Fairness Is in Eyes of Beholder
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How ironic that at the same time ABC-TV was airing “Separate but Equal,” The Times should carry the story of hearing-impaired beauty contestant Lynn Lochrie’s treatment by pageant officials in the Miss Anaheim Scholarship Pageant (“A Silent Night,” April 8).
On the specious premise that the Miss America pageant rules prohibit contestants from being “assisted” by another person, she was denied a sign-language interpreter to translate the judges’ questions.
The most revealing comment, from Bob Arnhym, who heads the Miss California pageant, was a cruel analogy to the Special Olympics and a suggestion that Lochrie and other deaf contestants shouldn’t try to compete with non-disabled people.
The presumption that these contests endeavor to judge young women on their attractiveness, poise, intelligence and talent (attributes not unique to able-bodied people) is false.
Perhaps, out of respect for the many thinking people who buy their products, commercial sponsors of the Miss America pageant and its state and local affiliates will choose not to support this sham with their advertising dollars.
As an owner of a respected advertising agency, I would be ashamed to have one of our clients’ good names connected to this contest.
ANDREA GRAHAM
Graham Silberg Sugarman
Advertising, Los Angeles
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