mckdan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My son is an adult, and as such he can make his own choices, but because he is fair-skinned and a towhead I wish he would wear a shirt. WHO came out last year and equated tanning and UV rays with exposure to radiation and lead paint in terms of danger (although their report was based on tanning beds, it applies). Many studies have shown a direct link between over-exposure to sun at an early age and later cancer, and melanoma is almost universally fatal. When I talked about this with the drum major and corps folks he marched with last year, they just kind of rolled their eyes, which I understand- they see this as the least of their problems. But what about a rule that would require wearing shirts in rehearsal? If just a few kids could be saved from having tumors cut off their skin or worse later on, it seems like it would be worthwhile to me...I know it's a ridiculous thing, but I worry nonetheless. It's amazing how kids now are being babied! I marched drumcorps for six years and now, at 48, have absolutely no sign of skin cancer. Let the kids and the corps police themselves and stop the nannyism that is so common. Are we going to have DCI skin-police roaming practices ensuring that the proper coverage is being used. No bikini tops for the ladies and no muscle shirts for the guys. (I don't want to insult the guys who wear bikini tops and the ladies in muscle shirts.) Every part of our lives is fair game to those who want to control our actions and limit our choices. Don't let this become more common in Drum Corps! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubaJon Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I would kill myself if I had to go the summer wearing a shirt the whole summer. Talk about over heating in AZ as it is, plus a shirt ontop of that that keeps the heat in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd like to ask those who are responding against such an idea if they are a) Old enough to have been affected by preventable physical problems, and b)Parents. just so we're clear: you couldn't raise your kid to make the correct decisions, so now you want a corps to do it? Drum corps is not someone's parent. If your kid should be wearing a shirt, and he is not smart enough to realize this, it is not anyone else's fault. It is obviously healthier for marching members to wear a shirt. It is also healthier for marching members not to scarf down large amounts of unhealthy food. Would you like regulations to govern what the kids store in their bus boxes? At some point, there is a layer of personal responsibility involved in life, and people must make decisions by weighing the pros and cons. (and I wore a shirt both years I marched) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 There are two issues with this idea. The first, is that in every single facet of the activity, the marching members are treated as adults. They are expected to be responsible for their own instruments, to manage their time well enough to get everything done, to make adjustments on the fly, to take criticism as an adult, to learn their own show etc. Drum corps is where I learned a lot of the things that shaped me as an adult. As such, a rule such as a clothing requirement would be a step in the opposite direction. We were encouraged to use lots of sunscreen, and to reapply often. We were even given time to do just that. Nobody was going to hold our hand and make us do it. If we didn't, we got a sunburn, and learned the hard way. The second issue is, if we allow a rule like that, where does it stop? Well, now their wearing shirts, but their legs are still exposed. They should have to wear long pants and sleeves to "protect them from themselves". At what point does the line get drawn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd like to ask those who are responding against such an idea if they are a) Old enough to have been affected by preventable physical problems, and b)Parents. Avoiding the issue. Being a parent has nothing to do with skin cancer. I don't think ANYONE has trouble understanding why a parent would be considered for HIS OR HER OWN child. Really, now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 If you're 18, you should have been raised to the point where you can handle those major, life-altering decisions like sunscreen and shirts. If you can't manage that, well, I know who is to blame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dapperpoet Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 just so we're clear: you couldn't raise your kid to make the correct decisions, so now you want a corps to do it? Drum corps is not someone's parent. If your kid should be wearing a shirt, and he is not smart enough to realize this, it is not anyone else's fault. It is obviously healthier for marching members to wear a shirt. It is also healthier for marching members not to scarf down large amounts of unhealthy food. Would you like regulations to govern what the kids store in their bus boxes? At some point, there is a layer of personal responsibility involved in life, and people must make decisions by weighing the pros and cons. (and I wore a shirt both years I marched) Yeah, I know. Please re-read the post, this time for content. And I'm pleased to know you can attack me, my parenting style (one kid a National Merit Scholar at Purdue with a fullride, the other a music ed major at Auburn with a full ride) without knowing anything about me. I asked a legitimate question. Geesh. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubaJon Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I marched with a guy who was a rookie in 2009 who got skin cancer and came back to march in 2010. It was crazy. Maybe we should ask this person what they think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd like to ask those who are responding against such an idea if they are a) Old enough to have been affected by preventable physical problems, and b)Parents. Yes to A, no to B. Couldn't be less relevant to the point. Corps make rules like this because they feel there's a need to and they're in the best position to make such a call, DCI as a whole shouldn't be doing such a thing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Yeah, I know. Please re-read the post, this time for content. And I'm pleased to know you can attack me, my parenting style (one kid a National Merit Scholar at Purdue with a fullride, the other a music ed major at Auburn with a full ride) without knowing anything about me. I asked a legitimate question. Geesh. I did read the post. This is how it went: 1. Your want your kid to wear a shirt. 2. Your kid does not want to wear a shirt. 3. Instead of trying to explain to your kid why he should wear a shirt, you think that DCI should force all people in drum corps to wear a shirt. As I said, do you think DCI should ban junk food from bus boxes also? If not, please explain why the junk food is a different situation. I did not attack you at all. Why does your kid not want to wear a shirt even if he should? Who taught your kid to make good personal decisions? I'm happy that your kids are successful. I went to one of the best undergraduate schools in the country and my current summer internship cohort has a number of students from Harvard/Columbia/Penn/Georgetown/Standorf/Yale/etc (if you want to have an internet dick measuring contest). Perhaps you would be willing to address the content of my post, because I think it made some good points. I gave your question a legitimate answer. Just because it is not the answer you want to hear, does not mean my answer is incorrect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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