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Italian-Canadian Group Pronounces Solidarity with AIDA vs. Sopranos
WE now may add "La Dolce Vita", the most prominent National Italian Canadian Organization/Internet Bulletin Board whose focus is Italian-Americas Defamation, to the growing list of supporters of AIDA in their lawsuit vs 'The Sopranos'.
Francesca L'Orfano is an indefatagible young lady attending York College in Toronto, Canada, who has almost single handedly welded together an inspired group to defend our heritage. She gives an informative insight into the special "situation" faced by Italian Canadians regarding 'The Sopranos'.
Below is her Letter to the Chicago Sun Times:
I want to applaud the AIDA lawsuit against Time Warner...the corporation that gave birth to "The Sopranos".
Here too in Canada we have been protesting this disgusting and bigoted show. Our Canadian Broadcast Standard's Council (CBSC) as well as the BCE-CTV, a public network that aired the first season in the fall received thousands of letters of complaints. The CBSC is still investigating and has yet to make its ruling!
In Canada our Rights on our Canadian airwaves are protected and regulated under the aegis of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) where the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) and the Cable Television Standards Council (CTSC) , the broadcast industry's "watchdog organization", regulates that a licensee and in our case, the BCE-CTV Television network, shall not broadcast.....
" any abusive comment that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or a group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability. "
You will note the strong similarity in the language of our regulation above and the "Individual Dignity clause of the Illinois Constitution" that AIDA is using to bring their suit forward.
"Individual Dignity. To promote individual dignity, communications that portray criminality, depravity or lack of virtue in, or that incite violence, hatred, abuse or hostility toward, a person or group of persons by reason of or by reference to religious, racial, ethnic, national or regional affiliation are condemned."
Therefore in solidarity with AIDA, many Canadians also agree that this abusive programme "The Sopranos" exposes me and my ethnic heritage, my culture, to hatred and contempt. As we continue our protest and await the CBSC ruling, we also look forward to the results of AIDA's courageous and worthy challenge.
One Voice (IAOV) may now be but a whisper, but the fast growing membership assurres that soon those many Voices will become a roar!
Francesca L'Orfano ladolcevita_italianinelmondo@yahoogroups.com
A group dealing with defamation, and negative stereotyping of Italian- Canadians, and standing shoulder to shoulder with those of Italian heritage in the US.Fine Arts Cultural Studies
279 Winters College
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto ON M3J 1P3
Canada1-307 Grace Street
Toronto Ontario
M6G 3A7
416 531-0420
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