U.N. Upholds Ban on 'Dwarf Throwing'

Reuters ^ | September 27, 2002 | Reuters

[stilts]

GENEVA (Reuters) - A tiny stuntman who protested against a French ban on the bizarre practice of "dwarf throwing" lost his case before a U.N. human rights body, which said the need to protect human dignity was paramount.

Manuel Wackenheim had argued the 1995 ban by France's highest administrative court was discriminatory and deprived him of a job being hurled around discotheques by burly men.

In a statement Friday the U.N. Human Rights Committee said it was satisfied "the ban on dwarf-tossing was not abusive but necessary in order to protect public order, including considerations of human dignity." The committee also said the ban "did not amount to prohibited discrimination."

The pastime, imported from the United States and Australia in the 1980s, consists of people throwing tiny stuntmen as far as possible, usually in a bar or discotheque.

The stuntman wears a crash helmet and padded clothing which has handles on the back to facilitate throwing the human projectile.

The Frenchman, who measures 1.14 meter (3 ft 10 inches), filed his case in 1999 with the U.N. committee made up of 18 independent experts who examine states' compliance with the 1976 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

[stilts]

And who says the UN doesn't do any important work? They are reading a peacekeeping force that will occupy French Discos. Fortunately, they are not expecting any resistence.

No doubt, the Human Rights Court postponed work on some of the trivial matters before them, such as Sudanese slavery, to focus their full attention on this pressing threat to human dignity.

[Texasforever]

You just can't make this stuff up. LOL

[Texasforever]

Kofi they're at me again...HELP!

[Michael.SF.]

"U.N. human rights body, which said the need to protect human dignity was paramount."

Sure, Christians are beig killed in India or pakistan, and the Chinese are jailing anyone with a cross and round eyes, White African farmers are being butchered faster then cattle at a Mac Donald's ranch and Sadaam is about to nuke Israel, but lets go after the French dwarf tossers.

Glad to see the UN is sticking to what it does best.

[MJY1288]

Yup, Kofi Annan and the U.N. can really make a stand can they not? The pressing issue of Dwarf Throwing is far more important than their security resolutions or the fact that one of their members who sits on the Human Rights committee (Mugabe) is ordering his lieutenants to take the farms away from the white's in his country and if they resist he has them killed.

Yup Dwarf Throwing is definately the top priority

[Mo1]

In a statement Friday the U.N. Human Rights Committee said it was satisfied "the ban on dwarf-tossing was not abusive but necessary in order to protect public order, including considerations of human dignity."

dwarf-tossing ???

What in the world .. oh never mind .. LOL

[HiTech RedNeck]

What other countries have willingly yielded their sovereignty to the UN like France has? The French ban on dwarf tossing might be a totally B.S. law, but it's still France's law and France should not let its sovereignty be brought to its knees before a "world court."

[HiTech RedNeck]

What other countries have willingly yielded their sovereignty to the UN like France has? The French ban on dwarf tossing might be a totally B.S. law, but it's still France's law and France should not let its sovereignty be brought to its knees before a "world court."

(I mean... think of what would have happened if the UN had decided differently. Cheese eating surrender monkey time.)

[stilts]

The french love hating the Americans but what the heck do they know. Just look at the few things they do take from American culture: Dwarf-throwing and Jerry Lewis.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that as therapy for the French national psyche they dress the midget in a German uniform before tossing him.

[afuturegovernor]

The one entertaining part of French culture gets banned --- lol!

[DoughtyOne]

Yeah, but what'll they use Kofi for now, a rugby ball?

[Bobby777]

lemme see ...

it's OK for some knucklehead organization to give the "Nobel Peace Prize" to the most successful terrorist of the 20th century, Yasser Arafat and for said pig to address the U.N. and be applauded and feted by idiotic U.N. members ... who also do not condemn attacks on Israeli citizens or Americans ...

However, dwarfs who want to make a few extra bucks, while wearing safety gear mind you, cannot be "tossed" ...

OK, I think I've got it ... time for the U.S. military to bomb the U.N. out of America ... they should start there and THEN go after Saddam ... sheesh ... what a bunch of idiots wasting their time on nothing ... where are they on the slaughter in the Sudan and Burkina Faso? ... the U.N. was an idiotic idea to begin with and gets worse each day ...

[flying Elvis]

Looks like Daschle's career options have just become even more limited once he leaves office.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that as therapy for the French national psyche they dress the midget in a German uniform before tossing him.

No no no. More like they enjoyed being tossed by giant Germans dressed as Nazis.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Ping. Whose nonsense idea was it to subjugate their country's legal system to the UN in the first place?

[SantosLHalper]

U.N. Upholds Ban on 'Dwarf Throwing'

Damn! There go my plans for the weekend.

[American in Israel]

Bttt! How scary that there are people who actualy want to cede our constitution to these Bozos. Re-education camps with ovens staffed by the UN for America, while the color of your shoelaces is mandated by law. What part of freedom can't these bean counters understand?

Why do we send American taxpayer money to the UN so that they can enforce Frances dwarf tossing laws? They obviously have far to much staff, money and time on their hands.

[Samwise]

Nobody tosses a dwarf.

ROFLMAO

[RaceBannon]

Good Grief, I won that contest once! Threw him 7 feet!