Madeline Crabb
Miss USA: What kind of role model is she?
By Madeline Crabb
Whatever happened to rules and standards? Moreover, where have all the good role models gone?
By now everyone has heard about Donald Trump giving "another chance" to Miss USA, Tara Conner. Isn't that sweet? Why, he is even going to send her to rehabilitation because he thinks she has issues with substance and alcohol abuse. While this sounds good, Miss USA claims she doesn't have a problem, but will go to rehabilitation because it will be a "good experience."
Getting help could be a good thing — if she needs help, that is. Furthermore, hasn't the Donald ever heard that before we can be helped, we have to admit we have a problem? Why, that's the first step in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program.
Perhaps Miss USA doesn't have substance/alcohol abuse problems, and doesn't need rehabilitation. But because of her carousing, does she really have what it takes to wear the Miss USA crown? And besides, aren't there rules about what one can and cannot do when they hold such a title? Why, of course there are. But apparently the rules don't matter if we can cry the right way and say the right things, i.e., make the right excuses.
In this case Trump, acting more like Conner is his daughter, is the one making all the excuses. He speaks of her youth and the enticement of the Big Apple to someone so young, insinuating that she is too young and immature to handle the temptation. Oh really? Surely there were a few enticements accompanying all the previous competitions and titles leading up to Miss USA. She can't plead ignorance to the fact there are rules and standards by which beauty contestants must abide.
The real point that is being overlooked in this whole hoopla about Miss USA is that character matters. Our real character is determined by what we do when nobody is looking. One would think Miss USA would have a squeaky clean character because she is supposed to be a role model, and example to millions of young girls. But in our upside down society where even the language has been distorted to portray good as evil and evil as good, the idea of role model has also been skewed.
In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, before we started redefining our words, example meant: A pattern in morals or manners; a copy, or model, that which is proposed or is proper to be imitated; and a person fit to be proposed for a pattern, one whose conduct is worthy of imitation.
According to this definition, and because of her own behavior, the current Miss USA is not a fit role model, or example, to anyone. (Well, maybe to college girls trying out for Girls Gone Wild)
Yes, people like me are called old "fuddy duddies." And maybe we are, but so are the scores of parents and grandparents who are still trying to encourage values and morals in their children and grandchildren.
Does anyone understand what happens when we do away with rules and standards? The result is chaos and anarchy. In today's society we seem hell bent on "having it our way." Besides, "It's all about me," is the new philosophy.
Rules and standards are established to set boundaries for us. God gave us the original "rule book" for our own good. He knew we would self-destruct without rules, just like a Miss USA, or Miss Nevada, a woman who did lose her title.
So for Miss USA, this controversy is all about Tara Conner, what she can get out of the publicity, and how much she can get by with. A person of character would resign her position after admitting she had dishonored, and was unworthy of, the title entrusted to her. Instead, Conner simply said she had always wanted to be a Miss USA. Hmmm...apparently not enough to honor the position by being a woman of integrity.
For Donald Trump, perhaps it's about the publicity. Or maybe it's about his vulnerability for the "weaker sex." Whatever reasons for his decision to give Conner a second chance, he has lowered the bar for what we can expect out of Miss USA.
And for the rest of America, it's about just one more role model we can't depend on. What we don't need is another carousing, boozing, dope-smoking, pill-popping, and heaven-only-knows-what-else-ing example to represent America to the rest of the world.
Oh where is that decent, pure, intelligent beauty queen for little girls to emulate, and the rest of us to respect? To anyone willing to hear....
© Madeline Crabb
Whatever happened to rules and standards? Moreover, where have all the good role models gone?
By now everyone has heard about Donald Trump giving "another chance" to Miss USA, Tara Conner. Isn't that sweet? Why, he is even going to send her to rehabilitation because he thinks she has issues with substance and alcohol abuse. While this sounds good, Miss USA claims she doesn't have a problem, but will go to rehabilitation because it will be a "good experience."
Getting help could be a good thing — if she needs help, that is. Furthermore, hasn't the Donald ever heard that before we can be helped, we have to admit we have a problem? Why, that's the first step in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program.
Perhaps Miss USA doesn't have substance/alcohol abuse problems, and doesn't need rehabilitation. But because of her carousing, does she really have what it takes to wear the Miss USA crown? And besides, aren't there rules about what one can and cannot do when they hold such a title? Why, of course there are. But apparently the rules don't matter if we can cry the right way and say the right things, i.e., make the right excuses.
In this case Trump, acting more like Conner is his daughter, is the one making all the excuses. He speaks of her youth and the enticement of the Big Apple to someone so young, insinuating that she is too young and immature to handle the temptation. Oh really? Surely there were a few enticements accompanying all the previous competitions and titles leading up to Miss USA. She can't plead ignorance to the fact there are rules and standards by which beauty contestants must abide.
The real point that is being overlooked in this whole hoopla about Miss USA is that character matters. Our real character is determined by what we do when nobody is looking. One would think Miss USA would have a squeaky clean character because she is supposed to be a role model, and example to millions of young girls. But in our upside down society where even the language has been distorted to portray good as evil and evil as good, the idea of role model has also been skewed.
In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, before we started redefining our words, example meant: A pattern in morals or manners; a copy, or model, that which is proposed or is proper to be imitated; and a person fit to be proposed for a pattern, one whose conduct is worthy of imitation.
According to this definition, and because of her own behavior, the current Miss USA is not a fit role model, or example, to anyone. (Well, maybe to college girls trying out for Girls Gone Wild)
Yes, people like me are called old "fuddy duddies." And maybe we are, but so are the scores of parents and grandparents who are still trying to encourage values and morals in their children and grandchildren.
Does anyone understand what happens when we do away with rules and standards? The result is chaos and anarchy. In today's society we seem hell bent on "having it our way." Besides, "It's all about me," is the new philosophy.
Rules and standards are established to set boundaries for us. God gave us the original "rule book" for our own good. He knew we would self-destruct without rules, just like a Miss USA, or Miss Nevada, a woman who did lose her title.
So for Miss USA, this controversy is all about Tara Conner, what she can get out of the publicity, and how much she can get by with. A person of character would resign her position after admitting she had dishonored, and was unworthy of, the title entrusted to her. Instead, Conner simply said she had always wanted to be a Miss USA. Hmmm...apparently not enough to honor the position by being a woman of integrity.
For Donald Trump, perhaps it's about the publicity. Or maybe it's about his vulnerability for the "weaker sex." Whatever reasons for his decision to give Conner a second chance, he has lowered the bar for what we can expect out of Miss USA.
And for the rest of America, it's about just one more role model we can't depend on. What we don't need is another carousing, boozing, dope-smoking, pill-popping, and heaven-only-knows-what-else-ing example to represent America to the rest of the world.
Oh where is that decent, pure, intelligent beauty queen for little girls to emulate, and the rest of us to respect? To anyone willing to hear....
© Madeline Crabb
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