Imagine this Concert was Cancelled on the basis of a MERE "dozens" of Emails.
A prime example of the proverbial "POWER OF THE PEN".( in the form of 
Emails). 

The following Message from Manny Alfano (an indefatigable activist) to his 
fellow UNICO members is an appropriate "call to arms" for ALL who have been 
"sitting on the fence" wrongly assuming that THEIR One Email doesn't make a 
difference. 

It may be that ONE Email, may be that ONE Nail. 
====================================================
This article appeared in ComUnico Magazine August, 2001

August 25, 2001
FOR WANT OF A NAIL
By Manny Alfano, ABC Chairman 

Do you remember the old saying "For want (loss) of a nail, the shoe was lost. 
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost. For want of the horse, the king was 
lost. And, for want of the king, the battle was lost." All for want of a nail?

There is a strong parallel to the message in the lines above and the 
predicament we find ourselves in vis-a-vis. In order to negotiate with the 
media executives, our negotiators must have the backing of our sizable 
Italian American community. Without that support there is no respect. Without 
the respect implied by a loss of audience or sales of a product, there aren't 
any bargaining chips to be put on the table. 

We have been able, over the years, to meet with a number of important people 
who hold decision-making positions. What's been the result? Only modest gains 
in just a few areas. 

Twenty years ago we were told on these pages that "Americans tolerate the 
negative stereotyping of Italian Americans because Italian Americans tolerate 
the negative stereotyping of Italian Americans." 

We are confronted with the same message EVERY TIME we try to deal with an 
offensive advertisement or television show; "All the Italians like it."

We have our work cut out for us. While we continue to approach the 
decision-makers in the media and advertising with some promising developments 
in the works, it is imperative that we concentrate on educating our own 
people. 

There are serious consequences if you sit back and allow us to fail. 

John Mancini, Chairman of the Italic Studies Institutes said, "The commercial 
media, including HBO's The Sopranos, now has full control of our Italian 
heritage." 

Think about that for a minute. We know that almost ALL of the fictional Italo 
American characters on TV and in movies must fall into the same, predictable 
categories. They must be dimwits, bimbos, bums or buffoons if not criminals. 
Are we to sit by and let a new generation of Americans be exposed to only 
this image? Do you think that such a perception doesn't come with a price? 

Do you think that, because YOU may not have been an open target of 
discrimination, that there is no cost to the I-A Community?

There is something each of us can do. Thanks to the power of the Internet, we 
can make our voices heard far and wide. You don't have to wait for your 
chapter president or district governor to prod you to take action. Get on our 
e-mail list now: ABCUNICOMembers@yahoogroups.com

When you get a request to write a note of protest or praise, don't sit on it, 
ACT PROMPTLY. The results we've experienced lately made me a believer.  

Dr. Emanuele A. Alfano
ABC Chairman
===============================================
NOTE: If you are not a member of Sons of Italy, UNICO or NIAF, you should 
consider joining, or in the alternative, Join IAOV. 

"While we Accentuate the Positive,  we Must ELIMINATE the Negative "

The Italian American One Voice Committee (IAOV) is a national network of 
activists enabling the 25 million members of the Italian-American community 
to act as one united voice when dealing with defamation, discrimination and 
negative stereotyping of our culture and heritage.

The Group:   ItaliaAmOneVoice@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe:    ItaliaAmOneVoice-subscribe@onelist.com
Web Site:   http://www.onelist.com/community/ItaliaAmOneVoice
Post message: ItaliaAmOneVoice@onelist.com
                But, only if a Member (Free)
List owner:   ItaliaAmOneVoice-owner@onelist.com