Little Liz, dwarf Haitian woman evicted from the Boulder County Fair

According to this article in the Longmont Times-Call two complaints to county commissioners resulted in the closure of a carnival side show feature that included Little Liz, reputedly the shortest woman in the world at 29 inches in vertical displacement. It was all about the "ick factor", which should make Liz feel good. In an ostensibly free country it seems odd that a group of elected officials could terminate the employment of someone who is breaking no known law.

The Times-Call article includes the names of almost all of the pertinent characters involved in this deplorable incident, Little Liz, the commissioners, the carnival owner, etc. But, as usual, we don't learn the names of those offended enough by the sight of Little Liz to complain to the authorities and compromise her livelihood. Such is the state of affairs in the land of the free and the home of the anonymous.

 Another aspect of the coverage of this affair is the comment by one of the officials involved: "The disadvantage to this is now the woman is out of work and unable to pay any medical or living expenses for those three days," said fair coordinator Laura Boldt." Boldt's statement would seem to imply that Little Liz, or perhaps anyone else, pays continuously for medical expenses. It's doubtful that the diminutive attraction makes a daily payment for medical insurance or visits a doctor daily. This is reflective of this society's obsession with not health per se, but its financial relationship with the health industry. It may be possible that Little Liz could be struck by lightning as she poses for photos by the rubes of Longmont and incur large medical costs but the risk seems smaller than her.