Miss Jamaica World 2006, Sara Lawrence
Posted on 03/26/2007 12:32:33 PM PDT by Froufrou
The decision by Miss Jamaica World 2006 to give up her crown rather than have an abortion has sparked a row over 23-year-old Sara Lawrence, a safe-sex advocate who placed sixth in the Miss World pageant last year.
Lawrence, who also won the Miss World Caribbean title and is the first Miss Jamaica to lose her crown, shocked the nation March 13 when she announced she was pregnant.
Her statement said she had ''taken a deeply personal decision to face up to my responsibilities as one who expects to become a mother later this year'' and added: ``I believe . . . it is my moral obligation to do what I believe to be ethically correct and follow what I believe in my heart to be right.''
Miss Jamaica World pageant authorities called her pregnancy the result of ''an error of judgment'' and raised the issue of abortion in this way: ``There was another way out of the predicament that Sara found herself to be in, and many, perhaps most, young women would have chosen that path.''
Mickey Haughton-James, the pageant promoter, praised Lawrence. ''As is typical of her, she is doing so in a forthright manner, with class and in keeping with her moral dictates,'' he said.
What has made Lawrence's revelation so hard for many Jamaicans to accept is that in her capacity as Miss World Caribbean she was an advocate for safe sex and won many accolades for her work with children with HIV/AIDS.
Pageant rules stipulate that contestants must not bring into disrepute the Miss Jamaica or Miss World title or the promoter or any other person associated with them; they must never have been legally married or given birth.
Haughton-James described Lawrence's actions as potentially harming those interests.
''When I won the Miss Jamaica title, there was just some things that you could not do,'' said Lisa Hanna, who was Miss Jamaica in 1993 and later went on to win the Miss World title. ``When I heard the news, my heart went out to her.''
Despite the condemnations, however, Julia Morley, founder and chairman of the Miss World Ltd. has written to the local promoters, making it clear that Sara Lawrence will not be stripped of the Miss World Caribbean title. Morley has advised the head of the local pageant, Haughton-James, to do likewise.
Lawrence has also found a friend in Miss World 1976, Cindy Breakspeare. The former beauty queen now turned show promoter incurred the wrath of the Jamaican public when she got pregnant for a married Bob Marley and later gave birth to a son, reggae superstar Damian ''Junior Gong'' Marley.
Sounds like a new story for Greta to follow.
I've never understood all the chastity stuff, with women parading around showing more and more of themselves every year. Slutty angel doesn't play well with me.
James ping!
Her baby will bring her joy a lot longer then some stupid crown would. Good for her!
Miss Jamaica World 2006, Sara Lawrence
Wait, I'm not saying it right. Contestants are judged almost like prize-winning heifers, and yet are held to 'higher standards' than many who are role models. It doesn't seem fair.
A bit judgmental. This woman had a lot to lose and she chose the right thing, even under a world media. None of us live up our standards; let me rephrase that. I don't, although I try. I don't know about you. But what she is doing is courageous.
Pregnancy as a predicament?? WTF!!!!!!!!
It IS courageous! Anyway, she WON the title. If they take the crown, so what? She'd have to give it up next year, anyway. Unlike the baby! "Predicament" indeed! Millee's right! ;o)
Good to see you, twigs!
I hope she looks even better after the baby!
Bravo ma'am .... now get married to the father.
What if its Donald Trump LOL
"Pregnancy as a predicament?"
More like a postdickament, wouldn't you say?
She did not call it that...a rep for the competition did....
whoever that rep is SHAME ON HER double.
>>>``I believe . . . it is my moral obligation to do what I believe to be ethically correct and follow what I believe in my heart to be right.''<<<
Forget beauty queen, this woman is a superhero. The whole world will not understand why she gave up a crown and celebrity, any real mother would, most certainly!
God bless and good luck, Sara!
"``I believe . . . it is my moral obligation to do what I believe to be ethically correct and follow what I believe in my heart to be right.''"
NOW she has morals! Well, better late then never. When's the wedding?
She's hot. They should name a college after her.
Then they need to ask all applicants if they have ever had an abortion, with notice that if they lie, and facts come out later that they lied, they lose the crown.
If they deem the acts of having gotten pregnant and giving the unborn child life to be less honorable than the contestant having gotten pregnant and murdering her preborn child, they waste everyone's time to put out any moral yardstick, for what use is a murderer as a role model?
I think "Junior Gongs" are the root of all such problems.
"why waste everyone's time to put out any moral yardstick, for what use is a murderer as a role model?"
Excellent point!
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