[BlindTlk] Caring concerns of James and Susan Gashel

[Ericka]

I am not defending anyone. To take that into consideration as you read.

I do know there are people that training centers who have either hurt others sexually or have been victims themselves. Is this a Bolinas issue? Yes it is. We cannot control the rest of the world what we can’t control how are training centers react. Having a policy coming from the headquarters of the NFB it does not tolerate this gives power to the victims and the staff to either throw out a client who is being abusive or a staff member who is being abusive. And we also must remember that not everyone is comfortable bringing harassment and sexual abuse/violence.  Well I have not been sexually assaulted etc. there is a lot of shame involved. They feel they could have prevented it. They wonder what’s wrong with them. So many emotions and society doesn’t help. Still today the victim is looked at as the one who “asked for it.“ And there’s a lot of drinking going on during conventions.. I’m people are not any different. I am certain somethings happened that aren’t wanted.  We have to admit in someway that we are not perfect blind people. Having said this, the code of conduct and How as an organization we handle things needs to be a combination of allowing other agencies to assist yes we have a cancer survivors support group. That’s good. We do need a support group for this.  For support, resources, and access to assistance at a lower cost through the human services division perhaps. I may not be elegant at what I’m saying here, but I think everyone understands where I’m going. perfect;

For example was look at training for NFB training center staff and seminars and how to protect yourself from sexual predators. How do you recognize Anna genuine act of respect and affection versus abuse. Remember many students are coming with no self-esteem and lack of confidence to begin with. For someone  who tends tord disrespectful actions he’s been down students seem like prime targets. We begin with hard and fast rules and training in the centers which is directly behind us related. Then slowly look for or other situations where they come up? This week we are changing but not dramatically. We cannot react just something that happened 40 years ago but we can’t change how we do things where it has the most impact. We must take those folks complaint seriously. But I don’t think what’s currently constructed is best. 
Ericka Nelson

> On Jul 12, 2021, at 5:29 PM, Gary Wunder via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
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> It is very easy for an issue to be exploded in so many directions that it is impossible to discuss any part of it constructively. May we narrow this to one point for the moment? I want to know when the NFB has ever asked me or any of you to apologize for our being White, for our geographic location, or our religious beliefs? The only thing I've been asked to do is accept that not everyone in our circle shares these characteristics with me. At no point have I ever been asked to leave my other characteristics at the door and just be blind. I have been accepted as a package and have felt prized as a member. I want to extend that to others as it has been extended to me. How to implement do unto others is harder than asserting it as one of my values, but I'm willing to undertake the challenge, and I think my brothers and sisters in the NFB are willing to do the same.
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