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"Get out of here!" "You are ruining the property!"
Skateboarders hear this all the time. For years
skateboarders have been harassed by people for doing what
they love. Many reasons have contributed to this. I think
that skateboarding should not be illegal.
In the past, skaters were known as druggies, bums, and
criminals. Today we have the same reputation. Why do
businesses think a group of kids automatically means
trouble? I have been with a group of my friends when a
police car pulled up and asked us to leave a parking lot
because the owners don't like us hanging around. We had just
sat down to eat and drink products we bought from that
store. Skaters equal losers. How can people think this? I
know everyone of my friends that skate get good grades,
listen to their parents and everything else a parent would
want from a child. Even professionals promote school and
discourage the use of drugs. As a result of these
stereotypes many rules have come about that prohibit
skateboarding.
We have become criminals for doing what we love. Every
day a new "no skateboarding" sign goes up making sure no
"hooligans" come around. Skateboarders should have
confidence to skate without having to stop, getting asked to
leave, or arrested. Skaters need places to skate to progress
and get better. Skateparks have been built, but they can
cost up to ten dollars a visit to skate for a day in a
crowded warehouse. An individual can only find public
skateparks in a few select areas. Even with some public
skateparks skaters need different terrain. I have recently
found out that skateboarding on the sidewalk was illegal. An
anti-skateboarder might say that skateboards cause damage to
buildings, streets, and sidewalks. Honestly, cars, bikes,
and nature cause just as much maybe even more damage than
skateboards. Rollerbladers can go anywhere they want but
skateboarders have strict limitations. Think of it this way.
A kid loves to play basketball and dreams to go all the way
to the pros. But the only basketball hoop in town has "no
basketball playing" signs that line the court. Will the kid
just give up his dreams or play anyway? In relation to
basketball, skateboarding has sport-like
characteristics.
Today there are over ten million skateboarders in the
world. 9.3 million skate almost every day practicing,
striving to get better. Rollerblading has a reputation as a
great sport and exercise. Skateboarding is a very physical
sport, even more so than rollerblading. Skateboarding needs
some good recognition. Then we can start on a path towards
legalization. Skating has turned into a 750 million-dollar
industry. When can they treat skateboarding as a sport
rather than classify it as vandalism.
In conclusion skateboarding has become not just a hobby
to me, but a part of who I am. All real skaters love
skateboarding. To us skateboarding is an art, not a way of
disrespecting others. How can people condemn us for our way
of life? It might not make everyone happy but it makes us
happy. Lastly, just let us do what we love, encourage us, or
at least try to understand our passion.
Ryan Cochrane is
fifteen years old and has been working to get a skatepark into
his town of Denver, Pennsylvania since it is now illegal
to skate there.
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