Trump to Miss USA: You're . . . 21?(!)

Tara Conner, who has just turned 21 (legal), has been given a second chance. She apparently humiliated herself, privately, to Donald Trump's satisfaction, so she was given an opportunity to become the latest celebrity poster-girl for sobriety.

Boo-fucking-Hoo!

Tara Conner has agreed to go into a rehabilitation program for an unspecified problem and would not be stripped of the title of Miss USA 2006.

Conner tearfully told reporters at the news conference that she realizes she is a role model and denied reports of widespread problems with alcohol and drugs.

"I wouldn't say that I am an alcoholic. That would be pushing the envelope a little bit," she said. "I don't have a problem with anything like that."

Where's his other hand?

We here at Escape Velocity would like to congratulate Ms. Conner for using her head on . . . er, uh, with The Donald and wish her success in overcoming her non-problem. As we all know, the first step to recovery is denying you have a problem.

Tara Conner joins a growing list of celebrity bad girls that includes Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and others. And, like the rest of them, Tara is permitted to act outrageously, break laws, shed a few tears, bat her eyes and get a pass. Then she'll do some bogus rehab time before reassuming the mantle of "role model".

It is all bullshit. If the board members of the Miss USA Pageant and Donald Trump want young women to learn something from the Tara Conner debacle, she should have been stripped of her title and fired.

The lesson to be learned would be actions have consequences. Behave yourself. Don't fuck up.

But in the land of second, third and fourth chances (for celebrities only) ordinary little girls and young women must learn the harsh reality of that lesson for themselves.. There are no second chances for ordinary citizens. Drunk driving, drug possession and car accidents have life ruining consequences. The law doesn't care if they are young or pretty or how much they cry and "Tara got away with it" is not an acceptable argument in a court of law.

The next time The Donald wants to exhibit his trumped up compassion, maybe he should think of the message he is sending to the rest of us. Rank has privilege . . . and this is as rank as it gets.

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