“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb and I also know that I’m not blonde.” – Dolly Parton

We are privileged to live in a country that fights discrimination. Every organization, business and university has a policy of equal opportunity. As a society we each make an effort to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or marital status.

In theory, we are all treated as equals.

But somehow during this progress of equal rights, one group of individuals has been overlooked.

Throughout history, these women has been harassed and ridiculed.

That group is blondes. Think about it.

Blondes are the only sector of society in which it is openly acceptable to mock them.

We all know it, stop living in denial. The dumb blonde jokes are a starting point for every comedian. We are all guilty of laughing at them. We like the amusement. We think the jokes are funny.

You know the classics.

Q: What do you call a blonde with half a brain?

A: Gifted.

Q: How do you drown a blonde?

A: Put a mirror on the bottom of the pool.

Q: Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?

A: She kept throwing out the W’s.

Every time you tell a dumb blonde joke, some sandy-haired girl feels the pain.

But in Brazil last week, blondes everywhere gained a legal victory.

A 32-year-old metalworker sued her boss for $1,300 in moral damages after he repeatedly called her a “dumb blonde” in front of her co-workers.

And she won.

“It is an unprecedented decision on moral damages for blondes,” said Alexandre Santoro, a spokesman for the regional labor court that ruled in the case. “The judge determined that the term `dumb blonde’ violated the dignity of the employee.”

Could this be a turning point in equal rights for “louras burras” around the world?

Where does all this ridicule of straw-colored hair women stem from? Why were blondes chosen to represent the stupid of society?

According to an unofficial-supporter-of-blondes Web site, www.blondes.net, the answer is simple.

The root of blonde jokes comes from the jealousy brunettes have for their fair-haired female competition.

The site explains how Roman women would dye their hair blonde with quicklime, wood ash and old wine because they were envious of the fair-haired German women brought back as captives by their husbands.

Blondes represent beauty, so they are hated universally by redheads and brunettes.

The proof lies in the fairy tales we heard as children. In these stories, blondes such as Cinderella end up with Prince Charming while the dark-haired witch is killed.

Not to mention the most popular doll in the world: Barbie.

But after centuries of mockery, golden-haired girls have been looking some type of representation.

So the International Blonde Association was formed in 1997 after these women had endured”enough of the jibes and the piss taking,” according to the Web site.

The group also works to further the status of blondes and their culture.

At this first meeting with Pamela Anderson Lee opening the proceeding, the group talked about organizing local blonde societies and branch offices throughout the world.

“A membership campaign was launched concentrating on secretary training schools, hairdresser training schools and nurses training schools,” as reported on the Web site.

After browsing this Web site for a short time, I came to one quick conclusion – this site is nothing more than another example of mockery.

So blondes continue to get a bad rap. We live in a culture where it’s not OK to tell racist jokes. It’s impolite to recite anti-Christian jokes. Why is it socially acceptable to ridicule someone based on their hair color?

So I speak to all the sun-kissed heads on campus. Stop this blonde-bashing. Be proud of your hair color.

Put down your bottles of Sun-In and copies of Cosmo magazines and unite for the better treatment of blondes.

And then we will finally have a world where people are not judged on their golden locks.

Michelle Kann is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Garnavillo. She is newsroom managing editor of the Daily.