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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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This would have been the Samizdata quote of the day if the Samizdata quote of the day had not already been taken Yes indeed:
Miss Israel has been given permission not to carry her assault rifle during service in the Israeli army because she says it bruises her legs.
This has everything that a Samizdata quote of the day should have. It is about a beauty queen. It is not just something said by or about some dreary politician. Plus, guns are involved.
But: Is this decision evidence that Israel is going soft, or does it display a fine understand of the balance that must always be struck between the needs of national defence and the need not to damage that which is being defended?
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Should I be worried that the website for “beauty queen” goes to “missworld.TV”???
If it’s bruising her legs shes carrying it wrong. Still, perhaps as it’s a special case they might issue her with a pistol?
This is a case where every good rule needs the occasional exception. I agree with John. Give her a pistol instead.
I contemplated a career in the Royal Navy
but decided against it because being a very skinny person, those great big Alec Guinness type binoculars would be bound to break my sternum.
Whoophee. A story with guns. How exciting…
There’s no way she’s getting a pistol. Pistols are for people who live in very dangerous areas, or for officers who want to look cool and show off. Getting a position which doesn’t require carrying a weapon is much more likely (and seems to be what happened).
Still, I’m not sure how the rifle is bruising her legs, Maybe her back would make sense, but even then, she must be a very fragile creature.
This reminds me of the story a few years ago when teen star Yael Bar-Zohar was in the army and was permitted not to shower with her fellow female soldiers, because they got too jealous (or so the story goes.) That’s a people’s army for you.
Got to give props to the headline editor:
“Israeli beauty queen downs arms to save legs”
Ther is hope for journalism after all.
Of course it is a PR stunt. A rather splendid one in fact.
It shows an admirable attitude to the relative importance of beauty, rules and violence.