From: rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari)
Subject: Re: Boycotts (was Re: Why are many low-income women fat?)
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 01:47:21 GMT

In article <BzqHn9.9CK@news.cso.uiuc.edu> levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Lenore Levine) writes:
>rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) writes:
>
>(Re boycott of companies that won't hire large people.)
>
>>	I would probably advise you that you need to take such policies
>>	in context.  For instance, I think it's in New York, a very obese
>>	man is suing McDonalds for not providing a table that he can
>>	fit into.  This man is enourmous--for McDonalds to provide
>>	proper seating for this mans physique would require them to halve
>>	(or less) the number of seats they can fitin their restaurants.
>>	McDonalds can seat people from 30 to 350 lb folks pretty much 
>>	fine.  
>
>The companies I am referring to, implement these policies against
>individuals who are at all over the weight tables. They would implement
>them against me (average height and a size 20)!


	I don't know what that means (I know what a size 6 is, 
	because I've sewn one, but anything else is vague). 

	Regardless, see below:


>>	That, one.  Two, I would suggest that you consider whether
>>	these jobs are jobs that an obese individual can properly fill,
>>	that is, look at the activity the job involves (physical
>>	activity and safety, especially). 
>
>Systems analyst? (A specific example related to me on the net.) 
>Most of these jobs are highly technical positions...


	That rules out point #1 nicely, then.


> Third, take a look at the
>>	work areas that the companies _have right now_ (I think it's
>>	rediculous to make them rebuild) and make sure that those 
>>	(and not bigotry) aren't the underlying reason.
>
>How does someone my size need a special work area?


	Someone extremely obese might need (at least) a new
	chair, but also a new desk (to go with the chair).  This
	isn't guesswork--I had to set up an office for my parents,
	both of whom are over 350.


>I think you are not cynical enough. These companies are not
>discriminating against Andre the Giant type people, but against
>Lech Walesa and Roseanne Barr type people.


	Also, it takes a lot to convince me of discrimination.


>(By the way, note the winter conditions faced by the ancestors
>of these two individuals.) 


	You wont find any arguments from me here.  I've been
	fighting withmy weight since childhood, and while I generally
	win (but not in the last stressful 7 months, unfortunately) 
	I acknowledge that others do not have this problem due
	to genetics.

	<I take consolation in great cheek bones>



>>	After all this, there are alternatives that are better than
>>	boycotts.  Publicity, media.
>
>>	Boycotts don't hurt anything but the employees of the company.
>
>I am not sure whether the boycott I described would work. But I know
>I would not knowingly buy products from a company that refused to hire
>people my size.


	Better to use the media.  Heck, cross post it to enough 
	groups and you'll get it dessimated--not justin your post,
	but in all of the crossposted "Why is this in alt.spam??" 
	posts.. 
 
	There's a damn xtian who does the same thing now and then
	with his antiabortion bits, his "chopstick culture" bits 
	and other things.


-- 
       "If you can't eat sand, why the hell are you living in a desert?"
     Equality is a delusion, suffering is a fairy tale and God is a fantasy.
                 Buy American as if your job depended on it.
       Blaming society for inequality is like blaming the sky for rain.