By Sascha Cordner
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-990087.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – As its gaining national attention, some say a recently filed bill to repeal a ban on dwarf tossing is nothing more than a publicity stunt and it puts little people at risk. But, as Sascha Cordner reports, the sponsor of the legislation says his reasons for filing the bill is strictly because he wants Big Brother Government to take a back seat.
"I felt really, really good because we achieved our goal."
About 20 years ago, that's what an 18-year-old Barbara Jones felt when she heard the news that Governor Bob Martinez, the Governor at the time, had signed a bill into law banning the activity of dwarf tossing. Now, 41, Jones says she can't believe this topic is even coming up again. She says it stigmatizes ALL Little people as objects:
"A couple of people had been threatened by someone at a bar, somebody maybe they had too much to drink, maybe they didn't, but they thought it was funny, when they saw a little person, like hey, how would you like me to toss you or are you into the whole dwarf tossing thing?' One person was actually picked up and like, thrown a short distance and so, when we heard that, that made us think something needs to be done."
Dwarf tossing usually happens at a bar, where an average-sized person can toss a little person with their consent for money. It mostly happened during Spring Break in the seventies and the eighties.
A three-foot tall Barbara Jones says that's just wrong and was instrumental in convincing the 6-foot-7 former Senator Al Lawson to institute a ban on the activity. Lawson says at first, people thought it was all a gimmick, especially based on their difference in height. But, eventually, people took them seriously. Now, though, he thinks the position of Republican Representative Ritch Workman of Melbourne is seen as nothing but a joke:
"So, this is the kind of issue that can be embarrassing to the state of Florida and before I took up the bill, Florida had a black eye for allowing this [the ban]. You find out that a lot of people take it up as a joke. And, a lot of comical type of situations comes out about it. You know, I've been receiving calls from all over the place from talk shows hosts and so forth that really want to talk about it."
The bill caught the attention of late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. In response, Representative Workman says despite what people may think, he is not promoting his repealer bill to the 1989 ban as a job's bill:
"It's easier just to see me as a big beloof that wants to throw little people because there is so many little people who don't want this activity to take place. I totally get it. It conjures up images of freak show for the little people and I feel bad about that because they're doctors and lawyers and CPAs, you name it, they're professional humans with great minds, just like the rest of us, but some of them want to do things that embarrass humans and that's their right."
Workman says he's also been talking to some little people who are on board with his philosophy of making sure state government does not overstep their bounds, with the repeal of the ban on dwarf tossing. He has a supporter in 40-year-old Chad McDaniel, who's 2-foot-8. McDaniel says just because a select group of little people wanted the ban because they think dwarf tossing puts all little people at risk, does not mean it's true:
"You have to stick up for yourself. I don't think this is going to make somebody off the street just want to go and pick up a little person and want to go and throw them around. These are very controlled conditions, from what I understood. And, to say it puts little people at risk, is kind of na ve on the little persons' part."
But, Little People of America Spokeswoman Leah Smith disagrees because she says it does create a social norm on how to treat people with dwarfism. She also mentions some health risks:
"Dwarfs have a little bit different skeletal system and different problems associated with that. So, medical doctors that have specialized in dwarfism are extremely cautious about this because this isn't just some sport that they're doing that oh, you might get hurt, you will get hurt and you will have long-term implications."
Former Senator Al Lawson, Barbara Jones, as well as other little people who helped pass the bill, say if the bill does make it through the legislative Session, they will make sure to speak against it at the Florida Capitol. Chad McDaniel says if he can, he would be in favor of talking for the repeal. So far, Workman has yet to find a Senate Sponsor.