From: Gordon.Gillesby@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org (Gordon Gillesby)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Jerry's kids fight back
Date: 7 Apr 92 15:34:32 GMT
Reply-To: Gordon.Gillesby@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3602/24 - ADAnet One (tm) Net, Pinson AL

Index Number: 20823

[This is from the AbleNews Conference]

 From Cal Howarth and MCET's TNET...

 A Tale of Two Pities: It was the best of thons, it was the worst of
thons.

*** We got this at the Lakeshore CIL...

January 25, 1992

Dear Director:

   AccessAbility Associates is a pride organization working on issues of
self-esteem in the community of disability. With the ADA bringing new
opportunities to our community we acknowledge the critical connection
between perception of personal worth and the acquisition of civil
rights.

   We are completely voluntary and quite small. We've raised enough
money to publish one edition of our newsletter which many of you
received. We have also begun to address some of the bigger assassins of
the self-image of people with disabilities, and it is in this area we
are asking your assistance.

   Under the banner of "Jerry's Orphans" we have taken on the issue of
telethons and their demeaning nature by confronting the grandparent of
them all -- The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for the Muscular
Dystrophy Association. On Labor Day, Jerry's Orphans helped to organize
protests of local telethons in Los Angeles, Denver, Memphis, Baltimore,
Boston and Chicago. We received favorable press across the nation, the
most recent in the December 9, 1991 U.S. News and World Report in an
article entitled "Dispute".

   The idea for the protests began when Mike Ervin and myself, both
former poster children in the pre-Lewis days, read with outrage the
enclosed article entitled, If I Had Muscular Dystrophy, which Lewis
himself wrote on the advent of the 1990 thon. It is rife with technical
inaccuracies and paints an abhorrent picture of disability, ending with
descriptions of people with disabilities as "half a person" and
"cripples". This illustrates his disdain for our community all too
clearly.

   We are demanding, at least for the moment, these five things:

   1) that Jerry Lewis be removed from any affiliation whatsoever with
the telethon or MDA;

   2) that discussion be entered into about whether or not the telethon
can actually be changed to accurately reflect life with a disability, or
eliminated altogether;

   3) the appointment of at least three individuals with disabilities
(two with MD and one with another type of disability) to the Board of
Directors. Our group would have to be involved in the search, as well as
approve the final choices;

   4) that the Association find another word to describe the individuals
it serves, whom are currently referred to as "patients"; and

   5) restore and increase services and resources to adults with
disabilities who may not benefit from or not want a cure.

   This list can be increased at any time. You should know that we view
each of these five demands collectively as one, making none of it
negotiable. However, discussions cannot begin until Jerry Lewis is gone.

   What we need most now are organizers to be point people in your area.
We really need you, one of your consumers or someone you know to help us
fight this battle in your community. There is a tremendous amount of
work to do to build to the next telethon, which includes organizing a
series of protests and a petition drive to acquire 10,000 signatures by
the thon.

   We have also decided to call a national boycott against 7-11 stores,
since the Southland Corporation, who owns 7-11, is a major corporate
sponsor of the thon. Many 7-11's are also inaccessible, a fact which
makes their alleged caring smack of hypocrisy. We have written them
asking for their assistance in addressing MDA about our concerns and
expect a response to ward off a boycott which will begin March 3. For
your information, we have sent letters to all the sponsors twice, so
this isn't a new issue to them, nor will this boycott be a surprise. We
are enclosing a flier for you to copy in the event of the boycott. We
will notify you by mail before the twelfth <ed: "third"?> if we actually
hear from Southland. Since MDA and all but one of the sponsors has
ignored us, we fully expect to go ahead with the boycott.

   We have included a press release recruiting organizers and announcing
the boycott that you may use in your newsletters, if you like. If you
think you'd like more information or a petition to circulate in your
communities, please write or call and we will send whatever you need.

   Help us rid the airwaves of this disability-basher. We have made a
tremendous impression so far, and the momentum must continue if we are
to accomplish our goal. Please write us at P.O. Box 388246, Chicago, IL
60638 or call at (312) 477-3120 even very late at night. We are looking
forward to your joining our exciting adventure.

    Sincerely:

    Cris Matthews                      Mike Ervin
    AccessAbility Associates
    Jerry's Orphans

    encls.
    jerry article <ed: not included>
    boycott flyer <ed: not included>
    press release - org.
    press release - 7-11

   P.S. The boycott flier is difficult to copy as is. We are looking for
a good black and white picture of Lewis. The one we have is color and he
photocopies black. Since we do not want to offend the African-American
community by remotely suggesting that Lewis could be part of their
community -- we will forward a flier closer to the date, if you request
some. If anyone has a picture, we promise to make a copy and return
yours.

