SKATEBOARDERS SEEK THE SAME FACILITIES AS BASKETBALL, SOCCER, BASEBALL AND JOGGING

Skateboarding is not a crime. It is a skill, a competitive sport, an art form, a mode of transportation. But it is not a crime.

As in many other communities around the country, skaters in Cape Girardeau feel somewhat persecuted. Like stray cats, they are constantly being shouted at and shooed away whenever they come around.

Sometimes this stems from fears of liability by property owners or concerns that skateboards cause damage. These aren't entirely misplaced concerns. As any thrasher will tell you: There ain't no such thing as "safe" on a skateboard.

Other times, though, skateboarders are run off because they have their own culture, fashion, lingo and attitude. Some folks just don't get it. Too often people don't like what they don't understand.

Just trying to get from Point A to Point B can lead to hassles for skateboards. One police officer tells boarders they can't skate on the street. The next says stay off the sidewalk. What does that leave them?

A few years ago a sports apparel company ran a series of commercials that depicted the world as if we treated other athletes like we treat skateboarders. The spots depicted joggers being forced to slow to a walk. Golfers had their clubs confiscated. Tennis players were shown scrambling to flee the courts when the police arrive.

Often, though, skaters bring it on themselves. Skateboarding is a pastime with no rules, where capacity for creativity -- and tolerance bruises and cuts -- are one's only limitations. This breeds a certain amount of resistance to authority.

To give skaters a place they will feel welcome, the city should strongly consider an existing proposal to build a public skate park. Other cities, including Columbia, Mo., have built public skate parks that are almost alwayspopular and well-used.

There are many concerns to be addressed, but if the city can provide basketball courts, ball fields, and exercise paths, why not a skate park?