It's ironic that Anchorage Christian School and Grace Christian are teaching their children sexist values. For years, women have fought to gain equality, and these schools continue to perpetuate an antiquated dual standards philosophy. While chivalry is great, they appear to be saying double standards are OK also. ACS athletic director Jason Hofacker stated, "girls are to be respected." ACS doesn't teach boys to respect each other? Mr. Hofacker also stated, they don't want their boys to "...go and beat them (girls) up." Sounds like someone forgot to tell Michaela Hutchison.

These boys are allowed to wrestle against a girl, only if they have their parents' permission. At the state championships last year, their boys wrestled everyone, regardless of sex. Their parents must have felt it was OK. Seems hypocritical to me.

If a girl wanted to wrestle, they would "shut down" the program? They are willing to punish all of these children, just because a girl wanted to play and have fun. Is this fair? WWJD (what would Jesus do)?

In retrospect, I applaud them for adhering to this antiquated, sexist mind-set. It allowed my daughter to take first place in her class at a wrestling meet this past weekend, due to her pairing against an ACS and Grace opponent in the semi-finals and finals. Keep up the good work, guys.

-- Mike Nuernberg

Palmer

Girls wrestling is here to stay; get ready, boys

As the father of a middle-school wrestler (and a former high school wrestler myself), I was pleased to read a fine article by Eric Smith ("Mat Respect," Jan. 20).

Coddling fragile male egos probably ranks fairly low on a scale of subjects we want our children to learn in school. If a boy losing to a girl truly seems by some to be "a no-win situation for the boy," as expressed by Coach Ritchie in the article (and by one wrestling coach to my own "girl wrestler"), it simply means we are still in the throes of the sexual revolution. A better response might be "wrestle better next time, son!" And if some boy wrestlers drop out of the sport simply for being pinned by a girl, I say wrestling is the better for it.

Boys who learn to keep girls up on a china-doll shelf (as Jason Hofacker of ACS seems to imply is preferable) will miss an important lesson about the toughness, strength and capability of girls -- and girls will have one less avenue in which to express themselves assertively. As long as we maintain the fiction that boys are intrinsically better than girls at physical endeavor, we disrespect both and make all of their lives smaller and meaner than they need be. Wrestle on, girls -- and boys.

-- Bob Curtis-Johnson

Anchorage

Blurb touting Chalmers article was misleading

I'm writing in regards to the Mario Chalmers article that was in the sports section on Jan. 13th. At least a week before the article appeared, every day in the paper there would be a little blurb about the article telling us how to "find out how" Mario Chalmers "acquired his skills", so naturally I thought the article would give some background on Chalmers, and essentially let us know how he has become so talented. I was disappointed to find there was nothing of the sort, with little background on Chalmers and definitely nothing saying how he acquired his skills. It was a good article, but this paper needs to make sure they write what they say they will write, and to not get our hopes up for something that won't be written.

-- Paul Hufford

Anchorage

Why can't Alaska claim Seahawks as its team?

I came across a letter in a Seattle newspaper in which the writer objected to Alaskans claiming the Seattle Seahawks as their team.

Why he objected, I don't know. It sounds like a case of stupidity or stinginess. I am a native of Seattle and have no qualms about Alaskans claiming the Seahawks as their team. Why should I? I'm rather flattered.

After all, what other professional team does Alaska have in the major ranks who they can call their own?

Considering the moral support Alaskan fans give the Seahawks, that writer should believe Alaskans have every right to call the Seahawks their team.

-- Daryl Cramer

Seattle

McNabb and mom not the first to peddle soup

While I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Sandomir's opinion column regarding Donovan McNabb's Chunky Soup Mama, I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission. Yes, talented players such as McNabb, John Elway, Kurt Warner, Michael Strahan,, and Terrell Davis have been featured, Let's not forget Reggie White was the original Campbell's Chunky Soup mama's boy!

Sadly, football season is coming to an end. Fortunately, NASCAR resumes and March Madness is right around the corner.

-- Kathy Kunes

Anchorage

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