[BlindTlk] [BlTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response concerning the recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs

Thu Mar 11 16:50:03 UTC 2021

Yea, Wisconsin, yea, Norway, yea, Germany, and yea to you Lutherans!  I'm a 
proud, blind, northern New Englander, and don't forget it, LOL.

Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Ericka via BlindTlk
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:20 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Cc: Ericka
Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] [BlTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response concerning 
the recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs

You have a right to your opinion. However as you hit it to your whiteness 
and your southern us; don’t forget that the white people didn’t want to do 
the work on the plantations so they imported black slaves. They didn’t want 
to be here either. Yes I am a proud northerner but unlike you I am not proud 
of what white people in power have done to others they did not understand. I 
am very proud and gray to the Native American man who taught McCain travel 
and ended up being the best man at our wedding. I’ve learned more from black 
people about myself and about humanity than any white person.

Narrowness is only appropriate for roads in the eyes of needles. Remember 
both are dangerous. Remember in the Bible which I know Catholics do a read 
it says “do want to others as you would have them do onto you.“ Do you want 
someone to look at blindness as the same negative that you look at others 
who are not white?

>From a proud blind, female, northerner who’s roots are in Norway in Germany 
who just so happens to be white who is Lutheran.

Ericka Nelson

> On Mar 11, 2021, at 4:23 AM, Raymond Foret Jr via BlindTlk 
> <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Nor am I happy with the leftist direction the NFB has taken.  To speak 
> frankly, I am very concerned to see the NFB support a socialist 
> organization like Black Lives Matter (who wants to destroy America) and 
> this really is almost a step too far for me.  As the recent years have 
> gone by, I have seen the NFB fall backwards little by little with respect 
> to ground we supposedly gained.  While it is true to say that we should 
> not always be in an armed camp mentality, neither should we forget how to 
> fight if we have to.  OF late, this seems to have escaped us.  I now have 
> some cause to wonder whether a person like me really can find a place in 
> the NFB as it now exists.  I dare speculate that if I myself tendered my 
> resignation, I would not be missed either very much or even at all:  after 
> all, I contribute nothing to the organization either monetarily or 
> otherwise.  Don’t mistake me.  I agree with the philosophy that the 
> federation teaches (or maybe I should say it this way, the philosophy that 
> it taught when I was at the Louisiana Center);  but now, I question 
> whether a blind political conservative like me really belongs in the 
> federation at all.  I dare speculate that if I today submitted my 
> membership resignation and gave my reasons, Mark would most likely not 
> even bother to respond.
>
> I will never apologize for 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 Mar 10, 2021, at 12:57 PM, Judy Jones via BlindTlk 
>> <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Wow, very astute.
>>
>> The NFB has its problems, but I still think the philosophy it was founded 
>> upon is the best thing going out there.  The organization itself has gone 
>> through many changes, and reflects the trends of the culture, as we are a 
>> cross-section that represents the culture.
>>
>> Personally, I'm not happy with the left-leaning trend the organization 
>> has taken, that it has forgotten a lot of the bedrock philosophy that 
>> made it a great organization, but the whole focus should be on issues 
>> faced by blind Americans.
>>
>> While the blind driver challenge, is glitzy, raises our profile, and 
>> highlights a blind entrepreneur, (which I think is great) the other 
>> shouldn't be dropped.  Why do we still have our 30 percent employment 
>> rate, even after all these years?  Posting government and legal jobs 
>> isn't going to help the average person get a job to earn table money 
>> while they go to school.  I  think we've gone down too many rabbit trails 
>> and can't keep up with all of them.
>>
>> Also, if we don't care for the regime that is in place, why do we sit 
>> complacently by and let them in year after year?  I'm not by any means 
>> stating any dissatisfaction with anyone, but just saying, why, in our 
>> history, don't we have people running against the groomed candidate?  Why 
>> don't we have others running against the incumbent in elections?
>>
>> Judy
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Mary McGee via 
>> BlindTlk
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 10:02 AM
>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Mary McGee <mmcatitude at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] [BlTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response 
>> concerning the recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>> Hello, All,
