There's an interesting post over at the web site of the Foundation Fighting Blindness entitled: "It's Time for America to Idolize Scott MacIntyre" which I'm quoting in full. I'll follow up on the south end of it:
Congratulations to Scott MacIntyre! His dynamic performance on Tuesday night secured him a place in the Top 10 on American Idol! Thank you to everyone who voted for Scott. Be sure to tune in again next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST and cast your vote for Scott as he performs in the next round. With FFB’s support, Scott MacIntyre is destined to be the next American Idol!
Millions dream of making it to the final rounds of American Idol but for Scott MacIntyre, the dream has become reality. Born with severe vision loss from Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), Scott is an incredibly gifted musical performer who has made it to the Top 10 on American Idol. With his remarkable talent, Scott is bound to make it far in the competition, and we need you to support him as he shoots his way to the top!
An Arizona State University graduate, a Marshall scholar, and a Fulbright scholar, Scott learned to play the piano at the age of three. His piano professor, Walter Cosand, said, "He's always been able to do what everyone else could do and many things no one else could do. A lot of things he does are very remarkable, even for someone without a disability."
Scott also has a sister, Katelyn, who has lost her vision to LCA. With their brother Todd, the three siblings have made a splash performing as the MacIntyre Family Singers. Scott even shared his talents with the FFB family when he performed at the opening luncheon of the 1998 VISIONS Conference in Chicago.
Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara have brought him this far; now it’s up to us to make Scott MacIntyre the next American Idol! Scott will be performing live on Wednesday, March 25, as one of the Top 10 contestants to continue to compete. Voting is free, so be sure to vote for Scott!
Stay tuned to the Foundation Fighting Blindness Web site for more information about Scott’s progress and how your votes can help him reach the top and raise awareness of retinal degenerative diseases across the country.
Learn More About Scott MacIntyre
Visit http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/scott_macintyre to view Scott’s latest video interviews and hear about his passion and talent for music, his greatest musical influence, and what prompted him to try out for American Idol. You can leave comments and words of encouragement for Scott on this page too.
Click here to read an article about Scott on MSNBC.
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I have written many times on this blog about the unique opportunity that's right now standing before us–we have the very real chance to cure genetically caused forms of blindness in this generation.
My colleagues here at the University of Iowa are world leaders in the effort to find a cure for Scott MacIntyre's brand of vision loss. This is an amazing moment in medical and cultural history to be sure.
Speaking for myself I hope that Scott and his family learn about the work being done here.
As a writer who also was a Fulbright scholar and who began his creative life while most kids are still chewing on wooden blocks I want to point out that Scott MacIntyre isn't an artist overcoming his disability nor is he a disabled person who is compensating for his disability through art–he's an artist who happens to be blind. In effect this is not any different than saying: Ernest Hemingway was an artist who happened to be 6 feet tall.
The public gets easily confused about these matters because blindness functions as a powerful symbol. Symbolic language isn't always the best language when thinking about the complexities of human beings.
I'm rooting for Scott MacIntyre the artist. I'm rooting for a cure for LCA. I'm rooting for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. I can compartmentalize these excitements.
If Scott wasn't blind I'd still be rooting for him because he was a classically trained pianist and a former Fulbright scholar. Those folks don't generally turn up on the Fox TV network.
S.K.
Planet of the Blind 
“Those folks don’t generally turn up on the Fox TV network.”
LOL
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