From: Randy.Edwards@f105.n128.z1.fidonet.org (Randy Edwards)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: WE PITY JERRY LEWIS' ATTITUDE
Date: 7 Oct 92 16:44:37 GMT
Reply-To: Randy.Edwards@f105.n128.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:128/105 - Socialism OnLine!, Colorado Springs CO
X-Fidonet: Able News Conference
Originator: wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com

Index Number: 24756

[This is from the AbleNews Conference]

 Via The N.Y. Transfer News Service 718-448-2358, 718-448-2683
 Title: We pity Jerry Lewis' attitude

 "We pity Jerry Lewis' attitude"
  By Betsy Gimbel New York

A determined group of disabled people, mostly in wheelchairs,
picketed Sept. 7 outside the front doors of the Marriot Hotel in
Manhattan, to which the annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy
Telethon was being broadcast from Las Vegas. The New York City
demonstration, initiated by Disabled in Action, was one of many
held across the country this year.

The disabled community has been protesting these telethons since
the early 1970s. The way Lewis constantly refers to disabled people
as "half persons" and "cripples," thus leaning heavily on pity and
degrading stereotypes to extract large donations from private
sector sources, is particularly offensive.

Lewis' resistance to suggestions from the disabled community that
he cease his pity-mongering, and begin to depict disabled people as
human beings entitled to respect and dignity, is also galling to
the protesters.

"Cure Jerry, too" and "We pity Jerry's attitude" read some of the
picket signs. Other signs demanded, "Raise consciousness, too!"
and, "Nobody asked us what to do with the money."

Picket signs reading "What about the real issues?" and "Pity, no,
health care, yes!" pointed out the underlying problems of this and
so many other telethons. They never address the real problems,
while promoting backward, negative stereotypes about people with
disabilities. "The cost of pity is too high," read one sign.

Protesters button-holed "volunteers," many of them paid, as they
arrived to work on the phone bank. Most of the volunteers were open
enough to listen; some indicated that they would try to educate the
other volunteers about Jerry Lewis' callous arrogance.

Where the money goes

Telethon organizers and the Muscular Dystrophy Association claim
that the money raised in the event goes toward research to find the
cause and cure for this fatal disease. But this is not really true.
Many of the phone-bank staffers agreed with the demonstrators,
contention that the Lewis Telethon is actually more of a financial
and publicity bonanza for big business. More than 80 percent of the
funds raised will in fact go to pay for the telethon's staff and
operating expenses. In other words, it's really a fund-raiser for
the telethon, not for the disabled or research.

Disabled people object to these degrading annual "pityfests"
because they believe the government, instead of paying for wars
abroad, should instead put the necessary time and resources into
finding cures for dreaded diseases.

The fate of people with Muscular Dystrophy and other serious
diseases like AIDS should not be left in the greedy clutches of
self-interested private businesses such as Southland, owner of 7-11
stores, which is one of a number of big-business sponsors of the
telethon. The way things stand now, this money keeps going for
research year after year, but no cause or cure is ever found.

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed, disabled
people have hoped their lives will improve. On the one hand, the
law does grant certain rights. But on the other hand, the economic
crisis of capitalism has made it impossible for these rights to be
exercised. These glaring contradictions are driving the people to
action.

(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if
source is cited. For more info contact Workers World,46 W. 21 St.,
New York, NY 10010; "workers@igc.apc.org.")

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