I’ve held off talking about this subject for quite sometime, mainly because it’s to do with those good folks on the other side of the pond, but I’m astonished that a person in government would even propose the repealing legislation that protects us people of short stature from being used as human shotputs.
Dwarf-tossing, make no mistake, is despicable in any form, least for the pleasure of idiots who think it is fun or that the little person actually likes it. By giving permission for this type of behaviour, you legitimise it for the idiot on the street who, unable to distinguish entertainment from reality, thinks it’s ok to emulate the idiots they see on the TV who participate.
Not to mention the fact that it’s downright dangerous and degrading to the person being tossed. Would you feel so comfortable tossing or seeing your kid being tossed who was the same height as a dwarf for fun? No, you’d be reported to social services or make sure the tosser landed head first too for such behaviour. Why is it any different from any other group of people that has been exploited in this way down the centuries?
Yes, I feel very very strongly about this and if you do – I’d urge you to sign this petition. Want to know more about why dwarf-tossing is wrong? Read this statement by the Little People of America.
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Apparently you are missing the point of this legislation. It’s not so people can grab a little person and toss them at will. This is about our government taking our Civil Liberties away from us. Who is the government to say what a person, (of any size) can or can not do with their own body. Blame the Little People that accepted that ridiculous name for the Bill. The name gets a laugh, but the liberty it takes away is worse.
Stan do you really think that giving permission for a little person to consent to being thrown about for average heighters entertainment is not going to have repercussions for other little people? I’d love to live in a world where people can make the distinction between what they see on TV or on their Friday night out, but we don’t. Legitimising this practise sends out the signal that all little people are fair game to picked up and put down wherever the perpetrator think is funniest. Having one’s personal space invaded without consent is distressing and downright degrading. I should know, I’ve been an unwitting victim of providing such ‘entertainment’ for average heighters – without consent. Surely the protection and safety of a minority, disabled group far outweighs the commercial needs of one person? No?
I agree that “dwarf tossing” is rediculous. I am not seeking this ban because I want to see this activity return to Florida, I am doing it because the state has no right to tell you, a full minded adult, what you can, or cannot do. As a little person you should be offended that you were treated differently than all others. This ban says you are not capable of making the logical decision for yourself. Tossing a child is child abuse, tossing a dog is animal abuse, and tossing a little person (or a person of average height) without mutual consent is battery. I, for one, believe in your right to make a fool out of yourself if you so choose. The government should not be in the business of protecting us from ourselves.
Ritch, thanks for stopping by, but I have to ask, is it not your duty to provide a safe environment to protect the dignity of each person from direct and indirect harm?
By legitimising such practice you may give a person the right to choose whether they want to be an idiot, however, by legitimising the practise of dwarf-tossing, it reinforces the stereotypes and barriers associated with dwarfism and restricted growth, that good organisations, such as LPA, have been trying to breakdown and remove for decades to be recognised as citizens, not objects.
The throwing of any person is barbaric and in this case, it rarely the ‘real idiot’ who has to deal with the fallout. It is the dwarf on the street who is the unwitting victim and participant because some average height ‘idiot’ thinks, because they have seen such ‘entertainment’ on TV or the internet, anyone with dwarfism is fair game, with the then perpetrator unable to understand why we don’t find the non-consented invasion of personal space ‘entertaining’. Making us feel distressed and degraded as a human being reduced to objects of fun. Put simply, it makes us feel scared to go about our daily lives.
I strongly urge you, if you have not already, to communicate with LPA and other little people to gain a wider picture on this issue and to help protect the civil liberties of a group of people rather than those with such individualistic values.
Anyone who thinks dwarf tossing should be allowed is very backward. I agree with you little lady. Whilst other people can laugh at the sport and have fun we will be on the receiving end. Stan, what about the civil liberties of dwarfs? Where is a dwarf’s right to access the built environment without getting any abuse?
Thanks for your comment Layla, I see we have yet to receive a reply.