[Blind-international-students] introducing myself and comments on your discussion

[hina altaf]

yes, that's what i told you. but apparantly you want to do the opposite.

On 8/9/10, Anmol Bhatia <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I agree with you Hina. However, someone asked me where I differ with NFB and
> I was just trying to be honest. An open debate is healthy for democracy and
> I did not intend to piss  off anyone in the NFB but simply trying to be
> honest and answer the question Jan asked of me. However, maybe we should
> have had this debate off list.
> Anmol
> I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps
> there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze
> among flowers.
> Hellen Keller
>
>
> --- On Mon, 8/9/10, hina altaf <hinaaltaf1983 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: hina altaf <hinaaltaf1983 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Blind-international-students] introducing myself and
>> comments on your discussion
>> To: "Blind International Students Mailing List"
>> <blind-international-students at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Monday, August 9, 2010, 8:21 AM
>> that is another reason i did not want
>> to have political discussion.
>> you all know nfb is a political organization and i would
>> strongly
>> recommend to stay away from discussing politics because at
>> the end it
>> will do nothing but leave bad feelings even if nfb wants to
>> help this
>> would definitely discourage everyone. so please instead of
>> discussing
>> our differences, just focuss on how we can help
>> internationals. hina.
>>
>> On 8/8/10, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>> > Hi, Dave,
>> >
>> > At a risk of blowing too many minds, isn't the NFB's
>> reason of all
>> > their activities ostensibly supposed  to serve
>> blind people? Aren't
>> > they supposed to be the beneficiaries of Federation
>> activity? So,
>> > oughtn't they be charged with governing and leading
>> their own
>> > organization, harnessing their own power?? Does the
>> Federation itself
>> > as well as small chapters really need power at the
>> top?
>> > Let's try an organization that is all about a
>> redistribution of
>> > power. The suggestions of a disability movement
>> divided are heinous
>> > as I see it, for  how are we supposed to be party
>> of a collective
>> > force by which many ideals espowsed by the Federation
>> are to be
>> > introduced to the disability community if we don't
>> unite as one
>> > disenfranchized  blind unit?
>> > C.not willing to support the NFB to they extent that
>> they receive support.
>> >
>> >>I apologize if I offend anyone -- but I just want
>> to be honest here.
>> >>
>> >>Below I think you misrepresent some NFB
>> positions.  We are not
>> >>strongly opposed to identifiable currency, as you
>> say, but we don't
>> >>consider it to be our highest priority.  We
>> also don't think many of
>> >>the proposed systems will work, or are likely to be
>> adopted.
>> >>
>> >>You are right that we traditionally have not been
>> very active in
>> >>coalitions.  In large part this is because we
>> do not know what other
>> >>disabled people need, and others do not know what
>> blind persons want
>> >>and need.  We can not represent them -- and
>> they can not represent
>> >>us.  This is not to say that we don't
>> participate in coalitions,
>> >>such as the Reading Rights Coalition among others.
>> >>
>> >>Finally you say all blind people should work
>> together ...  These are
>> >>nice words, but unrealistic.  In your country,
>> is there only one
>> >>political party?  Why doesn't everybody just
>> work together, after
>> >>all, don't they want the same thing.
>> >>
>> >>It is only natural that people will disagree, think
>> things should be
>> >>done in different ways, want different people to be
>> in charge etc.
>> >>
>> >>Dave
>> >>
>> >>At 04:37 PM 8/3/2010, you wrote:
>> >>>Hello Jan,
>> >>>I do believe in the basic philosophy of the NFB
>> of braille
>> >>>education, independence, the right of blind
>> individuals to teach
>> >>>other blind people and defeating the false
>> immage and attitudes
>> >>>that sighted society holds towards blindness.
>> However, my main
>> >>>issue with NFB has been that it sometimes goes
>> to far. For example,
>> >>>I have yet to understand why NFB is so opposed
>> to legislation which
>> >>>would make US currency excessable to the blind.
>> Managing one's
>> >>>finances is a fundamental right of all
>> Americans and even though
>> >>>technology does exist which can read papper
>> currency and one can
>> >>>should find their method of managing their
>> money, a blind are
>> >>>forced to depend on the honesty of sighted
>> individuals to know how
>> >>>much money they have and this itself goes
>> against the NFB
>> >>>philosophy  of independence. Also I do
>> have some disagreement with
>> >>>NFB philosophy of total independence. I am a
>> farely independ person
>> >>>but I think that at times it is ok to ask for
>> help. As a student
>> >>>  at the Arkansas School for the Blind I
>> was thought by my hoste
>> >>> mother who was blind and by my teachers that
>> it is ok to ask for
>> >>> help and as a adult I have found this to be so
>> true. I consider
>> >>> myself to be a independent and confident blind
>> adult but I still
>> >>> ask for help when I need to. Another good
>> point you bring up is
>> >>> NFB does not seem to work with other
>> disability organizations.
>> >>> Last week when attending the National Council
>> on Disability Summit
>> >>> I was surprised not to see any officials
>> from NFB or ACB. This is
>> >>> not to say they were not there. There were
>> alot of people who I
>> >>> did not meet. So someone from the NFB and ACB
>> may have been there
>> >>> and I just did not know about it. However, I
>> think both NFB and
>> >>> ACB should strive to work with any or all
>> blindness related or
>> >>> disability organization. Blind people can only
>> be put on back
>> >>> burner if we let ourselves do so and blind
>> community is a large
>> >>> enough community within the disability
>> community that if we unify
>> >>>  and assert ourselves we can be the most
>> powerful disabled
>> >>> comunity. This brings me to another point! I
>> think the infighting
>> >>> between the NFB and ACB is really silly! Both
>> organizations have
>> >>> alot of value to contribute for the blind
>> community and frankly it
>> >>> seems to me that the differences between is
>> not that much! It
>> >>> seems to me that there is more difference
>> within the membership of
>> >>> each organization then there is between the
>> organizations. Another
>> >>> words members of NFB and ACB have differences
>> with each other more
>> >>> then NFB and ACB have with each other.Some
>> have compared us to
>> >>> Democrats and Republicans, fair
>> comparison but the blind
>> >>> community is to small and our challenges to
>> great for us to be
>> >>> Democrats and Republicans. As you know by now
>> I am a person with
>> >>> strong oppinions and not afraid to share
>> them  regardless of who I
>> >>> piss off or anger. lol I may  never
>> be  invited to another NFB
>> >>> convention! lol
>> >>>To answer your question about blindness
>> organizations in other
>> >>>countries, on MIUSA's webcite there is a link
>> which list all the
>> >>>disability organizations around the world. You
>> can select which
>> >>>country or disability or both you wish to view
>> and a list should appear.
>> >>
>> >>
>>            David
>> Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
>> >>Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >
>> >
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