OSIA Launches Grass Roots Phone-In Campaign RE: Alito Nomination
Press
Contact: Kylie Cafiero, (202) 547-2900 kcafiero@osia.org
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - November 21, 2005 -
The Order Sons of Italy in
America (OSIA), the nation's
oldest and largest organization
for men and women of Italian
heritage, is urging its members
and other concerned Italian
Americans to call their Senators
to express their opinion of
Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr.'s
nomination to the United States
Supreme Court.
Phone calls rather
than letters are more persuasive
in helping members of Congress
gauge what their constituents
want them to do. It is especially
important for Italian Americans
whose senators are on the Judiciary
Committee, and the so-called
Gang of Fourteen, to call these
key senators. Click
Here to
see a list of members of the
Judiciary Committee.
The telephone
campaign is the latest in a
number of initiatives that
OSIA has undertaken since President
George W. Bush announced his
nomination of Judge Alito on
October 31.
OSIA press releases,
letters and official statements
regarding the Alito nomination
have been sent to its members
and supporters coast to coast
as well as to the Italian
America media, the Coalition
Against Racial, Religious
and Ethnic Stereotyping (CARRES),
other Italian American organizations
and advocacy groups, the
Italian Press and the U.S.
media.
• OFFICIAL
STATEMENT: OSIA was the first Italian American organization
to release an official statement within hours of
the White House communication of the Alito nomination.
In the statement, OSIA National President Vincent
Sarno said, "We are proud of Judge Alito's accomplishments
and confident in his ability to interpret the Constitution
fairly and justly. We wish him every success in his
coming nomination hearings."
• "SCALITO" STATEMENT: That same day, OSIA also released an official statement
criticizing the use of the "Scalito" nickname that journalists and political
operatives have given Judge Alito to imply that he and Justice Antonin Scalia
share similar ideologies in addition to their shared Italian heritage.
"Calling attention to Judge Alito's Italian heritage is highly inappropriate
and trivializes the significant national, legalistic and historical matter
at hand," the statement reads in part. "Judge Alito's ethnic heritage should
be treated with respect rather than be used to further various political agendas,"
it concludes.
• OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE: On November 3, OSIA and the CSJ sent a congratulatory
letter to Judge Alito that read in part: "For far too long, Italian Americans
have had to endure unflattering stereotyping of themselves and their heritage
by the U.S. entertainment, advertising and news industries. It is our hope
that the recent media attention that has focused on your career, character and
accomplishments will help ‘balance the scales' in this regard."
• WASHINGTON POST LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A Letter to the Editor from OSIA ran
in The Washington Post November 14 criticizing columnist Dana Milbank for
his unflattering column of November 3 that portrayed Judge Alito as "a wonk"
and "a nerd." OSIA's letter said in part, "Whatever his political, philosophical
or legal views, Sam Alito is a man of impeccable credentials who is brilliant
and modest—a rare combination in Washington. Mr. Milbank's column was silly
and superficial."
• NEW YORK TIMES AD: For the first time in OSIA's 100-year history, the organization
and its anti-defamation arm, the Sons of Italy Commission for Social Justice
(CSJ) placed a full-page advertisement in The New York Times commending President
Bush on the Alito nomination. The ad ran Friday, November 18. After commending
President Bush on his choice and praising Judge Alito for his accomplishments,
the ad noted that for only the second time in U.S. history has an Italian
American jurist been nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court.
OSIA has
more than 600,000 members and supporters and a network of more than 700 chapters
coast to coast. OSIA works at the community, national and international levels
to promote the heritage and culture of an estimated 26 million Italian Americans,
the nation's fifth largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
See www.osia.org.
Back to top
|
