Guantanamo "fun" - Miss Universe

Guantanamo "fun" - Miss Universe

news.bbc.co.uk

Life may be tough for its full-time residents, but for Miss Universe a day out at the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay was simply "a loooot of fun!"

Venezuelan beauty queen Dayana Mendoza visited the centre and wrote about it on the Miss Universe blog on 27 March.

Her remarks that she "didn't want to leave" the "calm and beautiful" place attracted some scathing reactions.

We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how they recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting."

She goes on to extol the virtues of the water around the bay - "soooo beautiful!" - and ends her entry: "I didn't want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful."

(visit the link for the full news article)





[edit on 1/4/2009 by Iamonlyhuman]

At first I thought this was an April Fools Day joke but then I saw that the Miss Universe Organization issued a statement and said it had taken her remarks off of the website. "Instead, a statement from the organisation's president, Paula M Shugart, has been posted explaining that Ms Mendoza's visit was part of a programme of "goodwill tours to visit the men and women in uniform who serve our country around the world".



news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

It just continues to get sillier and sillier doesn't it? Miss Universe at Guantanamo Bay... Brilliant.

[edit on 1-4-2009 by CuriousSkeptic]

It all depends on where you are, why you are there and what you're doing while you're there.

I'm sure for some thinking of Brazil conjures up parties and beaches and booze while for others Brazil means ghetto, murders and rampant crime.

*I know Gitmo has nothing to do with Brazil. I'm just using it as an example.

Theres two meetings of the minds...I'll bet she thinks that Water Boarding has something to do with Surfing. Inteligence is on the rise at Gitmo.

USO tours of military bases and installations are nothing new. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, etc. Granted Miss Venezuela might not be on par talent-wise with the classic USO performers, but the article states that her visit to Gitmo was part of a goodwill tour.

Oh, I know, the words she said on her blog seem stupid, but she shouldn't be criticized for recalling what she thought were the best parts of her trip; which was helping to boost morale of troops stationed in Guantanamo. The contrast of her comments to the atrocities of Gitmo is without question, of course. However, this just seems like more media fodder for causing controversy and raising advertising dollars, more than anything else.

Give the girl a break, she was just doing her job. That she found the detainee's quarters "interesting" is nothing to hang her over.

Hence the danger of using a beauty pageant winner as a voice of reason/role model.

Seriously, and sorry ladies, but we as a population put to much credence into someone's claim to authority for the stupidest reasons.

I can't believe she did that...the worst part is probably how confused she is over the reason it is being frowned on...:shk:

This must be april fools right?

Originally posted by MemoryShock
I can't believe she did that...the worst part is probably how confused she is over the reason it is being frowned on...:shk:

People will be offended by anything. Even when nothing offensive was done or said. Inference is the mind killer sometimes.

[edit on 1-4-2009 by Hari Seldon]

Originally posted by Hari Seldon
USO tours of military bases and installations are nothing new. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, etc. Granted Miss Venezuela might not be on par talent-wise with the classic USO performers, but the article states that her visit to Gitmo was part of a goodwill tour.

Oh, I know, the words she said on her blog seem stupid, but she shouldn't be criticized for recalling what she thought were the best parts of her trip; which was helping to boost morale of troops stationed in Guantanamo. The contrast of her comments to the atrocities of Gitmo is without question, of course. However, this just seems like more media fodder for causing controversy and raising advertising dollars, more than anything else.

Give the girl a break, she was just doing her job. That she found the detainee's quarters "interesting" is nothing to hang her over.

Bob Hope & Bing Crosby & Judy Garland were talented & the troops actually glad to see them ok Judy was a substance abuser, but talented none the less. Not only that but everyone knew who they were not just the troops, but literally everyone in the known universe. I on the other hand have not one clue who this young beauty is, nor do I care. Another Pop Tart flavor of the month does not mean intelligence or talent. USO shows were/are great but unfortunately we now live in largely talentless/non-intelligent show biz age. Except for the Rolling Stones(Biased Musician remark).

[edit on 1-4-2009 by smokehouseslim]

[edit on 1-4-2009 by smokehouseslim]

reply to post by smokehouseslim


Well, if you don't know who the lady is, how do you know how talented she might be?

Doesn't matter, the point is that she was there for the troops' benefit, not ours. She said some things, which back in Garland's time might have been met with an extremely less cynical and hostile public.

Anyway, it's just media manipulation of context. Be offended if you like.

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


Honestly?

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - is fun? Did she happen to bump into Omar Khadr while she was there? And ask him just how FUN it is to be woken up and change prison cells every few hours? (By the way, he's been there since he was a kid). Did she ask about the speculated methods of torture used on prisoners?

But what my real question is, why the hell was a beauty queen down there in the first place? What is the motivation behind having a woman like her (no offense to beauty queens, if there are any in the house tonight) down there to take a tour? Publicity for her? or Positive publicity for the base?

To soften the "look" of what the prison is? To make it look fluffy and comfy? To make it look peaceful and fun?

So that she can report back to all those young girls who idolize her, that "it wasn't all that bad"? So that the rest of us here who are inclined to believe anything and everything we read, will actually think that having this base operating, is a good idea...?

- Carrot

Guantanamo Bay, the new destination tourist resort for the terrorist that needs a break from it all.

Habibi, are you tired from lugging that RPG around firing off rounds at those American infidels? Having trouble committing to that suicide bomber assignment? Can't quite concentrate on that IED?

Well you need a vacation! Visit Guantanamo Bay Cuba! The premier destination resort made exclusively for you!

At Gitmo, our guests are so happy they never leave! Our resort features round the clock security, pristine views and amenities you can only find in countries that don't abide by article three of the Geneva convention.

Enjoy the new fantastic sport water boarding, and mingle with our exclusive clientele. At Gitmo, nothing but the best for our guests!

Booking is easy, just simply find your local Marine platoon to begin your vacation today. All packages include one way airfare.

Come on guys, this was on April fools day!

It must be a joke!?