Letters to the editor
Cheerleaders defend
To the Editor:
This is a letter in regards to Mike Norris's column last week concerning whether or not cheerleading is a sport. As cheerleaders at Marion High School we, of course, will agree that cheerleading is a sport.
Mike stated that cheerleaders are "meant to help keep fans involved in the game, the cheerleaders aren't playing a sport." This is true, however cheerleaders have the goal to keep the fans enthusiastic about the game, just like the football, volleyball, and basketball teams have their own goals.
Mike also stated that "cheerleaders don't have a schedule, with games against other schools, and then have win-loss records. That is what makes a sport."
The KSHAA may list cheerleading as a non-athletic activity or sport, but according to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, a sport is "a physical activity engaged in for pleasure." Therefore, cheerleading is a sport.
Just like every other sport at MHS, cheerleading involves getting a sports physical and practicing. Cheerleaders practice two days a week at 6:30 in the morning and have games one, if not two, days a week. Being a cheerleader also involves strength, coordination, and enthusiasm.
At Marion High School, if someone wants to join the volleyball, football, basketball, track/field, golf, softball, or baseball teams, they are more than welcome. But cheerleading is different. You have to tryout to be a cheerleader and not everyone that tries out makes it. Only eight people can cheer each of the two seasons. Cheerleading also is one of the only sports where everyone participates and no one is benched.
We hope this letter will help some readers re-think their opinion about whether cheerleading is a sport or not.
MHS Cheerleaders
Don't depend on the government
To the Editor:
As we went to pay our property taxes, I'm sure all of us were aware that they have increased. Ours have increased by almost 10 percent in one year. Where will they stop? When they have it all? Why work if they keep on raising my taxes?
Did we stop and think about what the benefit is in all of that? What benefits are we looking for? Is it going to lower our insurance premiums, is it going to lower our health costs? The social programs out there, are we going to benefit from them? If the benefits are so great, why are we fighting government and fighting higher taxes? Let them have it all.
Do we really believe they care about us? Only because they need us! Without us, they are nothing! Government at any level can't give us anything without first taking it away from us and paying itself.
Why do taxes keep going up and services cost more and more? The more government takes, the less I have, and the more it grows. If government is so efficient, why do things keep going up? Does government create prosperity or does the private sector create prosperity?
Have we ever considered as taxpaying constituents that to the degree the government demands of us, so our insurance has gone up, so our doctor bills have gone up, and so all of these costs in the social realm of our benefits have gone up. So then we say, the government has to do something about it, because without the subsidies here, the drug program here, the social security benefit here, the health programs here, and all these things, we couldn't pay our bills and make a living. Have we ever considered that this is what we are reaping for turning over our earnings and our responsibility for our own welfare to the government? Do we think that by giving them more, we're going to benefit more?
If we as individuals take it upon ourselves to be solely responsible for providing for ourselves, so there's no need for government, we will have the resources over and above our needs to provide for ourselves. And history proves that. Those that work reap the benefits. Our society in terms of socialism collects for those who don't work. My taxes on real estate should go to gravel my roads in front of my house and provide services to benefit me in making a better living for myself and having more wealth for myself so I could better provide for myself.
The wealth of the person who lives in town is an outgrowth of the prosperity of the farmer. So that lumberyard, restaurant, hardware store, drug store, and bank, all grow out of the prosperity of the farmer. When government takes away from that base, even from the working man, then these small businesses start to die.
Because we think we're entitled to a benefit does not make it so. We're only entitled to what we have worked for. If a man will not work, he will not eat, and if he's hungry, he will work. If every man is allowed to live by that rule, we will have an abundance to provide for ourselves.
Jerry Plett
Lincolnville
