The Declaration of Rights and Grievances

Whenapeoplefindthemselvesbrutallysuppressedbytheintolerableclutchofoppression,and realizethattheirfundamentallibertiesasfreecitizensofagreatnationarebeingcompromised bythetyrannicalforcesofprejudiceanddiscriminationsoomnipresent,itbecomesabsolutely necessaryforthemtodeclaretheircompleteseparationfromsucharepressivesociety,andto, bywhatevermeansnecessary,freethemselvesfromtheunjustnormsofaculturethatso callouslystripsthemoftheirlimitlesspotentialbyburyingtheirfuturesinitscorruptsoil. We,thefuturesofthisburgeoningnation,finditnecessarytoproclaimourcomplete disapprobationoftheculturalnormsthatcontroloursociety,thatrestrainusfromexperiencing allthatlifehastooffer,thattreatusassecondclasscitizens,andthatincessantlydiscriminate againstus,apeoplewhocanperhapsbeonlyguiltyofinheritance.Itisconspicuousthat Americansocietyholdsinhighestesteemitsmuscular,burly,androbustathletes,while overlookingthesignificantpotentialofthoseofitsmemberswhoMotherNaturehasendowed withfewerphysicalblessings,butvictimizingthem.Yet,thisisnotthelimitofourtormentatthe handsofourculture.Societalnormshavemadeitacceptable,andevencommendable,forour counterpartstoridiculeourkindforbeinglessathletic.Wehavehadenoughofthisoppression. Wehadsufferedenoughsetbacks,lostopportunities,andpersonalafflictions,andwenow cometogethertodeclareourselvesfreeofsuchoppression.Wehavecometobelievethat conciliationisnolongeranattainableoutcome,andwerealizethatmustresorttoactively freeingourselvesofthesebindingchainswhichhavehelduscaptiveforfartoolong.Wehold thesetruthstobeselfevident,thatallpeoplearecreatedequal,thatcertainfundamentalliberties areguaranteedtothem,amongthesethelibertyofequalityinthefaceofbothchallengeand opportunity,andequalstandingintheeyesofthelaw,theculture,andthepeople,andthatinthe caseofunjustoppressionatthehandsofanyentity,theyareentitledtosecessionfromthe prejudicedsocietyinwhichtheyfindthemselvesentrapped. Societalnormsofthecurrentagehaveentangledourbrothersandsisters,alongwithourselves, inawhirlingwebofcorruptionanddeceit,manipulatingourmalleablemindsinordertolessen oursenseofselfworthwhilepraisingtheathleticsuperiorityofourpeers.Oursurroundings havelessenedoursocialstanding,diminishedourconfidence,effacedoursenseof selfesteem,andcompromisedthefaithwehaveinourselves,thebeliefthatwe,justlikeour athleticallyaccomplishedfellowAmericans,areequalinthefundamentalaspectsofourbeing. Theemphasisonathleticismandimmaculatephysiquehavebeeningrainedinourminds, continuallyremindingofusofourinferiorityandunspeakableincapabilities,andofourinability toascendtheutopianplateauoftruesuccessthatissoreadilyaccessibletoourathletic brethren.ThehistoryofAmericansocietyhasbeenoneofcontinualdiscriminationagainstthe weakerkind,ahistoryencompassingdecadesupondecadesofabuseandoppressionof physicallyfeeble.Toprovethis,letthefactsbesubmittedtoacandidworld: Societyhascontinuallyinundateduswithidealisticandunrealisticportrayalsofwhatatrue Americanshouldbe,implantingselfdoubt,guilt,anddespondencyintheheartsofwewho

