[Blindtlk] My 2 Cents

Mon Mar 25 11:40:25 UTC 2013

Okay, Peter,

What about pluralism, you know, room for everyone, everyone having 
his own magic, or contribution to this human experiment.
I am of a belief that there need not be any one way to do things, to 
refer to people. That, this culture is one of a tossed salad, people 
of all shapes, sizes and yes, colors thrown into a big bowl, and it 
is left to human tenacity to look beyond the stuff that traditionally 
divides us, and find a life, as one.
with many hugs,
Car32 AM 3/25/2013, you wrote:
>     How about just call me by my given name? A unique concept that is
>something that people must label people that I find appalling myself.
>We should be progressing like I wouldn't see it possible to call
>someone a racial derogatory word that someone shouldn't call me
>something beyond my control. I don't call someone that so deserve
>respect like a normal human being not an animal. Not that much to ask
>for in a civilized society that is why we have hate crime legislation
>and specially protected people like women, racial minorities or sexual
>deviants like me too!
>
>On 3/25/13, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at comcast.net> wrote:
> > Hi, Peter,
> >
> >          Are you one of those people contributing to people's
> > reluctance to call us what we are, blind? What's in a name, anyway?
> > What is the term you like to be called, just so I don't call you BLIND?
> > Loving, Carfigure out what to call us?  At 06:41 PM 3/24/2013, you wrote:
> >>Mike,
> >>
> >>
> >>     What is for dinner? I just disagree with the labels of disabled
> >>people or in fact the world disabled in the first place. What is
> >>fundamentally broken by a blind person? I don't like handicapped,
> >>disabled, consumer, client or any of it. I'd rather have participant
> >>or customer would be okay as well just not consumer. It implies a
> >>causality that and it reduces you to a number.
> >>
> >>
> >>     First and foremost that we're all individuals right? I've had a
> >>local taxi company in Auburn of my former college city call me "Blind
> >>Pete". Can you imagine how enraged that they wouldn't change me for
> >>two years just tcontiniously calling me "Blind Pete" even saved in
> >>their contacts as that name too. Its like people attempt to turn you
> >>into a object that dcan be treated less than a normal homo sapien.
> >>Anyone else with similar experiences? This drives me insaine that way
> >>don't usually ever gets to me but lately not as easy to do.
> >>
> >>
> >>Thanks,
> >>Peter
> >>
> >>On 3/24/13, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:
> >> > Peter:
> >> >
> >> > You're obsessing about the word "consumer" too much. In using that
> >> > word,
> >> > both rehab and most blind persons merely mean a designation of someone
> >> > receiving services and, if we are honest, it's also a way to avoid the
> >> > word
> >> > "client" which some of us hate. Frankly, I don't care what you call me
> >> > as
> >> > long as you call me for dinner. (grin) Our state department of services
> >> > for
> >> > the blind calls those whom it serves "customers".
> >> >
> >> > Mike Freeman
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peter
> >> > Wolfe
> >> > Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 8:43 PM
> >> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> >> > Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] My 2 Cents
> >> >
> >> >    Why are blind people considered consumers in much of
> >> > rehabilitation? They aren't producers, therefore, they are deemed
> >> > inferior even by fellow blind professions who work at such facilities.
> >> > Sorry the whole conversation is besides the point just a reason to
> >> > demean someone of another opinion. I'm an atheist-agnostic, so view
> >> > things in another paradigm than that of yourself in that way. I'm
> >> > looking at everything extremely logical to a fault that is to say
> >> > deductive logic not inductive logic as much.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > sincerely,
> >> > Peter
> >> >
> >> > On 3/23/13, Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com> wrote:
> >> >> Diane,
> >> >>
> >> >> Absolutely, one hundred percent spot on!!!
> >> >>
> >> >> Mark Tardif
> >> >> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: Diane Graves
> >> >> Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 11:14 PM
> >> >> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> >> >> Subject: [Blindtlk] My 2 Cents
> >> >>
> >> >> Good Evening,
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> For days I have been overwhelmed by the sizable discussion thread on
> >> >> "Adjustment to blindness training NFB Centers Or Not," and I admit to
> >> >> having
> >> >> deleted a good number of the messages without reading, so I apologize
> >> >> in
> >> >> advance if I missed some things. I changed the subject line on
> >> >> purpose,
> >> >> just
> >> >> in case there were others doing the same. However, tonight I am up
> >> >> late
> >> >> baking and have read a number of the posts, and feel compelled to
> >> >> share
> >> >> my
> >> >> sentiments on a few things, or the facts as I see them.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> First of all, I'll say, very respectfully, that there is one
> >> >> participant
> >> > in
> >> >> the discussion who has me very confused. On one hand I hear him saying
> >> > that
> >> >> we in the federation need to "wake up and smell the coffee" and accept
> >> >> the
> >> >> fact that blindness does make us inferior. On the other hand, this
> >> >> same
> >> >> individual is saying that we need to come together to fight
> >> >> discrimination
> >> >> against the blind. If you, yourself, believe that you are inferior,
> >> >> then
> >> >> why
> >> >> should society stop discriminating? In fact, how can they stop
> >> >> discriminating? Why should employers hire us, and lessen that 70%
> >> >> unemployment rate, if we aren't equal to our sighted counterparts?
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Secondly, I'll just say that the notion that NFB believes that one
> >> >> size
> >> >> fits
> >> >> all is ludicrous. There are no two blind people that are a like any
