Florida Rep. Ritch Workman (R) was on a crusade of sorts. Since 1980, Florida law has banned "dwarf-tossing" — the practice in which liquored-up humans of ordinary stature toss about humans of smaller stature for the pure, drunken hell of it. It was an afront to the freedom of the diminutive, said Workman. Smallfolk, like bigfolk and mediumfolk, should have the freedom to be tossed if they damned well want to be.
But Workman's giving up the fight, reports HuffPo:
After the repeal effort was reported, Workman said he was contacted by little people from all over America who asked him to reconsider.
"They are lawyers, elected officials and all struggle to get past that carnival thing from 100 year ago," he told Florida Today. "I had a doctor, a lovely woman from New York, call me and say, 'Has anyone ever stopped you on the street and hugged you? Rubbed your head? Taken pictures of you? I said, 'No.'"
"She said, 'Well, I'm a doctor, and people think I'm some sort of circus clown," he continued. "And although I agree that I should have the right to be tossed in a bar if I want to, can you please stop talking about this?'
At that point, Workman decided to stop fighting for the repeal, adding, "Not because I'm wrong on the liberty issue, but sometimes human dignity needs to prevail."
HuffPo proceeds to mention several advocacy groups and individuals who are relieved that Workman's dropped the repeal effort, and ends with a quote from Dave "The Dwarf" Flood (pictured above), an entertainer and radio personality who feels rather differently. Dave's been tossed before, as part of his work:
If I was 7 feet tall, I'd be playing basketball … Being short gives me an advantage in dwarf tossing. I'm just playing the hand that's been dealt me.
