[Arizona-students] National Federation of the Blind Comments onSaturday Night Live Segment

Tue Dec 16 11:48:34 UTC 2008

I can't believe you let those crazy people up in b-more represent you  
all. they are just a bunch of attentions hores up there writing and  
releasing press releases for the fun of it. and they still go on with  
largest group of blind people, are they out there damn minds. and oh  
yeh, if they are so big or bad, why not solve the employment issue.  
they got millions of dollars why not hire a couple of blind people  
instead of hiring sighted lawyers to go cause trouble all the time.

Gabe Vega
CEO

The BlindTechs Network
www.theblindtechsnetwork.com
info at theblindtechsnetwork.com
623-565-9357 (voice)
(206) 203-4400 (Fax Phone)

On Dec 16, 2008, at 1:45 AM, Ryan Thomas wrote:

Hello all,

  Frankly I agree with Allison.  I watch SNL every chance I get.  It  
is purely satirical.  That is the purpose of the show itself.  I saw  
the skit, and though it wasn't flattering toward the blind I would  
never have thought to call it an "attack on the blind".  I'm sure it  
wasn't meant in that vein and that it shouldn't be recognized as such.
  Weekly Bush, Texans, all manor of political figures, minority groups  
including those divided by race and other criteria are poked fun at.   
I really don't feel that this is that big of an issue.  I feel that it  
is important to dissuade people from using negative stereotypes, but  
as was done with the movie blindness, I feel that the NFB's current  
attitudes are far more indicative of a sort of censorship which is not  
our role as an organization.
  Furthermore, the governor was not only "attacked" for his  
blindness.  It made definite references to cocaine usage.  It also  
pointed out that his inexperience in political office is great enough  
that he's unsuited for his current position.  We can't live in fear  
when people talk about blindness because it will always be in the  
media.  The NFB should not be seen as an organization that declaims  
every minor dissemination of misinformation because such micromanaging  
only makes the organization as a whole appear ineffective and  
unprofessional in my mind.
  The best I feel we can do is to go after what we feel is truly  
harmful and work everyday to do what we wish, because such small  
efforts change the opinions of everyone around you.  As students I  
think that pursuing higher education is a worthwhile goal and that  
simply working toward a degree is doing something in the larger scale  
to help people take notice of the blind and realize that we are first  
class citizens.  I feel that those who come in contact with hard  
working, independent blind individuals wouldn't even think twice about  
the brief skit on a comedy show when you have set such an encouraging  
example.  Other thoughts?

Sincerely,
  Ryan

----- Original Message ----- From: "Allison (NFB of Arizona)" <nfbarizona at gmail.com 
 >
To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List" <arizona-students at nfbnet.org 
 >
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] National Federation of the Blind  
Comments onSaturday Night Live Segment

And yet... doesn't Saturday Night Live make fun of everyone?  It's  
comedy,
so that's kind of the point.  I understand that with the high  
unemployment
among the blind that this sort of humor could maybe negatively impact us
more than most groups, yet if we complain about shows that are clearly  
comic
in nature, we run the risk of not being taken seriously when there are  
much
worse, and more serious,  depictions of blindness.  Meaning that, if  
this
show had actually been
meant to be taken seriously, then I would be a lot more concerned.   
Believe
me, I don't like blindness portrayals of this nature and would prefer  
them
not to exist, but
since they do, I feel that I have to carefully pick and choose which
instances I react to.  I choose my battles and, while something like the
Blindness movie may have been worth my opposition, SNL is just not.

We can go back to the old argument that if this had been another  
minority
group depicted in this sketch that no one would stand for it, but I  
don't
think that argument has proved very effective for us in the past.  And I
think it would be less effective in this case because there are many  
groups
that SNL makes fun of in their shows.  I imagine that some group or  
other
feels offended by this show every week.

Allison

----- Original Message ----- From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David  
Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)"
<JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 11:45 AM
Subject: [Arizona-students] National Federation of the Blind Comments on
Saturday Night Live Segment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Public Relations Specialist

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind
Comments on Saturday Night Live Segment

Largest Organization of the Blind Criticizes Attack on Blind Americans

Baltimore, Maryland (December 15, 2008): Chris
Danielsen, spokesman for the National Federation
of the Blind, said: "The biggest problem faced by
blind people is not blindness itself, but the
stereotypes held by the general public about
blindness and blind people.  The idea that blind
people are incapable of the simplest tasks and
are perpetually disoriented and befuddled is
absolutely wrong.  This misconception contributes
to an unemployment rate among blind people that
stubbornly remains at 70 percent.  That is why
the National Federation of the Blind is
disappointed that Saturday Night Live chose to
portray Governor Paterson in a comedy routine
that focused almost exclusively on his
blindness.  Attacking the Governor because he is
blind is an attack on all blind Americans blind
children, blind adults, blind seniors, and newly
blinded veterans returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan.  The National Federation of the
Blind urges the producers of Saturday Night Live
to consider the serious negative impact that
misinformation and stereotypes have on blind
people before continuing in this unfortunate vein of humor."

###

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