>>    I don't use a guide dog.  If you do, fine!  What I'm going to say will 
>> offend some people, so I will apologize in advance and say please stop 
>> reading if you believe the NFB is always right.
>>    It doesn't matter if the contract allowed for repo of the dog when 
>> there appears to be no proof that it was overweight or needs shots! 
>> There must be proof!  And it appears this isn't the first instance of 
>> disregard for consumers of this facility.
>>    I'm also a survivor of sexual abuse at an NFB National Convention.  I 
>> believe whether it's guide dog repo or sexual abuse, the organization 
>> generally was to "investigate" but take no positive action.  I can public 
>> an email where Mark Riccobono refuses to give me an appointment to 
>> discuss my experience until his "investigation" is finished.
>>    The NFB has taken people's money for years.  I really cares about 
>> donations and dues!  It's leaders live pretty lavishly.  Something needs 
>> to change and the answer isn't in the Blind Driver Challenge!
>>    Maybe we, the membership, need to vote out every national and state 
>> leader and board member.  But, oh yes, we can't, because they're 
>> hand-picked by the establishment that perpetuates itself with its 
>> disfavor of guide dogs, women, and other marginalized people.
>>    In Iowa, there has been some media attention about the sexual abuse. 
>> Perhaps there needs to be some of that regarding the guide dog problems 
>> that no one wants to address.  The only way reach an organization that 
>> doesn't want to notice is to hurt its funding.  Media attention can help 
>> with that.  After all, look what happened to the Catholic Church!
>> Sincerely,
>> Mary L. McGee
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna 
>> Bacchus via BlindTlk
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 10:47 AM
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Roanna Bacchus <r-bacchus at outlook.com>
>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] [BlTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response 
>> concerning the recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>> Hi Peter and everyone,
>>
>> I hope all of you are doing well. An individual with a disability whether 
>> it is blindness, cancer, diabetes, or any other conditions should be 
>> allowed to use a guide dog for independent travel. I am proud of everyone 
>> who has chosen to leave Nagdu or the National Federation Of The Blind 
>> regardless of the reason. The President and Nagdu's Board of Directors 
>> should be ashamed of their behavior concerning this issue. I hope that 
>> both Les and Reverend Blake receive a personal apology from Southeastern 
>> Guide Dogs and the Nfb.
>>
>> On Mar 10, 2021 10:56 AM, Peter Donahue via BlindTlk 
>> <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Good morning everyone,
>>
>>
>>
>>               This sounds like nothing more than delaying tactics. 
>> Whenever a serious issue comes to NAGDU’s attention the line, “We need to 
>> investigate all angles” is use to brush these matters aside and nothing 
>> happens to address the issue. Marion is not the only one who left NAGDU 
>> because of their lack of action and unwillingness to aggressively address 
>> important issues for guide dog users beyond accessibility. Access for 
>> guide dog users is only one side of the coin. The other concerns guide 
>> dog training, it’s current practices and the need for serious changes to 
>> be made to increase training opportunities for blind persons wishing to 
>> use a guide dog for independent travel.
>>
>>
>>
>> Peter Donahue
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Judy Jones via 
>> BlindTlk
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 4:40 AM
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] [BlTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response 
>> concerning the recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi Marion,
>>
>> It's because of the current trouble that we need you more than ever.
>>
>> Thank you for all your support through the years. We all have benefised 
>> in ways we may not know.
>>
>> Seed-planters like yourself don't often see the results of their work, 
>> but results are there, nevertheless.
>>
>>
>> Judy
>> sent from the Android BrailleSense Polaris
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Marion Gwizdala, via BlindTlk
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
>> ,flagdu at nfbnet.org,blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> Date: Tuesday, March 09, 2021 08:00 PM
>> Subject: [BlindTlk] FW: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response concerning the 
>> recent discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>>
>>
>> I realized that my following message did not get posted to the list; 
>> rather, it went to Raul. I am forwarding it so there is a record of the 
>> facts, not the revision presented.
>>
>>
>>
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>> (813) 626-2789
>>
>> Blind411 at verizon.net <mailto:Blind411 at verizon.net>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Marion Gwizdala,
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 5:20 PM
>> To: 'Raul A. Gallegos - NAGDU'
>> Subject: RE: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response concerning the recent 
