What's New Mr. Magoo?
by Jim Jirak
By now, everyone has an opinion,
undoubtedly, about the most recent propaganda unveiled in a pretty well covered
press release by The National Federation of the Blind with regard to a resolution,
dealing with the ever popular Mr. Magoo, which was adopted at their annual
national convention held this summer in New Orleans.
In case you haven't heard, or if you
chose to consider past practices of the organization that claims to be
"the voice of the blind movement" and chose to ignore it, let me
bring you up to speed and what policy our organization chose to take at the
national convention in Houston, Texas this past July.
On July 3, 1997, an article appeared in
the "World Herald" proclaiming that at the annual convention of The
National Federation of the Blind in New Orleans, a resolution was adopted by
over 3,000 blind members calling on Walt Disney to cease production of its
scheduled Christmas release of Mr. Magoo.
According to the article, the membership strongly abhorred and took
personal offense to the portrayal of a near sighted old man stumbling and
fumbling around like an incompetent blind person. The article further stated that all blind citizens were
personally offended by this just as the blacks took offense to "Little
Black Sambo." The same article,
mercifully, quoted the chairman of Disney as saying Near sightedness and
blindness are two completely unrelated issues and that the production would
continue. And while their resolution
did not call for picketing Disney, it did, however, call for NFB to take whatever steps necessary to halt the
production of the movie.
At the American Council of the
Blind convention in Houston, two resolutions were brought forth dealing with
this same issue. Resolution 97-23
called for everyone to lighten up and take things with a sense of humor. Resolution 97-35 called for ACB to refer all
questions with regard to this matter to its special interest affiliate The
Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, (CCLVI,) thus letting them
speak to this matter on behalf of ACB.
Both resolutions, believe it or not,
failed. While the majority of the
convention was opposed to letting CCLVI speak on behalf of ACB, and justifiably
so, I am somewhat surprised, and deeply saddened, this organization chose to sit on the fence and take no stand,
thus, in affect, allowing the Federation to continue to be the voice of the
blind movement.
It is imperative that the general public
know there is more than one organization of and for the blind and that NFB's
policy decisions are not the viewpoint of all blind persons. The opinion of the convention assembled in
Houston, Texas was that ACB has more important things to worry about than Mr.
Magoo and NFB.
The convention was, with out a doubt,
clearly in the wrong by not adopting resolution 97-23 and releasing it to the
general public and various media outlets.
How else is ACB to get its opinion heard if we take no action and let
NFB "do the talking for all blind persons?"
Yes, we, as an organization have
important issues to discuss such as transportation, re-authorization of the
rehab act, access to technology, social security linkage and the like. This issue is just as important as any issue
brought before the membership.
Mr. Magoo is humerous and should not be
taken offense to. The situations
portrayed in the fictional cartoon most likely will never happen in real
life. Come on, folks; lighten up!
Perhaps, next time an issue equal to this
arises, the national organization will consider all ramifications before it
defeats a similar amendment and decides NFB's viewpoint is what the public will
hear. What would Jim Backus think if he
were still living?
Until next time, think before you speak and take care out there.