[BlindTlk] Fracturing

Wed Jul 14 15:27:04 UTC 2021

Ray, I agree with you. I don't want the Federation to be so far left that it offends those who are centrists or on the right. At the same time, I don't want it to be so far to the right that we don't attract people who are centrists are on the left. To make the challenge even bigger, I don't want the Federation to be so centrist that people on the left and right figure that all we are trying to do is find a middle-of-the-road on everything.

As I understand it, the term woke has different meanings for different groups. I think that unless we are clear about the definition we are using, we probably should avoid it. I don't want to be told to be politically correct, but I am perfectly willing to be aware of language that is hurtful to others. If you tell me that when I refer to your race I should use the word white, I'm glad to do that. If you tell me the word is black, I'm glad to do that as well. If you tell me you prefer to be called African-American, Native American, or an indigenous American, I'm cool with that too, but be easy with me if in all of this complexity I sometimes mess it up. I think of myself as blind, but if you want to refer to me as visually impaired or visually handicapped or visually limited or visually challenged, I'm not going to bite your head off. I am looking for allies, people I can bring to an understanding of blindness. I am therefore willing to do the same kind of learning that I want other people to do. I may not be perfect at it, but I want to lead with tolerance as the first impression that I give to people. I am not beyond sharp comments or sarcasm, but I think that normally they make me feel good in the moment but don't leave me with a good feeling afterward. I also think they don't do anything to actually advance my cause.

If these things were easy to figure out, we wouldn't have to be talking about them on blind talk.

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Raymond Foret Jr via BlindTlk
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2021 4:26 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Raymond Foret Jr <rforet7706 at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Fracturing

You know Peter, it’s confession time I guess.  There was a time when I felt the NFB was leaning too far over to the left.  I felt that perhaps somebody should start a new more conservative version of the federation.  However, it did occur to me to wonder the following things:

1.  How much of that new organization’s programs would be just like those of the NFB?

2.  Even if the members of that new organization were to form, how could they substantively convince other blind people to leave the federation and join the new outfit?

3.  IF that new organization had closed membership, (which it is almost certain to have to have by way of its nature), how then could their members validly say that they were a cross section of society?

For my part, I reckon it’s better to remain in the federation and try to correct internally rather then go off and try to form a new thing.  If you think you can convince me otherwise, have at it but I’m not sure now that this would be the right step.

I will never apologize for my blindness, my Whiteness, my Catholicism or my Southernness

Sent from the first computer with built-in screen reader access for the blind:

Sincerely,

The constantly barefooted Ray

> On Jul 13, 2021, at 5:31 PM, Jen via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Personally, I don't think creating a different organization is the best idea. There will never be another organization like the NFB because of all the precedents it has created. If we were to found another organization with the same purpose, I feel like, we would just be cloning ourselves. And all organizations stray from their primary purposes sometimes. We need to refocus on our primary purpose and address the sexual misconduct, but first, we need clear terms like James Gashel said. Addressing the misconduct and keeping our primary focus is the best way, I think. But I don't have the answers for how to do that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Monday, July 12, 2021, 09:39:08 PM EDT, Peter Donahue via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
>     Long before the current discussions and actions came along some individuals some of whom are now deceased were raising the concern that the NFB was becoming too divisionized and compartmentalized and that despite this fewer actions were being taken to better conditions for the blind. Mary and I have witnessed this first hand. It happened last year when I attempted to begin a discussion with our Sports and Recreation Division about promoting the sport of golf among the blind a sport the blind have participated in for years. I learned of blind golfers back in the 1960s. Sadly our schools for the blind never offered us the chance to try the game for ourselves. All I've heard from our sport sand recreation division concerning promoting golf among the blind is crickets singing. This is no way to run a division.
> 
>     Will our voices continue to be drowned out due to the concerns over sexual misconduct, violence, etc. People there are already agencies and organizations those who feel they've been victimize that way to get help so why not tap into them and let the NFB continue to do what it has done well over the past 50-plus years?
> 
> 
> If the NFB continues down this path perhaps it's time for another organization of the blind to come into existence one that has the same philosophy and mission as the NFB but will not allow itself to be derailed by concerns addressed quite well by other agencies and organizations. Someone proposed starting a third organization of the blind last fall to bridge the gap between the NFB and the ACB. But when we looked "Under the hood" the individual in question began taking pot shots at the NFB and the hard work it has done over the years. We promptly told this individual "Thanks but no thanks!" I'll put everyone on notice right now that we will not have any part of any new blind consumer organization that behaves in this way. There is far too much work to be done to bring the blind into first class citizenship to enable all blind persons to live the lives they want. The behavior of the NFB during the up-coming year will help us decide whether or not to continue our membership or to work to found a similar organization of the blind that will stay true to its cause. All the best.
> 
> Peter Donahue
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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