I received several replies to this - not nearly as many as I thought it deserved. They ranged from why don't you just mind your own business, to it's a legal problem and probably more complicated, to so sad. But ONE person did reply this is deserving of some action, give me some time to work on it. And sometimes all it takes is one daring person to make changes in our lives. But as I saw mostly people are too busy with their own lives to extend themselves with other issues. I get that.
Then the following day I received a notice of a movie being played at our local Vegetarian Society - and how well it fit, it took two very dedicated - and not professional - people to fight the BIG ORGANIZATION. And I see government that way, the legal system, the medical system, the media. For those who read The China Study, you can see how hard T. Colin Campbell tried to get out observations he made, how hard BIG ORGANIZATION made for his life. I am sure there are many other heroes, some succeeded, some didn't.
Here's the story of two who did succeed:
McLibel: The Film
(English with Hebrew subtitles) McLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald’s in the biggest corporate public relations disaster in history.
McDonald’s consistently used the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Major media organizations like the BBC and the Guardian would give in to their demands and apologize for any criticism. When gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris refused to back down, McDonald’s sued them.
In the longest trial in English legal history, the “McLibel Two†represented themselves against McDonald’s £10 million legal team. Every aspect of the corporation’s business was crossexamined: from junk food and McJobs, to animal cruelty, environmental damage, and advertising which targeted children.
McDonald’s tried every trick in the book against the defendants. Legal maneuvers. A visit from Ronald McDonald. Top executives flying to London for secret settlement negotiations. Even spies.
Seven years later, in February 2005, the marathon legal battle finally concluded at the European Court of Human Rights.
McLibel is not just about hamburgers. It is about the importance of freedom of speech during a time when multinational corporations are more powerful than countries.
Filmed over ten years by no-budget Director Franny Armstrong, McLibel is the David-and-Goliath story of two people who refused to apoligize. And in their refusal, they changed the world.
Producer/ Director: Franny Armstrong Drama Director: Ken Loach
I see the freedom to choose alternative healing against Big Medical Organization in the same manner. I've read enough stories to know that doctors are not always right. I admit I do not know all the details of this story beyond what was written up in the news, but still something inside me says this is another David and Goliath battle.
Klara
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Klara LeVine <klara_levine@...> wrote:
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