[blindlaw] Pimp My Cane
Mark BurningHawk
stone_troll at sbcglobal.net
Mon Mar 29 22:56:19 UTC 2010
I don't believe I ever said "don't carry a cane because it makes you
look blind." I am not arguing the use of the cane as a tool. My use
of a black lab instead of a white cane doesn't make me look any less
blind, nor am I speaking from a position of shame. What I disagree
with strongly is the need for blind people to carry a white cane
merely as an identifier. It's analogous, albeit very roughly, to
being forced to wear an arm band because of race or religion--just to
avoid misunderstandings due to light skin color. If that arm band
were a tool, I wouldn't quibble with that; the white cane as a sort of
"lepper's mark," to warn the sighted about the blind does no one any
good in the long run. If you're a great cane user and it's an
effective tool for you, then by all means, knock yourselves out. I
would say the same thing to a guide dog user who just "brought the pup
along so people know I'm blind and cause he's cute." Please, please
try and understand my position and that I'm not on a tirade against
the cane.
Mark BurningHawk
Skype and Twitter: BurningHawk1969
Home: Http://MarkBurningHawk.net/
Namaste!
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