It’s time once again to load up the Short Bus.
Cambodia cancels landmine pageant
A beauty pageant for landmine victims has been cancelled by the Cambodian government, which branded it an insult to disabled people.
Authorities said the contest, due to launch on Friday, would damage “the dignity and honour” of participants.
First of all, we cripples have our dignity and our honour with or without your little show. Second, what exactly is honourable about stepping on a land mine and losing chunks of your body. There’s a difference between dignity and honour and ‘authorities’ are missing the point here, sugars.
Twenty women were to have competed for the title of Miss Landmine and the prize of a high-tech prosthetic limb.
Ok, I’ll say it. It sounds to me that they just don’t want to have to foot the bill (har har) for the limb.
Mr Traavik – who launched the first Miss Landmine pageant in Angola two years ago – said his contest was intended to raise awareness about the issue and empower those whose lives had been affected by the explosive devices.
I certainly think it sound empowering. I think it’s a great way to show young girls that they can still be beautiful even through their scars and misfortune.
But government spokesman Khieu Khanarith said the competition would “make a mockery of Cambodia’s landmine victims”.
Everyone in the contest were consenting adults. Maybe displaying it in the Capitol is a bit out of line for the government, but it’s not like the images are going to be plastered on billboards. It seems that people who would want to see the exhibit of the images have to physically go there and see them. It’s not like they’re randomly going to trip over the pictures as easily as, oh, say, a fucking landmine!
