Cessna Kevin has a good point. It's a switch! What would those naysayers have to say if they were flying a manual flap 150? I had to move a lever...!
I was testing another type certified aircraft, whose manual landing gear retraction and extension system was in airworthy condition, in accordance with it's type design, and I decided to actually measure the actuation force (lever moves like a Cessna flap lever/car parking brake). Force to retract gear: 80 pounds! Oh, and you have to fly the plane at the same time!
There are many venerable aircraft whose systems are not that way we might design them now. We either learn to live with it and love them, or pay up for brand new planes!
Piot DAR