My state representative, Al Edwards. More interested in mandating school cheerleading than in fixing school financing. This is one Democrat that has lost my vote forever. I do believe I would vote for a squashed neighborhood squirrel before I would ever vote for this assclown again. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3166954 House to cheerleaders: hooray, but no hip-hips Bill that bans dirty dancing, but doesn't define it, nears passage By KRISTEN MACK and ALLAN TURNER Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle SPIRIT OF THE LAW Highlights of the cheerleader legislation: • What it does: Prohibits school dance teams, drill teams and cheerleaders from performing "in a manner that is overtly sexually suggestive" at public school events. • What it doesn't do: Specifically define the prohibited behavior or set any penalty for violations. • What supporters say: Pep routines have pushed the boundaries of decency and exploit performers. • What foes say: The bill is a toothless and meaningless effort to legislate morality. • What's next: If it survives one more House vote, the bill goes to the state Senate. AUSTIN - House members got into the spirit of toning down suggestive cheerleading Tuesday, rallying behind a bill that could leave Texas cheerleaders shakin' a little less booty next year. By a 65-56 vote, the House gave preliminary approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, curbing "sexually suggestive" routines by cheerleaders, drill teams or other public school performance groups. The bill doesn't define the behavior it is trying to prevent or specify punishment. Edwards, who in past sessions has battled raunchy pop lyrics and advocated cutting off drug dealers' fingers, pledged that Tuesday's vote was just the opening volley in his effort to curb gyrating teenage booty-shakers. "I've seen it with my own eyes," Edwards said. "I've had people talk to me about it at football games. There was just a feeling that people were waiting for something to be done about it." Edwards likened the perceived salaciousness of cheerleading routines to risqué television programs and Internet p*rnography sites. He also suggested that inappropriate cheerleading routines contribute to a social atmosphere that encourages teen pregnancy, poor scholastic performance, criminality and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. "Why allow young girls 12, 13, 18 to be exploited like that?" he said. Edwards' bill initially called for curtailing funding to offending schools. The punitive aspect of the bill later was dropped in exchange for a milder provision that school district officials take "appropriate action" in such situations. Critics of the measure maintain that it has no teeth, no sanctions and no effect. "This is a ridiculous bill. I don't know how it got to the floor," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. "We don't have any business mandating anything. We are spending time on '2-3-4, we can't shake it anymore.' It's an embarrassment." Rep. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, agreed legislators should not be legislating morality or telling people what to do, but she voted for the bill. "Sometimes as adults, we should say there are proper ways to behave. It's time we send a message and say we are going to expect certain behavior," she said. No Senate sponsor yet The bill does not have a sponsor in the Senate yet, said Edwards, whose legislation has garnered him national attention, including appearances on NBC's Today show and Fox's O'Reilly Factor. Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, who opposed the bill, said much of the attention has been in the form of jokes at Texas' expense. Several legislators argued that the issue should be dealt with at the local level, without state involvement. The bill also generated strongly divergent views in the cheerleading community. "I think we have bigger problems in the world than to worry about how kids look dancing on the floor," said Kellie Meaux, an employee at Southwest Cheer Academy in Stafford. "They should be more worried about those getting killed in Iraq than my kids shaking their booty. They're not being provocative or promoting sex. These kids are having fun." Meaux, whose two daughters were middle and high school cheerleaders and performed competitively outside school, said school-related cheerleading exhibitions generally are wholesome entertainment. "In my opinion, speaking as a mom, I think middle school and high school cheerleading is basically just there for the school spirit. If he (Edwards) wants to make a point, he shouldn't be attacking these children, he should hit the competitive-cheerleading scene." Some 'push envelope' Such contests, privately sponsored events not connected with schools, are beyond the Legislature's jurisdiction, Edwards noted. And, he argued, some of those events are better regulated than similar performances in public schools. "You can't win a national cheerleading contest if you put those sexual gyrations in it," he said. Judges in such competitions penalize teams that "do something vulgar or sexually suggestive," said Martha Selman, marketing director for the Garland-based National Cheerleaders Association, which sponsors the annual national contests for high school and non-school-affiliated "all stars" in Dallas. But, she admitted, the all-star teams "tend to push the envelope." "The challenge is, you have a lot of kids who cross over, who participate in both fields. When they go back to school, that's what they bring to the table," she said. "We want all all-star and high school performances to be appropriate for family viewing. I think the solution is better education and training for the coaches, so that they highlight their teams' athleticism and not have to rely only on choreographed dance moves. I think that sometimes coaches get caught up in MTV and VH1 — that's entertainment and not cheerleading." Terri Jaggers, who has coached cheerleaders in area public schools and at her Northwest All-Star Gymnastics on Bingle, applauded Edwards. "It disturbs me," she said. "There has been a progressive deterioration in morals — dancing and moving. I've watched it in the selection of music and choreography." Outfits also criticized At Jaggers' gymnasium, cheerleaders wear athletic slacks and conservative tops. But elsewhere, including schools, the costumes can be as provocative as the routines. "At most schools, they're wearing tops that stop just above the navel — the all-stars are higher," she said. "All the skirts have slits, some up the side, some not so prominent, some that are little panels that come up when they jump, tumble and move. Sometimes, they have high school logos on their briefs, and part of the show is lifting their skirts to show the logo." Jaggers, mother to five adopted children and almost two dozen foster children, suggested the problem arises from commercially or college-trained coaches who teach provocative routines to adolescent girls. "MTV and music video are a huge attraction in dance for young people," she said. "The days of ballet and tap are over."