                                       CM

                     JERRY'S ORPHANS SEEK ORGANIZERS

   Chicago -- Jerry's Orphans needs organizers to expand the battle to
remove Jerry Lewis as spokesperson for the Muscular Dystrophy
Association and telethon host.

   According to Mike Ervin, co-founder of Jerry's Orphans and two-time
local MDA poster child, "The Labor Day Telethon protests were a huge
success. We want to build so that next year will bring a protest in at
least one city in every state. The MDA thinks we'll go away, but we are
telling them that they cannot exploit people with disabilities any
longer."

   Jerry's Orphans plans protest activities throughout the year.
Individuals are needed to organize local protests, establish ties with
local media and act as information people for their area. Cris Matthews,
co-founder of Jerry's Orphans says, "You don't need experience. We need
people who believe that Lewis and the telethon hurt the community by
insisting that we are worthless subhuman beings. We can promise hard
work, but a lot of fun, too."

   The group plans to increase pressure against MDA and its sponsors
until Lewis is removed from any connection with the MDA and the telethon
is either changed or cancelled. So far, neither MDA or its sponsors has
responded to any contact from Jerry's Orphans. "They know what's
coming," says Matthews. "All they had to do was talk about it, but they
pretend they can't hear us. Now it's too late."

   For more information contact Jerry's Orphans at P.O. Box 388246,
Chicago, IL 60638, or 312-477-3120.

                                  -30-

        JERRY'S ORPHANS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL BOYCOTT OF 7-11 STORES

   Chicago -- Jerry's Orphans, a Chicago-based group opposed to Jerry
Lewis' degrading portrayal of people with disabilities on the Muscular
Dystrophy Telethon announced a boycott of all 7-11 stores nationwide.

   Cris Matthews, co-founder of the group, and herself a former MDA
poster child, believes the Southland Corporation, and the other
corporate sponsors, perpetuate the paternalism that faces Americans with
disabilities. "These corporations use us as a public relations tool.
They do not recognize the economic power that the dollars of 43 million
Americans with disabilities carries. They, instead, choose to make us
into charity cases who have no future without them. Maybe now they'll
understand that we won't be dehumanized any longer."

   According to Mike Ervin, another former MDA poster child and co-
founder of the group, "When these sponsors support the telethon, they
are saying that they agree with Lewis' premise that we are pathetic
'things' with nothing to offer society but a life of burdens and pain.
If this is how they see us, then we have no business spending money in
their stores."

   The group said that 7-11 stores are particularly offensive because
they give money to the telethon while so many of their stores are
inaccessible to the people using wheelchairs. The boycott will begin
March third unless the group receives a letter of support from
Southland.

  "We want them to use their influence with MDA and the other sponsors
to help us persuade MDA that Jerry Lewis and the telethon are becoming
increasing liabilities," says Matthews. "They must change their approach
or suffer the consequences of their own attitudes."

                                  -30-

    *** This we got from Paul W. Novoselick at the Muskegon Chronicle...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Contact: Jim Brown (602) 529-5317

  MDA BRANDS AS DISTORTIONS EEOC CHAIRMAN KEMP'S CRITICISMS OF TELETHON

   Officials and patients of the Muscular Dystrophy Association have
labelled as "grossly inappropriate discharge of the responsibilities of
his office" the appearance of Evan Kemp, Jr., chairman of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, on a national television program
during which he contributed to unsubstantiated criticism of the MDA
Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.

   Appearing in a taped interview included as part of "A Closer Look," a
daytime talk show aired on NBC-TV today, Kemp said, "I still think that
the biggest barrier to hiring disabled people is the attitudinal
barriers. And I think that the Jerry Lewis Telethon exasperates <ed:
"exacerbates"?> that problem and perpetuates that problem."

   MDA Senior Vice President and Executive Director Robert Ross said,
"I'm deeply disturbed that a government official would use the prestige
of his office to voice a baseless criticism of one of the country's
leading voluntary health organizations.

   "He lays the ills of society at the feet of Jerry Lewis and the MDA
Telethon when Mr. Kemp himself is the top federal official responsible
for enforcing fair hiring practices and ensuring equal opportunities for
people with disabilities.  Jerry Lewis' job, and MDA's, is saving
lives."

   In a meeting earlier this month, MDA's Task Force on Public
Awareness, consisting of 10 people with disabilities imposed by
neuromuscular diseases included in MDA's program, wrote a letter to
President Bush criticizing Kemp's "damaging and biased statements about
MDA, its Telethon and its national chairman, Jerry Lewis, in national
news media and media serving the community of Americans with
disabilities."