>> discussions about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>>
>>
>> I want to correct the record of what President Gallegos has stated in his 
>> message; otherwise, I tacitly agree that what he is stating is fact and 
>> it is not! In this message, President Gallegos states, "we try to 
>> investigate all angles from all sides to gather as much information as 
>> possible". As I have already stated, his first reaction was "I need to 
>> call Southeastern". Then what did President Gallegos do for the rest of 
>> the evening. Well, I received several text messages from apple with one 
>> time passcodes because he was working on the NAGDU app and needed those 
>> passcodes to reset the password. Did he gather any information? Did he 
>> contact Rev. Blake? This is directly contradictory to the assertion he 
>> made in which he states, "I would like to personally reassure everyone 
>> reading that I very much care and so does the NAGDU board of directors." 
>> If he really cared he would have followed up immediately. He never called 
>> me to follow-up and get her contact information until Saturday evening. 
>> Did he call her on Saturday? Did he call her on Sunday? Did he call her 
>> on Moneday? It was not until today, llikely with a great deal of pressure 
>> mounting from his membership that he reached out to Rev. Blake.
>>
>>
>>
>> I will also remind everyone that this caring board of directors discussed 
>> the Les Demers case several months ago and chose not to pursue it; in the 
>> words of one member of the board I spoke with, "we felt it was all 
>> opinion". Really? That is how decisions are made to protect the rights of 
>> guide dog users?
>>
>>
>>
>> I really have no right to say much more, as I am no longer a member of 
>> the National Association of Guide Dog Users or the National Federation of 
>> the Blind. Some have told me it must have been a difficult decision to 
>> resign my membership in an organization I have served for thirty-four 
>> years. Actually, it was not a difficult decision to make, as it is clear 
>> the organization cannot be relied upon to protect the rights of guide dog 
>> users. I have heard it said that when you are on the barricades fighting 
>> for your rights and feel all alone, turn around and you will see 50,000 
>> Federationists standing behind you. Yesterday I turned around and the 
>> Federation had retreated. No, it was not a difficult decision to make.
>>
>>
>>
>> I will continue to fight for the rights of blind people and guide dog 
>> users but I will do it independently. If you need my help, please do not 
>> hesitate to get in touch with me. If nothing else, when you turn around, 
>> I will be there!
>>
>>
>>
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>> (813) 626-2789
>>
>> Blind411 at verizon.net <mailto:Blind411 at verizon.net>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: NFB-NAGDU > On Behalf Of Raul A. Gallegos - NAGDU via NFB-NAGDU
>> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 4:39 PM
>> To: NAGDU Master List >
>> Subject: [NFB-NAGDU] NAGDU's response concerning the recent discussions 
>> about Southeastern Guide Dogs
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear Fellow Federation family,
>>
>> As you have no doubt seen by now, there is some discussion about an 
>> incident involving a woman in Florida who recently had her guide dog 
>> taken away by a representative of Southeastern Guide Dogs. Additionally, 
>> there is some discussion on social media where it has been said that 
>> members of the NAGDU board of directors, specifically me, couldn't care 
>> less about this situation. I would like to personally reassure everyone 
>> reading that I very much care and so does the NAGDU board of directors. 
>> Furthermore, we do not condone any illegal actions taken by anyone 
>> against a blind person. As is also common with Federation policy, we try 
>> to investigate all angles from all sides to gather as much information as 
>> possible before deciding on an appropriate course of action. We are also 
>> here to support the efforts of local affiliates and guide dog user 
>> divisions. In this instance, the Florida Association of Guide Dog Users.
>>
>> I would also like to remind everyone that if there is something that you 
>> need to discuss with the NAGDU board of directors, you can always reach 
>> out to us by emailing board at nagdu.org <mailto:board at nagdu.org>  . 
>> Additionally, you can reach out to any individual board member by using 
>> their direct email address, comprised of their first initial, the last 
>> name, followed by @nagdu.org. While we may not be able to find an instant 
>> solution, we will listen to you and we will investigate if we do not have 
>> all the facts.
>>
>> --
>> Respectfully,
>> Raul A. Gallegos / President
>> National Association of Guide Dog Users, NAGDU
>> 832.554.7285 | RGallegos at nagdu.org <mailto:RGallegos at nagdu.org> Subscribe 
>> to the NAGDU Public Events Calendar Here Schedule a 30-minute Zoom 
>> meeting with me here Join us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter
>>
>> "Blindness is a characteristic, not a handicap." -- Dr. Kenneth Jernigan
>>
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