I think generally you have a situation in politics today where outrageous bills such as this pass simply because it is too politically damaging to vote against it. Who wants to be the guy that is labelled as being in favor of parents' high-school aged girls gyrating their pelvis in front of onlookers? In a soundbite driven political process, ammunition such as that can be fatal.
{Bitter Sarcasm} Hey at least he has a "normal" name. With a name like Al Edwards god-fearing Americans around the world just know they can trust him... Now if that "Senfronia" wench had started this we'd smell the hippy-bias from miles away. {/Bitter Sarcasm}
I wholeheartedly agree with you, and politicians from both parties and both sides of the spectrum are equally to blame.
If no one is in favor of 12 and 14 year old girls gyrating in public in a sexually suggestive manner, then what's the problem with the legislation?
It's dance. What others may interperate as sexually suggestive manner, is just natural appropriate moves for the dance.
They could be nude and call it performance art. That doesn't mean a 12 year old should be doing it. It has been pointed out that the Kilgore Rangerettes, probably the most famous drill team in Texas, does not perform these types of routines. To suggest that 12 and 14 year old girls SHOULD be doing these routines, or that they HAVE to do them because its 'part of dance' is silly.
Question: Should the State House of Representatives be addressing this issue, or should they leave it up to local communities and school boards?
As in most cases, if the local communities are not addressing the problem, then the state should step in. It appears that the measure is designed to empower parents, which is not a bad thing, over the dance directors. Quote: "The bill gives the education agency the authority to direct a school district to respond to complaints regarding overly sexually suggestive performances. If the district does not review or respond appropriately, the legislation says, the agency can take action." I don't see a real problem with that. There apparently HAVE been complaints from parents, and they should have an option short of pulling their kids out of the activity altogether.
I actually whole heartedly support the theme of this bill. Not everything in it, however. But the overall idea. I wish it didn't take an act of Government to get middle school cheerleaders to stop dancing like strippers at sporting events, though.
Why is it mutually exclusive? I'm not sure I understand why some people think there is a tradeoff between this issue and school finance.
Since there are no definitions set, this bill has legal challenges written all over it. I don't know but I'd venture to guess this bill doesn't have anybody in the African American community sponsering it. Just going out on a limb. From my perspective, this could very easily turn into a racially charged issue. Traditionally black schools have always been more animated and more expressive in there movements. Its part of the culture and a sense of pride for the community. With religious/political climate as it is, I can easily see some righteous "Christian" mother who gets offended when a white school plays a black school. Blacks will get offended and say it is a racist attack. Whites will return the favor by saying they are just playing the race card...again. And there off.... I'm telling you here and now. If this law passes, there are few guarantees in life but this is about as close as it gets.
Its not mutually exclusive. Its just annoying when politicians spend more time on trivial matters and let the issues that require work and tough decisions die in the background since they don't want to stick their necks out. Lets work on BCS, Steroids etc. Not taxes, schools, medicaid... I heard Al Edwards on the radio a while back and he said he wasn't working on anything from the platform he ran on at that point in time, but he was working on this important legislation.
What do you mean 'these' routines. We don't know what they have been doing. If they have been pole dancing then of course that would be a no-no, though it shouldn't be a govt. no-no. But we haven't seen the routines. But if a routine has pelvic isolations in it, that doesn't make it sexually suggestive automatically. I think people should be forced to study dance, and movement before passing anything close to these kinds of bills. I am inclined to believe that a greater understanding of dance and how it integrates with the music would eliminate a lot of this paranoia over sexually explicit dance routines. I haven't seen the routines in question so I can't say for sure, but if people are scared because of a few shimmies and pelvic isolations, then this thing is way overboard.
I'm not sure that this issue or steroids is trivial . Taxes, school funding etc are certainly important issues and I agree that they should be addressed. However I don't see any reason why this legislation itself is inherently bad, or why it couldn't be passed while also addressing other issues.
I don't think you need to understand the intricacies of dance interpretation to know when something is inappropriate for a 12 year old. But it's hardly the role of the legislators to be addressing this. This should be done at the local level. Do the parents not have any influence at the schools???
