[blparent] NFB and Cane Length (was Introduction and a Questionfrom the origenater)

[Judy Jones]

Well, there are rude blind people, just as there are rude sighted people, I 
know you already know this anyway.  I've been part of the NFB since the 80s, 
and I see by and large a better understanding since the early days.  We were 
part of the NFB in Washington state for years where our girls grew up, and 
are now part of the Idaho NFB.  One has to grow with the times.  Back in the 
day, when we needed to fight for our civil rights, there was much more of a 
militant attitude, but that reflected the times.  Now, it is equally 
important to stand on one's rights and pursue equality, as you have said, 
but that is done in a different way.

BTW, I loved your boyfriend's comment about the hood ornament, tell him from 
me, another blind person, that his concern is appreciated nonetheless.

Although there are individuals around that have not been very welcoming, and 
unfortunately have been associated with the NFB, the movement is what is 
important.  Any particular entity will have persons who will not represent 
it well, and it's important to look at the entity itself.  My husband has 
said it, and I agree, there are things we may agree or disagree with, but, 
as far as we know, the NFB is the best organized blind movement around that 
gets things done, and has a proven track record.  It's important to work 
amicably and well with others, but also important to stand on the issues 
that are important.  If people are rude, it does not mean that their 
rudeness is condoned.

BTW, I do use and love the telescopic cane, sold by NFB's independence 
market.  All entities will have their share of persons who are always on the 
offense.

Judy


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto via BlParent
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2016 11:52 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Subject: Re: [blparent] NFB and Cane Length (was Introduction and a 
Questionfrom the origenater)

To be perfectly honest, the reason I have not joined the NFB is because many
members put forth a very rude face to the public when it comes to demanding
equal treatment.  Believe me, I understand where the anger and bitterness
come from.  I've been in the real world as long as anybody else.  We need to
be firm and resolute when dealing with discrimination as it arises in the
media, the courts, etc.  But meeting injustice with anger on the streets
from day to day only leads to public confusion when often, the people who
receive the anger are only trying to be helpful.

For example, my boyfriend offered assistance to a blind man not long ago who
was literally about to step out into the street in front of an oncoming city
bus.  The man snapped at him, saying it was wrong to assume that he needed
help just because he was blind and that he knew exactly where he was going
and how to get there.

My boyfriend--okay, diplomacy isn't his best trait--backed off and told him
that if he was on a career path to becoming a hood ornament, he was headed
in exactly the right direction, good luck.  I don't know for sure that the
blind man was affiliated with the NFB, but he had the typical "I don't need
sighted help" attitude and the super long cane.  He could have been.

As far as the super long canes go, they don't work for me.  I've been given
a lot of crap for that by blind people I know.  I'm a slower traveler since
I lost the last of my light perception and developed fibromyalgia and other
health problems, which I've also been hassled for, but it is what it is.
Frankly, I don't understand those long canes as a symbol of blind strength
or anything else.  I've been told they can make a person travel faster.  If
that works for some people, more power to them, but why does that make the
long canes a symbol of anything?  When I went to a State of Colorado NFB
convention, the only thing the long canes seemed to be a symbol of was the
license to ram other people in the ankles and crowd them out of the way in
the food line.  It would seem to me that a telescoping cane would work
better in most situations because it could be folded up and put out of the
way.  I really am open to an explanation.

Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Kane Brolin via BlParent
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2016 8:40 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Kane Brolin
Subject: Re: [blparent] Introduction and a Question from the origenater

On 2/19/16, Elizabeth Bowden via BlParent <blparent at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I'd like to let everyone know that I am also blind, and wanted the informN 
> as much as > the mother does.  Also, she is having a problem with her 
> email, so I offered to join the > list first so she could see what an 
> email discussion list is like.
> Just my 2 cents worth.

Thank you, Elizabeth.  I have seen you on some other lists before,
though I generally lurk on lists more than I participate.

I have come to love the Federation and its subsidiary groups, and I
even am a leader on a small scale.  But I have to say that for me this
has been an acquired taste, because some Federationists overreach and
cut off our nose to spite our face.

One time in the early '90s, I came to visit a chapter meeting in the
heart of Chicago, carrying a telescoping cane that I had purchased
through what is now the Independence Market.  Without even knowing me,
a veteran member of that chapter accused me of "folding up your
blindness" because I was not carrying the full-length, long cane
(which in my case stands about 70 inches high).  I knew I would be
riding back and forth on trains, sitting at a crowded outdoor café,
etc.  So I just decided to bring the telescoping cane with me--as much
for convenience as for anything else.  But somehow this man thought
that I probably was trying to hide my blindness from the world or
de-emphasize it by choosing a cane whose length I could collapse.
Utterly ridiculous, as I've dealt with blindness my entire life--some
times more effectively than others--but I've never had an issue with
owning up to this characteristic or with sharing my coping techniques
(or other resources) with those who are curious.  And, being total,
it's not as though I've ever been able to hide it.  What's more,  the
style of telescoping cane I purchased, had been recommended to me by
none other than Dr. Jernigan himself, whom I'd met face to face the
prior year. Experiences like this one were one factor in my not
joining up with the Federation actively for more than 20 years of my
adult life.

I don't believe in watering down our principles.  But I think it's
best to practice the Stephen Covey maxim of "Seek first to understand
before being understood."

I will say nothing further in or about this thread.  Thank you for
your indulgence.

-Kane

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