Beauty pageants should not be banned. I will admit that there are problems, but it is a knee-jerk reaction to ban them and it is a reaction that does not address the real problem at hand. Beauty is a positive reality that should be recognized and praised by society. Women, and yes, even girls, have the amazing ability to define beauty through their compassion, wit, generosity, charm, and yes, even their physical appearance. Society should be permitted to acknowledge this beauty.

The problem lies within the current definition of beauty, that is, what is sexually stimulating which is like examining a grain of wet sand and defining it as shoreline. Concerning underage beauty pageants, the innocence of a child makes her beautiful. It is wrong to mask this beauty with artificial paraphernalia that reduces her innocent beauty to a sexually stimulating icon, which is what many of the current underage beauty pageants are doing.

For every stage in life there is a beauty that has every right to be acknowledged, not altered to fit the looks and desires that are meant for another time. Judges are to blame for this. They hold the power to choose those young girls who are supported by loving and caring families who respect the age and desires of their little girl; instead judges pick those parents who have not accepted the qualities of their child and wish to shape them into an entirely new human being that caters to the fancy of a perverse society. All this could be discouraged if the pageants upheld the dignity of the child.

For those individuals who commented about the expense and/or obsession of the pageants. There is not a valid argument here. If the parents feel that they have the resources to fund their child's hobbies they should have the freedom to do so. Be reminded that those parents who involve their child in sports also spend large amounts of money for equipment and travel expenses. They may also pressure their children to come out on top and live vicariously through their child's athletic abilities. Should we outlaw sports? Of course not!

In response to those who say that the self-esteem of the child is at stake, let me remind you that when turning on the television, walking into a mall or grocery store, or even talking to a group of girls in school may cause a child to struggle with their self image. We all say that we want children to be confident, but when do we really enforce the fact that every woman is beautiful. Magazines will tell you that girls must be such and such a weight, wear such and such brand or style of clothing, and dye your hair this color before you can be sexy, hot, or pretty. Fat jokes are one of the most common means of bullying. Girls will ostracize one another for not conforming to the physical standards of their clique. Girls in the fourth grade come to school in skirts that barely cover their behind and skin tight, thigh high black boots. A child getting offended in a beauty pageant is the tip of the iceberg. Outlawing beauty pageants is just putting a band aid on the cancer. We must redefine beauty so that we can give it the praise that it rightfully deserves.