From: hheagy@delphi.com
Subject: Re: MR. MAGOO CONCERNS
On 1997-07-07 NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org said:
 NF>I would like some fellow Federationist feedback on some
concerns I
 NF>am having with respect to the Mr. Magoo situation.  It has been
my
 NF>observation, and is historically so (as I have been remined by
 NF>numerous friends and family members) that publicity and
controversy
 NF>of thisnature (threatened boycotts, etc) lead to a greater
interest
 NF>than might have otherwise exiwsted in the offending movie,
song,
 NF>commercial, book, etc.  
This is also my opinion.  I agree that the Magoo image is poor
and that we should oppose it.  However, like Dr. Jernigan said in
his banquet speech, sometimes we have to pick our battles, and I
think we should get our picketing priorities straight.  If we
need to picket something it should be something more important.
For instance the large corporations with the funds and
wherewithal to employ and adapt facilities for blind persons but
do not.
Or the Lighthouses and other such industries that lay off blind
people but keep sighted workers as was the case here in New
Orleans in 1991.  After all, what is more important, opposing Mr.
Magoo or getting blind persons jobs?
In this case, we aren't going to stop Disney from making the film
and I feel that the more attention we call to it the more
interest it will spark.
A classic example is the low budget film, "The Last Temptation of
Christ," which probably would have gone nowhere had the Christian
element not called so much attention to it.
Harvey
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