools demand extra curricular teams to compete interscholastically. School and instructor success are often based on the team's competition, so the pressure is on to have the edge.
Unfortunately there seems to be a lesser pressure on the state representatives to act in a responsible and time-efficient manner.
When the measure was finally passed, legislators waived pompoms as someone played Tom Jones' You Sexy Thing across the house floor, yet Representative Edwards, also holding a pompom, stated it was a "very serious bill".
No state senator has agreed to enter the bill in the senate at this time.
Yes, the fall of western civilization his that much closer to being averted now that the Texas House has passed a bill to stop the lewd activities happening at football halftimes. those little tramps of the gridiron are in the spotlight. Finally someone's standing up to put a stop to those sexually suggestive routines that these little high school harlots do.
That young blonde chick with the rose petals won't be tempting Kevin Spacey anymore, at least in Texas. Not that we were really worried.
Well, that's probably a bad example, but it is true. The legislature, showing that time is meant to be wasted, and making moral judgments is better than having to create vital legislation, really did pass a lewd cheerleading bill in the House on Tuesday. The bill affects school drill teams, cheerleaders and even bands, but luckily won't be affecting their college and professional role models, such as the famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The Cowboys squad, famous for putting the sizzle into pro football.
Luckily it also won't affect the Strangerettes.
Of course the legislature must step in where society, and of course responsible parents fear to tread. The bill, with still must be sent to the state senate would allow the Texas State Education Association to - well - that's the problem. While it prohibits the little promising hoochie mamas from infecting our culture, it doesn't say what the the specifically prohibited behavior is or how it is to be penalized when students or schools cross the boundaries of good taste. Harsher language, including a provision denying funding to schools that allow the practice to continue, was stripped from the bill. Suddenly the shaky ground of "community standards" returns.
Of course, Representative Al Edwards (D-Houston, no relation) wants us to think of the children. "Why allow young girls 12, 13, 18 to be exploited like that?" he said. He connected the lewd shows and suggestive musics that accompanies it to the social atmosphere that leads to low test scores, criminal behavior, and teen sex and pregnancy.
What he's railing against is both sexy moves, such bump-and grind moves that have been seen not only in movies like Bring It On, but also in many music videos that mimic men's club dancers, but also cheerleading outfits that have gotten smaller, tighter, and more revealing. Some of this is blamed on older coaches bringing in clothing and moves that are age-inappropriate but also from the cheerleaders themselves who are influenced by popular culture.
"You can't legislate morality. This is a ridiculous bill. It's stupid and it's insulting," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a fellow Houston Democrat. "It's an embarrassment and indictment of this body that this kind of garbage has reached the floor of this House."
Rep. Rene Oliver, D-Brownsville, said it created "thought police" who could "decide for the rest of Texas" what is sexual and what is not. Critics also said it insulted a sport that is respectable and requires great athletic skill.
The proposed legislation is not popular with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The Director of the ACLU, Will Harrell, speaking to ABC Sports said the new bill reminds him of the former Afghanistan regime, the Talaban. "This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban," he said. "Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burqa?"
The National Cheerleading Association is also unhappy with the legislation, and is based in Dallas. The association was founded in 1948 by Lawrence Herkimer, the cheerleader from Southern Methodist University credited with creating the pompom and the spirit stick. Perhaps they can offer censors to their services.
Of course Texas, is also the home to crazy cheerleader moms like Wanda Holloway, who was accused of hiring a hitman to murder the mother of anther girl who was competing with her daughter for the local squad. If parents are a little blind to what their daughters are doing, perhaps they don't totally realize what they are doing themselves.
Still others state that there are many responsible parties and it's only a few bad schools/drill teams that are the troublemakers. There's also the added pressure on the teams to prove themselves, as most schools demand extra curricular teams to compete interscholastically. School and instructor success are often based on the team's competition, so the pressure is on to have the edge.
