From: Al and Masha Sten-Clanton 
Subject: Re: ACB Washington Connection (fwd)
Whatever one might say about using up resources on messages from ACB,
there should by now be no doubt that we've used up more of them by far in
discussing and sometimes squabbling about those messages.  But, then, the
ACB messages were pretty much on topic, and our discussions were useful
for sharing different views on limiting messages here and on the roles of
leaders and members in this outfit.  That's worth something.
I think there's no reason to make a formally joint effort between NFB and
ACB to get the Levi-Straus commercial gone from our lives, but we
certainly can and should work in parallel:  it's just simpler and quicker
that way.  (Maybe that's what you were thinking, anyway.) That ad well may
pose more direct danger to blind folks, at least those who use guide dogs,
than will the mass-ditribution of Mr.  Maggo's bumbles and blunders.
As for poor old caneless Quincy Magoo, I think the foolish is in making
the movie, not in our responses to it.  No, I don't think this unwanted
Christmas present will do irreparable harm:  I thbelieve we've come too
far for that.  Yes, I'm well aware of how abysmal life can be when we are
drowned by a tidalwave of political correctness.  But I have little doubt
that the great majority of those who castigate us for attacking their
beloved cartoon character would feel very much as we do about this if the
character were a stereotype of their race, religion, ethnicity, or gender.
It might be well if all the world decided not to take offense at comic or
cartoon stereotypes, but to let all these distorted images do battle with
each other while we lived our lives treating peope the way we want to be
treated.  If other groups are regarded as entitled to feeling insulted at
stereotypes, however, nobody has any business trying to require that we
blind folks be different.
I was also glad that Magoo business was a lot more prominent than what I
perceive as our misguided approach to reforming the SSDI program.  Seems
to me that the notion that blind people are so special we need a full SSDI
check while earning up to thirty grand makes us look sorrier than either
Mr.  Magoo or that abysmal Levi-Straus commercial.  At least the Magoo
movie protest, like the airline battle of a few years ago, put our core
guiding philosophy out front.  I'm sorry if the public isn't with us (I
don't know whether it is or not.), but I guess the only thing we can do is
try to find a better way to persuade it.  If we did make a mistake, of
course, we should just say so straight-out, but I have no reason to think
we did.
I presume Marc agreed with the Magoo resolution.  His letter to the head
of the Dizney corporation was well-written and forthright.  Of course, I
don't know whether his letter to the critic, saying that he had to carry
out even policies he disgreed with, meant he now believes it was a mistake
or was setting forth a presidential duty.  I do suspect that he'd have
landed in a mighty hot bathtub if he'd stood against the Magoo resolution,
though he probably could have killed it.  
Well, I have other thoughts, but this is long enough.  Take care!
Al
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