Soccer Dad

Beauty queens and fire arms

The bad

A former Miss Pima County and current University of Arizona law school student has been freed on bond and authorities are searching for an ex-boyfriend accused of helping her kidnap and assault another former boyfriend.

An indictment and police descriptions of Kumari Fulbright's alleged actions in early December seem to contradict her public persona as a Tucson beauty queen and serious student who just finished a semester as an unpaid extern for a federal judge.

The 25-year-old, midway through her second year in law school, faces a long prison term if convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.

A Dec. 18 indictment in Pima County Superior Court accused Fulbright of forcibly holding and torturing a 24-year-old former boyfriend 10 days earlier with the help of three other men, including an earlier ex.

Pillage Idiot found another blogger who observed

... that this woman was planning to bump the guy off: "The really scary part of this story is that she was obviously planning to kill him. You can't kidnap, rob, assault and torture someone who KNOWS YOUR NAME and then release him."

Dr. Helen sees, in the responses, more evidence that people minimize the severity of crimes when they are committed by women.

With this attitude, it's no wonder women's acts of violence are held to a double standard and not taken as seriously as men's. Women are sexy and cute if they commit violent acts or they are forced to act violently because of the actions of a man. They are not autonomous beings who are responsible for their own behavior. How sexist is that?

The good.

For the past 6 years, Jill Stevens has been serving in the US Military as a Combat Medic in the Utah National Guard, while earning her degree in Nursing at Southern Utah University. In November 2003, Jill was deployed to Afghanistan, returning home in April 2005. She has earned 5 medals for her outstanding service, and was the first female finisher of the inaugural Afghanistan Marathon, making a total of 12 marathons she has completed together with earning the highest Fitness award during Army Basic Training. In representing the Army National Guard, Sergeant Stevens recently addressed Generals from 40 different nations gathered at Hill Air Force Base.

In addition to her US Military service, Jill recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Nursing program at Southern Utah University on a four-year leadership scholarship. Last summer, she placed 3rd in the Cinco De Mayo Sailboat Regatta in Mexico, and this summer, Jill was chosen one of four women for the “Women of Strength” featured in Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazine September/October 2007 issue. Additionally, Jill has been a fitness instructor for Gold’s Gym for several years, as well as a bread baker for Great Harvest. Possibly one of the most unusual adventures for Jill though, has been her unexpected experience in becoming Miss Utah 2007, and looking forward to her national competition in the Miss America Pageant in January 2008.

(Here's a nice bit from Fire Ant Gazette providing background about a soldier who was visited by Jill Stevens. And a follow-up.)

According to Newsweek Stevens is not the first Miss America to work in the military. Miss Tennessee 1992, Miss California 1992 and Miss New York 2001 all had credentials in the service, according to pageant officials. But Stevens is the first to serve in a combat zone—and the first to enjoy the benefit of such public support from Uncle Sam, an asset that provides a boost as the big night draws near. "I love it. These guys are like brothers and, once again, they've got my back," Stevens says.

Jill Stevens is listed as on of Top 10 Women Who Inspired In 2007 (h/t Don Surber.)

The pretty
Hello Kitty Assault-Like Rifle. A what? (h/t Volokh)

beauty queens, guns.