I`m small 4`10.5`, I don`t mind being called a dwarf. I now know that I am not a dwarf and if I were called a dwarf, I would find it offensive because there is a difference. Many humans are dwarves, but there are only a few dwarves. I like to see people who are smaller than me. Anyway, we are cute and small. Dwarf, comes from the word mosquito “little fly” + -and, so a dwarf is etymologically a “very small fly”. The first mention of the word is in 1848 in Canada with the meaning of “sandfly”. In Old English, it was “mycg”, and it goes back to an Indo-European root, *mu-, which also gave the word mosquito and musket in a roundabout way. This article explores some legal and philosophical issues surrounding the practice of dwarf throwing, the sport in which dwarves are thrown for fun and profit. Part I provides an overview. Part II provides some general information about sport.

Part III analyzes the body as a property argument and tentatively concludes that individuals have the absolute right to deal with their bodies as they see fit. Part IV examines whether the balancing argument is a valid limitation of the ownership argument and concludes that this is not the case. Part V deals with the argument that dwarf throwing should be prohibited or restricted for reasons of public order. Part VI asks whether dwarf throwing should be prohibited and concludes that there is no valid argument for prohibiting or restricting the practice. I am a very small person and people used to call me “dwarf” especially when I was in school. Sometimes they used the word “dwarf,” but dwarf seemed funnier to them. I am not offended at all. It never bothered me that I was small, nor did it affect my quality of life, unless you consider the inability to buy fashionable clothes a tragedy. My short stature is not the direct result of genetics, but of early malnutrition and disease. I think people need to develop a sense of humor and learn to be less offended by words. For me, it was always the intention of the speaker that determined whether I should be offended. I guess some of us are politically incorrect.

My mother was 4`8″ tall and liked to consider herself a dwarf. She made it clear that she was not a dwarf – which is passed down genetically. She was just small. I don`t think anyone uses the term “dwarf” as a professional diagnosis. The one who wrote “I`m actually a big shrunken person,” I think I`ll use it. Anyway, I`m also a bit short; I am usually up to the shoulders or middle of the chest of those around me. I stand on my counter to reach my kitchen cupboards because the stools are too small for my little legs and arms to reach high enough. I am often called dwarf or my nickname – Short Shit – and I am not offended in any way. I don`t understand why people make such a fuss about it. Honestly, grow up.

And think about it – being small isn`t always a bad thing. It`s often easier to escape when you need to. And damn, if people didn`t pick on me from time to time because I`m little, I thought they wouldn`t like me. But obviously, they love me enough to notice my brevity and take the time to think about it long enough to hack me for it. Not to mention, you hardly have to duck under things. And if you`re a little girl who likes a tall/medium-sized guy, this gives you an excuse to talk to him (Hey, I can`t match that up there, could you get it for me?). Have you ever heard the saying, “These are the little ones you need to pay attention to?” In other words, we may be small, but we are weak. Seriously, guys, get over it. It`s a name.

It`s not the end of the world. And if you`re angry because it`s “wrong,” point out that they`re wrong and they`re done. Did your mother ever tell you as a child to ignore bullies at school? Why try to run away from it or make a big deal out of it – I kiss him. And as I sometimes liked to say, I`m not small, everyone is just tall 🙂 When the words were coined, “dwarf” meant a person who is small but does not have disproportionate limbs or other body parts. On the other hand, “dwarf” referred to a person who is small and has a disproportionate number of body parts. A dwarf was small but proportionate, while the growth of a dwarf was a handicap. While the terms may be offensive to a group or individuals, they are a historical description that can be helpful in distinguishing the two. For example, I gave my grade 7 class a task of comparison and contrast. One student chose dwarf/dwarf. Pituitary or disease-related dwarfism would have been lost, as would the lesson of compassion and understanding that arose for the whole class.

I think the terms used have helped my students become much more tolerant individuals. Although there are many problems associated with dwarfism, dwarves are not plagued by these problems. Dwarves are normal people whose size is atrophied. In the case of dwarves, the physical conditions that affect them are: malformed bones, nerve compression, joint diseases and disoriented growth of certain organs. Proportional dwarfism – dwarf conditions that cause the arms, legs, trunk and head to be in the same proportion (relative height to each other) as an average-sized person – is often the result of hormonal deficiency and can be treated medically, resulting in average or near-average height. There are no such treatments for people of disproportionate short stature.