Controversy over New Jersey Beauty Queen Amy Polumbo so exaggerated

The story that stands out this morning is the one about how some unknown blackmailer has been trying to embarrass New Jersey Beauty Queen Amy Polumbo. The person took pictures off of Amy's private FaceBook Page and then mailed copies threatening to expose her unless she quit her position as Miss America.

The best interview with her was by Matt Lauer at The Today Show -- he is a class act! Amy had NBC show the pictures to deflate what we have all become used to: expecting the salacious worst of people. Turns out the pictures are really nothing but the images that you might find in anyone's photo albums. She's just having fun with her friends including her boyfriends. Some embarrassing? Maybe. But serious enough to suggest she is not a role model. Puhlease!

Polumbo is like any young person. Give them a break to be young. Do we now have to watch what photos we take of our children acting like children, fearing that maybe they might come back to haunt them?

I think the photos show Amy to be just a normal girl, someone who is having nice clean fun.

If people are upset because two of the dozens of photos suggest some compromosing positions (no nudity, just some mild sexual implications), then let them start by taking on the real problem we have in society, the excessives that we see everyday and night on our television and media. Bad words. Sex. Violence. We see those every day.

-- Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com