Hello David and Everyone: Couldn't help but notice the similarities in the local changes that can be achieved by reporting and dissent and the slower, more gradual changes that can be achieved on a national level by the same process.-- You may have already received this Op-Ed article from the NY Times; but it shows the power of one man and a laptop and the growing awareness in China of corruption and social injustice. A most powerful tool that fuels social change. Now we can act locally and globally!
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/24/opinion/24kristoff.html?th&emc=th Regards, Susan Susan Crane-Sundell [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---- "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Subject: POLITICAL SCIENCE: PUBLIC OPINION : BUSINESS SOCIAL AND CORPORATE > RESPONSIBILITY: The Power of Some Friendly Public Persuasion to Effect > Change > > I am posting this story as an example of the media in conjunction with the > internet to effect quick and decisive change through the interaction of > television, the internet and the medium of email. The effect of the > internet and email to bring change like this to a television news story's > outcome, speaks very loudly to the need to widen the internet audience or > reduce and end the digital divide. It is not just the need to educate and > widen the horizons of those outside of the net, it is to empower these > people politically and in the arena of social issues. > > Here is the post that I sent to Net-Gold. > > This post is a gleeful update to a rather unhappy very recent post. > > Link to the original post: > > From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wed May 18, 2005 11:21 pm > Subject: DISABILITIES: EMPLOYMENT : BUSINESS: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: > ISSUES: Friendly's Unfriendly to Disabled Worker in Cost Saving Move > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6140> > > The update is testimony to the power of the media to effect change in a > situation that calls for such change. My post about this was aimed at > getting a much wider geographic audience aware of this disabled worker who > was ostensibly fired to save the corporation money (under ninety dollars a > week) despite wide testimony to his excellent work and pleasant attitude > from a large number of restaurant staff and customers. This even got the > mayor of the town incensed, and rightfully so. So this is what > twenty-four hours and the media in the form of Channel 10 in Philadelphia, > WCAU the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, achieved. By the way where were > the other major media in terms of covering this story. > > I congratulate the management and staff of WCAU-TV for bringing > this story to the public eye and the impact can be seen in this update. > > > Man With Down Syndrome Gets Better Friendly's Job > NBC 10 Viewer Response Overwhelming > POSTED: 8:15 pm EDT May 18, 2005 > UPDATED: 8:03 pm EDT May 19, 2005 > WENONAH, N.J. -- NBC 10 viewers' reaction to the story of David O'Hara, a > man with Down Syndrome who was laid off by a South Jersey Friendly's, > prompted the restaurant to rehire him. > <http://www.nbc10.com/news/4505630/detail.html> > > Friendly's corporate headquarters contacted NBC 10 News on Thursday to say > that it had changed its mind about letting David go. The restaurant is not > only going to give David back his job, they are going to create a new job > as a greeter and a busboy. > > Employees of Friendly's said they couldn't wait to welcome David back. > > O'Hara, 54, happily worked at his local Friendly's as a dishwasher for 13 > years. He has Down Syndrome and worked three hours a day, five days a > week. > > When he was recently let go, his coworkers and the customers got upset. > > "He's so friendly with everybody, and it's his life, it's what he lives > for to come here every day and wash dishes," said Lori Marks, a Friendly's > customer. > > NBC 10's Bill Baldini called Friendly's corporate headquarters Wednesday > and it said that David was let go as a cost-saving measure because it is a > slow store. > > So, Baldini did the math. David made $5.93 an hour. He worked 15 hours a > week. So Friendly's was saving $88.95 a week. > > ---------------------------------------- > > The complete article may be read at the URL above. > > This news story may seem small compared to news from Iraq or updates on > Social Security or Judge selection from Congress. Tell somebody with a > disability who has received unjust treatment from an employer and see just > how small that person thinks this story is. I personally think that this > event in Philadelphia needs to be known internationally as employment > issues for those with disabilities are of international concern, and > justice and fairness to disabled workers are very important. I > congratulate WCAU in Philadelphia also known as NBC-10 for the courage and > intelligence to carry this news and the follow up to this news story. > Posting about such news on the internet is also very important as making a > geographically wide audience aware of unjust or unfair treatment of > disabled employees and employees and consumers in general at the hands of > employers and businesses is important knowledge for the public and > widespread proactive public opinion can facilitate reversal of such > situations. The Philadelphia region's response to this situation is > certainly a huge success story and example of public opinion at work and > of media facilitation of this public opinion response. > > ---------------------------------------- > > These recent Net-Gold posts may also be of interest to some members of > this group. > > From: Soundara Rajan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri May 20, 2005 9:47 am > Subject: HEALTH : CHILDREN : eight-point guide : obesity risk factors > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6162> > > > From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri May 20, 2005 9:35 am > Subject: TRANSPORTATION: PUBLIC URBAN AND PASSENGER : CRIMINAL JUSTICE: > SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE: Using Databases Available on the Internet to > Find a Literature About Cameras on Buses > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6161> > > > From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri May 20, 2005 8:18 am > Subject: BIOMECHANICS: RESOURCES : DATABASES: MEDICAL HEALTH BIOSCIENCES > BIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY: Databases and Research Guides for the Field of > Biomechanics > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6157> > > > From: Judy Decker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri May 20, 2005 7:51 am > Subject: Art:Religion: Learning Judaism Through Art > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6156> > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Fri May 20, 2005 8:24 am > Subject: JOURNALS: RESEARCH: WAR & CONFLICT: Conflict Studies Journal > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6159> > > > Sincerely, > David Dillard > Temple University > (215) 204 - 4584 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold> > <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html> > <http://www.kovacs.com/medref-l/medref-l.html> > <http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html> > <http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org> > World Business Community Advisor > <http://www.WorldBusinessCommunity.org> > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE > in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