cannothopetofulfillsuchunreasonableexpectations. Ithasdiscriminatedagainstandvictimizedandoppressedandabusedandsubjugatedusas secondclasscitizens. Ithasputourfuturesinjeopardybyreservingcountlessacademic,financial,andprofessional opportunitiesforonlytheathletic. Ithasdevastatedourmentalandemotionalwellbeings,byimplantingfalsenotionsandidealsof paradigmsofhumanperfectionintoourminds,whileregardinguswithdisdainfornotfulfilling suchanimpossiblestandard. Inregardstothesesuchgrievances,wehavemanytimesvoicedourconcern,onlyforthemto bemetwithfurtherneglect.However,werefusetocontinuetosuccumbtothetyrannicaljawsof suchasociety.Wewilltakeourdestinyintoourownhands,andcreateanewfuturefor ourselves,oneofpeace,tolerance,hope,opportunity,andprosperity,forall.Wedeclare ourselvestobeextricatedfromtherepressivesocietalnormsgoverningourland.Wedeclare ourselvestobegovernedbythelawsofequalityandopportunity,notthoseofprejudiceand oppression.Wedeclareourselvestobeindependentofthedespoticculturethatevidentlyviews usasworthlessadditionstothecommoncause.Wedeclareourselvestobeourownpeople,a peoplewhoseetheworthinalllife,regardlessofitsoutwardappearance.Inmostoflifes instances,welivenottoobey,weobeytolive.However,wehavefoundthatobedienceisnot alwaysthesuitablereaction.Obediencehasonlydrivenusfartherintoaholeofoppression,a holeofdespair,aholeofcontinualdisappointment.Andfromthat,wedeclareourselvestobe independent. Itisafactthatathletesarethemorefavorablecontendersformostopportuneoccasions,such ascollegeadmission.Studentswhoplayasporthaveanunfairadvantagewhenitcomesto beingacceptedintocolleges.Athleteshaveseizedthechanceataneducationforhardworking andstudiousstudentswhocantaffordacollegeeducationontheirown.Collegesprovidefull scholarshipsforstudentswhohavebeengiftedwithathleticabilities,eveniftheirGPAsarelow. Thisgivesadisadvantagetostudentswhoarenotnaturallytalentedinplayingasport.The NationalCollegiateAthleticAssociationgrantsover1.5billiondollarsannuallyforathletic scholarships.DespitetheseobviousfaultsintheAmericaneducationalsystem,thereissome merittotheideathattheacademicallygiftedarerewardedfortheirintelligenceintheirownright. Forinstance,atColumbiaSouthernUniversitythereare244academicscholarshipsgrantedto incomingfreshmeneachyearwhilealesser208athleticscholarshipsareprovidedforthesame incomingclass.However,thisistheexceptionratherthantherule.Thefactofthematteristhat thatmostacademicinstitutionsinthenationoffermanymoreathleticscholarships,and subsequentbenefits,thattheydoforacademicachievements,primarilybecausesocietyhas taughtthemthatphysicalsuperiorityismorehighlyesteemedthanthatofthemind,perhaps becauseitismorevisuallyaccessible.Forexample,NorthwesternUniversityoffers310athletic scholarships,includingfullridetuitionpayments,forincomingstudentathletes,manyofwhomit admitsbyoverlookingmajoracademicfaults,whileitonlyoffers200academic,meritbased scholarshipsinthesameyear.Forsomestudents,playingasportcomesnaturally,butforthe majorityofstudentsitisntthateasy.Athletesdonothavetoworkasvigorouslyinacademics

becausetheyhavesportstofallbackon.Themajorityofstudentsarenotaslucky.Themajority ofstudentsmustspendsleeplessnightspreparingforatestthenextday.Themajorityof studentsmusttrytheirabsolutehardesteverydayineveryclassbecausetheyhavenobackup planlikeathletesdo.Wewantschooltobecenteredaroundacademicsagain.Tobecentered aroundEnglishandscienceandmathandhistoryagain,notathletics. Inthesocietythatweliveintoday,theathleticallycompetentareportrayedassuperiorthantheir peersthatarenotgiftedwiththesameathleticability.Societyelevatesthesocialstandingof athleteswhileitdepreciatesthesocialstandingofuscommoncitizenswholackathletic aptitude.Ithasgrantedtheathletesofthenationinequitablesupremacy.Ithasdeprivedus nonathleticcitizensofhavingthesameopportunitiesthatarewholeheartedlyvouchsafedtothe athletes.Ithasunjustlyreservedpositionsofhighesteemtoindividualssolelybasedontheir aptnessinsports.Wehavebeenneglected,underappreciated,trivializedinthissocietywhere onespositionandstandingismerelydeterminedonthebasisofwhetheroneisskilledinthe sphereofathletics.We,thefutureofthisgreatnation,refusetofurtherallowthecontinuanceof thiscorruptsystemwheretheathleticallydistinguishedarefavoredinsocietyovertheir counterparts.Wewillnolongerstandidleandbeamenabletosocietyspreferentialstandards. Wewillnolongertoleratebeingconsideredasinferiortoourathleticpeerswhoareawardedwith excessiveopulencebysociety. We,therefore,thefutureofthisnation,appealingtothesocietyinwhichwelivein,do,inthe Name,andbytheAuthorityofthecitizensofthiscountry,solemnlypublishanddeclare,Thatwe, theathleticallydisadvantagedare,andofRightoughttohaveequalopportunitiesandprivileges andtreatmentasourathleticallyadvancedpeersdoandanyinequitabletreatmentthatsociety imposesinwhichathletesaredeemedsuperiortoanyordinarycitizenisandoughttobetotally dissolved.Wedemandthatallnationsacknowledgeandrespectourstancesontheequalityof allpeopleregardlessoftheiroutwardappearance,andwestipulatethatourindependencefrom thegripofsocialinjusticeisheardaroundtheworldandlegitimatelyrecognized.Andforthe supportofthisDeclaration,withafirmrelianceontheprotectionofdivinenaturalrights,we mutuallypledgetoeachother,ourLives,ourFortunesandoursacredHonor.

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CrystalEshraghi StephanieJavidnia OmairaNoori