Unfortunately there seems to be a lesser pressure on the state representatives to act in a responsible and time-efficient manner.
When the measure was finally passed, legislators waived pompoms as someone played Tom Jones' You Sexy Thing across the house floor, yet Representative Edwards, also holding a pompom, stated it was a "very serious bill".
No state senator has agreed to enter the bill in the senate at this time.
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-05 05:33 am (UTC)Why oh why isn't there a test that legislators must pass before they could be a candidate... simple tests for intelligence and common sense.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-05 08:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-05 08:59 am (UTC)To me it just seems like an "ammunition law", with this kind of vagueness. What I mean is, a law that's so vague that it can be pulled from the shelves and used against someone maliciously, bending the language to wrap around the given scenario. I'm very surprised, in this day and age, that someone can still make law that's so amazingly unclear.
But it IS Texas... 9_9
no subject
Date: 2005-05-05 01:05 pm (UTC)See, I knew cheerleading was e-vil.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-05 07:15 pm (UTC)At least you don't have Pope Jeb!
Mike Thomas
Orlando Sentinel Columnist
May 5, 2005
The state constitution is optional reading for Jeb Bush these days as he continues using his office to push his personal beliefs.
His most recent action as Pope of Florida was trying to block a 13-year-old girl from an abortion.
Yes, this is a tragedy.
The girl had no legal parents -- their rights were terminated for unknown reasons. While under the loving care of the Department of Children & Families, she managed to get pregnant.
She sought counseling and notified her caseworker. She decided on an abortion because she was a kid living in a shelter with no job prospects.
You can disagree with her decision, but she was judged psychologically sound, and it was her legal right.
Nevertheless, the same DCF that botched her care to begin with moved to block her in court. DCF has become a front operation for Bush. It is his right-to-life security force.
Apparently, the plan was to force the girl to deliver the baby.
A Tavares attorney who specializes in children's issues, Jerri Blair, says DCF most likely would have then taken the baby and put it up for adoption because the girl could not care for it and had no family support.
The baby would have gone out the door because it is easy to find adoptive families for babies. But the girl would have stayed put because that is not the case for teenagers.
The state basically would have forced the girl to become a breeder for another couple.
"We are working for the best interest of the young girl," said a DCF spokeswoman.
Somehow, the girl didn't see it that way, and I can't say that I blame her.
Bush had no legal grounds to intervene, and anyone with a law degree knew it. He eventually had to give up when backed into a constitutional corner, but not before stalling the process in court long enough to increase the medical risk from the abortion (even so, it still would be less risky to the girl than having the baby).
Does anyone really believe that Bush, DCF or all these Christian groups give one hoot about this girl? They simply folded up the circus tent over Terri Schiavo's hospice and found another place to set it up.
Look at the similarities.
Bush also intervened in the Schiavo case in a blatantly unconstitutional move. He dragged it out, created a ruckus, was cheered on by the zealots and then backed off when his lawyers ran out of tricks.
He also abused his authority over DCF, using it to raise the specter of abuse against Terri's husband, Michael. Bush never bothered to talk to Michael, and the abuse allegations were false. Bush had to know because DCF had a file that said as much.
There actually was a third case Bush intervened in last week that got little attention. His lawyers helped a Christian legal group that claimed a woman gave birth to a live baby at an Orlando abortion clinic but the baby was allowed to die.
"Something like this never should have happened," an "outraged" Bush said through a spokesman.
Something like that never did happen, said the medical examiner who autopsied the fetus.
The fetus was stillborn. Bush should be thankful our editors were a bit more skeptical of the story than he was and played it down.
It seems Bush no longer bothers with facts or laws. He simply governs by divine, if not legal, intervention.
Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525
or mthomas@orlandosentinel.com.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-06 12:57 am (UTC)Now, let's see if the hetros start screaming about how their civil rights are being violated.
Then let's remind them that up until a while back it was illegal in TX to put your penis in another man's butt.
Harlots! Good word.