   In what members characterized as unsubstantiated and "highly
injurious, inflammatory statements" by Kemp in earlier interviews, the
task force charged him with personally discouraging support of MDA's
principal fundraising vehicle, the Telethon. They asked Bush, who has
expressed support of MDA's "outstanding efforts in behalf of those who
suffer from muscular dystrophy" and his gratification for the "continued
breakthroughs in neuromuscular research," to use his influence to
protect their interests and those of all Americans with disabilities.

   Paradoxically, Kemp, who has muscular dystrophy, appeared on the
Telethon as a pro-MDA spokesman in 1982. His father, the late Evan Kemp,
was a member of MDA's Board of Directors.

   Kemp's latest anti-MDA statement was part of an "A Closer Look"
broadcast of a debate about what critics call the Telethon's "pity
approach" to raising funds for MDA's programs of research and patient
services.

   Lewis has said that the critics of MDA "confuse compassion for pity.
Our goal is positive, and our message has always been positive."

   Lewis also pointed out that, while MDA strongly supports the
Americans with Disabilities Act and other programs guaranteeing the
rights of people with disabilities, "Our primary mission in life, what
motivated us from the very beginning, is finding treatments and cures
for neuromuscular diseases, and we've not changed our focus."

   The task force chairman, Barry Goldberg of Plano, Texas, said it was
ironic that Kemp's remarks were aired less than a week after MDA's
announcement of the discovery of a genetic defect responsible for
myotonic muscular dystrophy received widespread national publicity.
"This breakthrough by MDA-funded researchers is the latest in a string
of crucial findings about the causes of and potential treatments for
neuromuscular diseases that MDA's worldwide research program has made
possible," Goldberg said.

   The task force reviewed materials depicting persons with disabilities
aired during the 1991 Telethon and endorsed their content. "These
segments are informative and they portray the lives of people with
neuromuscular disease with dignity," Goldberg said.

   The task force serves as a sounding board for MDA on accessibility
for people with disabilities, represents the Association to the news
media, and educates the public about MDA's activities, Goldberg said.
The task force will expand its role by helping form similar groups in
each of MDA's 162 chapters across the country.

   In addition to Goldberg, a marketing director who has ALS, the task
force members and the diseases that affect them are:

   Geni Cavitt, broadcaster, Carlsbad, Calif., myasthenia gravis;
   Jack F. Eppling, real estate agent, Diamond Bar, Calif., limb-girdle
      muscular dystrophy;
   Lori Hinderer, marketing representative, St. Louis, Mo., muscular
      dystrophy;
   Shelley Obrand, educator, Hollywood, Fla., muscular dystrophy;
   Tedde Scharf, disability center associate director, Tempe, Ariz.,
      limb-girdle muscular dystrophy;
   Scott F. Schneider, design studio owner, Houston, Texas, Becker
      muscular dystrophy;
   Matthew B. Schuman, sports reporter, Greeley, Colo., spinal muscular
      atrophy;
   David Sheffield, assistant district attorney, Silsbee, Texas,
      muscular dystrophy;
   Jim Tillman, computer consultant, Evanston, Ill., spinal muscular
      atrophy.

   MDA is a national voluntary health agency working to defeat 40
neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research,
comprehensive patient and community services, and far-reaching
professional and public health education.  The Association's programs
are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.

    3 responses
 Mar14/92 23:36
 242:1) Cal Howarth:
   Let's see what we have.

   Evan Kemp isn't supposed to have an opinion on anything. He's just
supposed to sit on his throne in D.C. and wave the magic EEOC wand to
wipe out discrimination against PWDs in the workplace.

   And then Jerry's Orphans seem to have the concept of negotiation
backwards. The way I remember it, you ask for more than you want in the
first place. You don't start out with a short list and then expand it
when it gets thrown back in your face.

   Can of worms opened. Mount your soapboxes. Ready! Fire! Aim!

   Before I duck, is anybody familiar with Southland Corporation's
company structure? Who "owns" the individual 7-11 stores? If Southland
owns the buildings, ADA complaints can be filed now. If franchisees own
a building, complaints probably could not be filed until January 26,
1993.
 - - - - -
 Mar16/92 10:47
 242:2) Don Anderson: Well I plan on attending the ADAPT action in
Chicago this May and the action against Jerry Lewis in Las Vegas next
Labor Day!
 - - - - -
 Mar16/92 13:18
 242:3) Jim Bohr: Hey, today is Jerry's 66th birthday!  Should we send
him a present?

[ This rather length set of messages was cross-posted from MCET's TNET.
I accept no responsibility as to there contents - opinions expressed are
those of the writers and not mine.   glg  ]

 * OLX 2.2 * The worst thing about censorship is .

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