Column for March 1, 2012

Normally, I would be congratulatory towards someone who has won a beauty pageant, ahem, I mean “scholarship program”.  Not necessarily this time, though.  A while ago, I read that a pretty young lady, Bindhu Pamarthi, won the 2012 Miss Johnston County pageant and will represent our county at the Miss North Carolina pageant.  I have seen a few pictures of her and Bindhu is a very attractive, young lady of Indian extraction.  Her ethnic makeup does not bother me in the least bit.  Sure, I may look around Johnston County and see a whole lot of White, Black,  and Hispanic people and not many Indian or Asian folks.  Still, it does not bother me in the least bit.

I was going to write about this earlier, but I am glad that I held off for a few weeks.  The Miss Johnston County web site was finally updated with information on our new winner, complete with a biography and pictures.  She seems to be an intelligent and accomplished young lady.  She is currently a student at UNC.  According to the official pageant web site, her mother is from Chapel Hill.  Wait, did I just type Chapel Hill?  Yes, I did, apparently.  Chapel Hill?  Since when is Chapel Hill in Johnston County?  And this is not the first time that Bindhu has participated in a Johnston County pageant.  In 2007, she was crowned Miss Johnston County Outstanding Teen.  Back then she was listed as being from Cary.  Other news sources also said that Mrs. Pamarthi is from Cary rather than Chapel Hill, so there are conflicting reports.  To my last recollection, Cary wasn’t in Johnston County, either.

When I checked last year’s winner, prior to the pageant web site update, I saw that the winner was from Raleigh.  Now that is closer to Johnston County, but still definitely not JoCo.  I have lived in North Carolina more than half of my life.  The first nine years I lived in Raleigh and the last fifteen have been in Johnston County.  I think I know the difference in both geography and culture.  The official pageant rules, however, do state that “contestants must be between the ages of 17-24 and must be a resident or student of Johnston, Wake, Harnett, Sampson, Wilson, Nash, or Wayne Counties.”  With a residence of Cary being in Wake County, young Ms. Pamarthi would qualify.  Chapel Hill is like Berkley East, a bastion of liberal and socialist thought in North Carolina.  But for that matter, Cary is pretty close.   

Personally, I think that the Miss Johnston County pageant should have questions like, “What are your views on extending bow hunting season on white tailed deer?” and “What is your favorite brand of hunting scope and why?”  For an evening gown competition, it should be compulsory for each contestant to carry their favorite firearm.  Now if a beauty pageant required the displaying of firearms, as a Second Amendment enthusiast, I would go watch and actually feel like I am in Johnston County, regardless of from whence the contestants come.  I would be right there paying more attention to the weaponry, commenting “Look at the Picatinny Rail System on that AR-15!”

I almost feel like having a Miss Johnston County being from Cary is like having someone from the Wake County Board of Commissioners serve as my elected official.  It just isn’t right being represented by someone outside of my county.  Each and every year, I have seen bunches of pageant winners here in Johnston County, especially making appearances in Christmas parades across the county.  Some are beautiful young ladies.  Some are heifers with tiaras.  Nonetheless, if they are from Johnston County, then great.

Bindhu Pamarthi’s mother happens to lead the Miss India North Carolina pageant.  Obviously, their family is into talent and beauty competitions.  Forget the fact that most people in Johnston County can’t pronounce her name, if Bindhu was from Johnston County, I wouldn’t have a problem with her being our pageant winner or representing our county.  But Chapel Hill or Cary?  Really??  Obviously, pageant rules do not exclude people from outside the county from taking a county crown.  To me, that is sad.