Message: 1 Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 00:13:41 -0000 From: "tomdee59" <tomdee59@yahoo.com> Subject: The Alfano Digest June 14, 04 1. LIGHTEN UP? 2. A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PINOCCHIO 3. SHOULD TV BE CENSORED? 4. MEN OF THE CLOTH,A DOCUMENTARY FILM 5. ITALIAN AMERICANS IN BOSTON 6. TRUE WORDS FROM THE WRONG SOURCE LIGHTEN UP? The following is indication of the rampant Italian American bashing. Should we lighten up and laugh at this continual degradation of our dignity? You decide! Once upon a time there were three little pigs, the straw pig, the stickpig, and the brick pig. One day this nasty old wolf came up to the straw pig's house and said "I'm gonna huff and puff and blow your house down." And he did!!!! So the straw pig went running over to the stick pig's house and said "Please let me in, the wolf just blew down my house. So the stick pig let the straw pig in. Just then the wolf showed up and said, "I'm gonna huff and puff and blow your house down." And he did!!!! So the straw pig and the stick pig went running over to the brick pig's house and said, "Let us in, let us in, the big bad wolf just blew our houses down." So the brick pig let them in just as the wolf showed up. The wolf said "I'm gonna huff and puff and blow your house down." The straw pig and the stick pig were so scared! But the brick pig picked up the phone and made a call. A few minutes passed and a big, black stretch limo pulls up. Out step two massive pigs in pin striped suits and fedora hats. These pigs come over to the wolf, grab him by the neck and beat the living shit out of him, then one of them pulled out a gun, stuck it in his mouth and fired killing the wolf, then they got back into their limo and drove off. The straw pig and the stick pig were amazed!!! "Who the hell were those guys?" They asked. "Those were my cousins from Jersey, the Guinea Pigs." A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PINOCCHIO The following is an excerpt form the Annotico report. Pinocchio is very much an Italian story. It is full of Northern Italian landscapes and Italian dishes. It also embodies the traditional Italian belief that the family is of central importance. You can have a good time with your friends, but you can only truly trust your kin. Good parents will sacrifice themselves for their children without a murmur, as Geppetto does when there is nothing to eat in the house but three pears, and he allows Pinocchio to devour them all. Good children will also sacrifice themselves for their parents, as Pinocchio does when he and his father, like Jonah in the Bible, escape from the belly of the Great Shark, and he carries Geppetto out of the sea on his back. For the full text please go to:
Center/?yguid=49124464
SHOULD TV BE CENSORED?
By Adam Thierer
Like millions of other Americans, I will be glued to my television set on Sunday night watching the season finale of HBO's critically acclaimed series The Sopranos to see who "gets it," or even just to hear Tony or one of his mobster buddies say "Forgetaboutit!" one last time this season. But one person who definitely won't be watching The Sopranos finale on Sunday night is my young daughter. The violence, profanity, and sexual content are not something I want her exposed to. I'm not sure what the right age is for children to see such programming, but at the point my wife and I think she's ready, we'll talk to her about such shows before we sit down to watch them with her.
For the full article please go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ItalianAmericanOneVoiceCoalitionMessageCenter/?yguid=49124464
MEN OF THE CLOTH,A DOCUMENTARY FILM
MEN OF THE CLOTH is now in the later stages of production. It is intended for television broadcast, theatrical screenings, international film festivals, and educational outreach programs. It has the support of The National Italian American Foundation, The Italian Cultural Institute, and the American Italian Historical Association. The New York Foundation for the Arts, a 501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization, serves as the fiscal sponsor for the film.
This film is being produced and directed by Vicki Vasilopoulos. She is a free lance writer whose articles often appear The New York Times. She recently wrote an article in that paper about Shark Tale expressing the concerns of many Italian Americans.
A free private screening will be presented Sunday, June 27, 2004 4:00 P.M. Montclair State University, Dickson Hall
For those who wish to attend please write to italicsenrty@yahoo.com for further details.
ITALIAN AMERICANS IN BOSTON
Excerpts from a revealing article by John Keller
A few blocks away and four decades later, in a sight unthinkable to the West Enders Gans knew, Bobby Travaglini of East Boston was sworn in as the first Italian-American leader of either legislative branch in the 223 years since the first General Court of Massachusetts convened. The significance of which was hardly lost on Travaglini's Senate colleagues.
"He's been called by many names — Bob, Bobby, Trav, Senator, Senatore — but henceforth he will be known and answered to as Mr. President," said Greek-American Senator Steve Panagiotakos. Gushed Irish-American Senator Therese Murray of Plymouth: This is truly a great country "when a kid from the neighborhood can be elected the first [Senate] president of Italian descent." Travaglini's own mother, Josephine, wept in the gallery when his nomination for the Senate presidency was moved and seconded.
NOTE: This insightful and very revealing article is well worth reading in its entirety. For the complete article please go:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ItalianAmericanOneVoiceCoalitionMessageCenter/?yguid=49124464
DEFAMATION IN THE POLITICAL ARENA
Maine Gubernatorial campaign
Jonathan Carter, the Green Independent candidate for governor, began airing a television commercial Monday that questions - with what some consider anti-Italian slurs - whether John Baldacci, the Democratic candidate, can be trusted.
Governor John Rowland smeared with anti Italian American comment
In an Northeast Magazine article by Bill Heald a vowel was added at the end Governor John Rowland's name to read Rowlando. This was a double smear since it attempted to connect Rowland with criminal activities at the expense of Italian Americans who are generally regarded to be criminally bent by most of the American public.
Chicago councilman's comment
While discussing the selection of a particular contractor for The city's bus stop ad benches, Chicago City Council Finance Committee meeting, veteran Fifth Ward Alderman Lawrence Bloom Remarked, "I don't know who's in that company, but his name shouldn't end in a vowel".
TRUE WORDS FROM THE WRONG SOURCE
For years now, a growing number of my constituents have been of Italian descent and I've come to know them well. They have honored me with their support and with their friendship. Indeed I can proudly say that some of my very best friends are Italian Americans...These hearings on the Mafia are in no way whatsoever a slur upon the great Italian people. Because I can state from my own knowledge and experience that Italian Americans are among the most loyal, most law-abiding, patriotic, hard-working American citizens in this land. And it would be a shame, Mr. Chairman, if we allowed a few rotten apples to give a bad name to the whole barrel. Because from the time of the great Christopher Columbus up through the time of Enrico Fermi, right up until the present day, Italian Americans have been pioneers in building and defending our great nation. They are the salt of the earth, and they're one of the backbones of this country.
NOTE: These lines are from the senator in The Godfather I. Too bad real U.S. senators including Italian Americans do not give such well earned praise.
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