Genocidal Heroes Now Free with Every Happy Meal

Why is it the first time I ever hear of McDonald's actually giving away educational toys it's because they're giving away General Custer action figures? General Custer is just one of many "educational" toys being given away in Happy Meals right now to help advertise the new Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian movie, which also includes an Easter Island Head and Albert Einstein.

I'll admit, I'm not a fan of McDonalds. Haven't been for a very long time. The last time I even set foot or car near one was at least 2003-and even then it was to drop someone else off for lunch. The General Custer action figure hasn't made them any closer to my heart. My first question: How is it appropriate to advertise for movies with "free" toys in happy meals, limited edition soda cups, and meal wrappers? This smacks royally of corporate greed and worse.

Commercial advertising geared toward children is evil enough on its own right? Then why does McDonalds have to step it up a notch with the Custer figure? How is it okay to use a genocidal maniac as a mass produced children toy? Who thought this one through? Where's the Hitler figure, or the Ghengis Khan? What about Cecil Rhodes? How is it fine that millions of children across the U.S. will be given a replica of someone this evil? And which is worse:
1)the fact that Custer is a main character in an awful and surely inaccurate movie (the fact his name is General Custer is inaccurate in the first place--Custer was a Lt. Colonel)
2) the fact that Custer figurines are being sent across the nation to advertise the horrible movie, an evil corporation, and the heroic deeds of a genocidal misfit
3) the fact that Custer is still a national hero to this day and that every history textbook for the entire country sings his praises

This makes my heart hurt. Deeply.
However, I'll move on.

Where do I start with a way to deal with all this injustice? How can I as an individual, and us as a community, make this better? My first instinct is to go after McDonalds, those associated with the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and then the chosen hero makers of this country. But I know from past experience that boycotts, protests, direct action, and corporate sabotage only go so far. I also know that the problems that allow for a situation to show up like this go much deep than any surface nuisances I can help perpetuate for all these entities. When I was a younger radical, I didn't care. I thought the statement was more important than standing by and doing nothing. I still believe that. But as an older organizer, I've seen how little those statements actually do to change anything.

I urge everyone to do what you think is best-petition local and national Mcdonalds to remove the toys, stage loud boycotts and protests of the businesses that will not comply, tell all the children and adults in your life the true history of General Custer and why he is not a man who should be considered a hero, educate your community about Native American outrage at such blatant disrespect of their ancestors, and act on those feelings of the grave injustice being perpetuated by all of the above culprits.

Change is slow, but it will only occur if you do your part to break the inertia of stagnation. And I, for one, refuse to ever give up.