> >> >> more
> >> >> than there are two sighted people who are exactly alike. There are
> >> >> sighted
> >> >> people who are excellent construction workers, who do not have the
> >> >> people
> >> >> skills business prowess and any number of other skills necessary to be
> >> >> the
> >> >> CEO of a corporation.  That CEO  might not have the athletic prowess
> >> >> to
> >> >> fight his way out of a cardboard box.  That doesn't make either one of
> >> > them
> >> >> inferior. They're just different.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The statement that all blind people need to accept the fact that they
> >> > can't
> >> >> perform any number of given tasks, is, indeed, arrogant. We are just
> >> >> as
> >> >> varied in our abilities as the sighted.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I have a dual disability in that I am not only totally blind, but also
> >> > have
> >> >> a significant hearing impairment. Therefore, there are a number of
> >> >> blind
> >> >> people who can run circles around me in the mobility arena, simply
> >> >> because
> >> >> they have the benefit of that good hearing. The fact that I have
> >> >> trouble
> >> > at
> >> >> times, doesn't mean that they face the same drawbacks and that their
> >> > skills
> >> >> are not excellent and far above mine.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On the other hand, I am an avid Braille reader, and much prefer
> >> >> Braille
> >> >> to
> >> >> any other media, whereas there are other blind people who prefer to
> >> >> listen
> >> >> to tapes and recorded books. My hearing is good enough that I could
> >> >> certainly use audiobooks if I chose too. I just get more out of a book
> >> > when
> >> >> actively reading it myself. Some of those people with the superb
> >> >> mobility
> >> >> skills may not have the same prowess in Braille that I do. We are all
> >> >> different.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Mike Freeman and Gary Wunder are both skilled in the area of computer
> >> >> programming, and, I suspect, could give sighted programmers a run for
> >> > their
> >> >> money. I, on the other hand am strictly a computer user. Start talking
> >> >> about
> >> >> programming and you've lost me immediately. The fact that I can't do
> >> >> it,
> >> >> doesn't mean that they're not experts in it.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Don't know if this is making sense or not, but again, on one hand I
> >> >> hear
> >> >> this person  telling us that we are a cookie cutter organization,
> >> >> while
> >> >> at
> >> >> the same time cutting his own cookies by telling us that we are all
> >> >> severely
> >> >> limited.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> In our organization we have liberals and we have conservatives. We
> >> >> have
> >> >> Christians and we have atheists. We have people who are athletes and
> >> >> those
> >> >> who are out of shape and proud of it. Lol We have any variation that
> >> >> you
> >> >> could think of. What unites us is our desire and our intent to fight
> >> >> the
> >> >> discriminatory barriers which face the blind.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Now I'm not going to tell you that I've never known a federationist
> >> >> who
> >> >> believed that there was only one way of doing things and one standard
> >> >> as
> >> > it
> >> >> relates to blindness skills. But that isn't the mantra of the
> >> >> organization
> >> >> at all.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> If you want to "stop dreaming" then that is your choice. But you can't
> >> > take
> >> >> my dreams.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Diane Graves
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> blindtlk mailing list
> >> >> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> >> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> >> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >> >> blindtlk:
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/markspark%40roadrunner
> >> > .com
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> -----
> >> >> No virus found in this message.
> >> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> >> >> Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 2641/6195 - Release Date:
> >> >> 03/21/13
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> >> blindtlk:
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/yogabare13%40gmail.com
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Cordially,
> >> > Peter Q Wolfe, BA
> >> > cum laude Auburn University
> >> > e-mail: yogabare13 at gmail.com
> >> > "If you don't stand up for something your willing to fall for anything"
> >> > Peter Q Wolfe
> >> > "Stand up for your rights"
> >> > Bob Marley
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > blindtlk mailing list
> >> > blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
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> >> > blindtlk:
> >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > blindtlk mailing list
> >> > blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
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> >> > blindtlk:
> >> >
> >> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/yogabare13%40gmail.com
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>--
> >>Cordially,
> >>Peter Q Wolfe, BA
> >>cum laude Auburn University
> >>e-mail: yogabare13 at gmail.com
> >>"If you don't stand up for something your willing to fall for anything"
> >>Peter Q Wolfe
> >>"Stand up for your rights"
> >>Bob Marley
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
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> >>for blindtlk:
> >>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/carlymih%40c 
> omcast.net
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > 
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> >
>
>
>--
>Cordially,
>Peter Q Wolfe, BA
>cum laude Auburn University
>e-mail: yogabare13 at gmail.com
>"If you don't stand up for something your willing to fall for anything"
>Peter Q Wolfe
>"Stand up for your rights"
>Bob Marley
>
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