The Prejudice and Stigma of Skateboarders - Speech or Presentation Example

The Prejudice and Stigma of Skateboarders ID Lecturer Submitted To The Prejudice and Stigma of Skateboarders – Speech Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am here to make a speech on the prejudice meted out to the young skateboarders of the world and the manner in which they have been stereotyped in a negative manner. There has been a rise in the manner in which negative connotations have been attached with the skateboarders. For years now, they have been subjects to extreme points of view which have marred the very existence of these skateboarders in earnest. What I believe is that prejudice meted out on them is not only inhuman but also unkind in the sheer sense of the word. I am of the view that skateboarders have a right to express their love for the sport of skateboarding as and when they feel like. This means that they have a right to express their adrenaline rush in a manner in which they deem fit. I am of the view that skateboarders have a right to do what they like to do best – skateboarding! The prejudice and unfairness on the society’s part is that they have failed to realize that skateboarders too are humans much like us. They too have a right to enjoy their own selves and exhibit their talents through this sport. It indeed is an activity which requires highest levels of stamina, fitness and complete control over mind and body. This by no stretch of imagination is a mean feat and must be hailed by all and sundry rather than the other way round. I perceive this to be a very athletic sport which is bringing the youngsters into shape, keeping them away from junk food and sticking to a balanced diet – an element so essential for becoming a skateboarder in the first place. Now I will come to the point of stereotyping the skateboarders for no valid reason. I believe that the society has done more harm than good towards the cause of its young ones. If skateboarders are given the right to choose between good and bad, they must go for something good. But the entire opposite is happening at the moment. They prefer the bad over the good. I question why? The answer that I can bring here in front of this august audience is that we ourselves are responsible for the anarchic and troubling nature that the sport of skateboarding has become in the present times. Society thus has a lot of bearing and effect on the manner in which skateboarders have tried to rescue their own selves, maintain their pride and in essence the love for the game itself. We must give them a patient hearing as to why they are earmarked as being bad right from the very onset. Is it because they bring with them wrath and destruction to public property and more than that peace within the society? I ask you is that the case? Well then the only solution I could offer or even come close to offering is that we ourselves are responsible for bringing them to this stage in entirety. If only we had given them the room to develop their talents and be more at ease with their passion of skateboarding, such a scenario would never have surfaced. What do you say now? (Conniff, 1998) I believe the main reason for skateboarding to reach a certain threshold level within the minds of people is lying in it being labeled as an underground sport right from the very beginning – some 50 years to this day. Had it not been made to lie in the midst of underground sport fraternities, it would have blossomed much like the other games and sports we know today. After all the stamina and physical fitness required for soccer, squash, badminton, cycling and cricket is in essence parallel to what skateboarders exhibit within their sport. It is after all a known activity which has been recognized the world over. However the sad fact which I want to bring to your circle, ladies and gentlemen is that you people have not given it the room to grow. It is because of us that the sport of skateboarding has become just a mere trouble for the traditionalists. The modern communities also base their perspectives on how the conservatives have opined of it in the yesteryears and even today which is an irony in its sheer right. I beg to differ but ladies and gentlemen, skateboarding is very much a sport and it should be given the recognition and fame that it richly deserves. I ask you a question – why is it forbidden? Why is skateboarding forbidden in certain parts of our society? There is no answer I believe from anyone of you but I know you will change your minds once you get to know that this indeed is a healthy sport – one that can keep a youngster fit, up and running at all times. This is a sure sign that he keeps away from drugs and does not indulge in bad practices but sadly the stigma which has been attached with the game of skateboarding is nothing but brutality and ill-conceived notions circling it all round. I wonder why this must happen with a sport which has made it to the X games and similar competitions are held worldwide in different categories. It is a sad fact that the skateboarders are not recognized nor are they given the much needed respect that they deserve. They are looked upon with an eye of skepticism where everything is negative right from the onset. I, for one, is a firm believer of the fact that skateboarders deserve respect, acclaim and recognition since they stand shoulder to shoulder with other sportsmen and women and must be given enough funds and fees so that they could create new records and win laurels for their clubs, teams, countries and so on. The outlaw image that has been gifted to the world of skateboarding has done much harm to the sport courtesy the different segments of the society. Now is the time to change and shed such beliefs which could mar the passion of more than 9.5 million skateboarders which are present within United States alone, what to talk of the whole world? (Skateboarding) I am sure there must be skateboarders from every region and area of the world. It just is such a sporting exercise that youngsters get hooked on to this sport in a whisker. And why not – ladies and gentlemen? The prejudice that the skateboarders are made to suffer is bad for the game, bad for the skateboarders, bad for the society and bad for everything else that comes part and parcel with it. We must change our thinking mindset, be more open to the views that skateboarders have and accept it as a sport which has got no relation with wrath, destruction and the criminal image that it has got. (Abell) This is the time to shed off the very same and bring in the measures which will change everyone’s perception once and for all. I believe this gathering will understand my perspective as well as what I really mean – give them a chance, give the skateboarders a chance to prove their own worth. Please, let them! In the end, I would like to thank each and everyone of you present here for hearing me out on this touchy topic which could change the life of any skateboarder. What I request you is to think and make a difference. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. References Abell, Justin. (n.d). Skateboarding not a Crime. Found Online at: http://www.timmyabell.com/justinsite/noskating.htm Author Unknown. (n.d). Skateboarding. Found Online at: http://www.momsteam.com/alpha/sports/skateboarding/skateboard-parks.shtml Conniff, Donald. (1998). Is Skateboarding a Crime? Skatepark.org Word Count: 1,272 Read More