[Cabs] Walmart issue
BEKAHBEA at aol.com
BEKAHBEA at aol.com
Fri Oct 2 01:58:28 UTC 2009
It shows that blind people can overcome their disadvantage and be whoever
they want to be (though without sound being involved somehow, I don't know
how it would be possible to be a referee).
In a message dated 10/1/2009 7:55:42 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
nimerjaber1 at gmail.com writes:
Because when is a bli8nd ref viewed as a possitive thing?
Thanks
Nimer J
BEKAHBEA at aol.com wrote:
> Instead of having them pull it off the shelves, why not request for them
to
> make it more positive? Why not request that the picture be of a man
> looking proud that he is a blind referee? Why not have a description
inside the
> package of how the cane is used and how it helps a blind person? Little
> things like that can make the public more aware.
>
>
> In a message dated 10/1/2009 7:01:28 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
> nimerjaber1 at gmail.com writes:
>
> Yes, and as was pointed out, referees are often blind when reffing
> games, so obviously they're going to look stupid. I understand now a
> little better about how the NFB can see this as offensive, but I do
> believe it's being stretched.
>
> Thanks
> Nimer J
>
> Monika Reinholz wrote:
>
>> Chris and Nimer and others,
>>
>> Thank you Chris for understanding why I came out on the list about
this
>>
> in the first place. I do appreciate Nimers thoughts on this as well but
I
> must agree with Chris.
>
>> I am a high school (and also do middle school as well) volleyball
>>
> official in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas. So, I know first
hand about
> the comments and such that are said about us and such. I also have
never seen
> a blind person in an officials or referee type job, as its a very
visual
> based position. Not sayng it cant be done somehow, but I wouldnt know
how it
> would ever be done if it can.
>
>> Granted, in some ways it is really nice to see blind people in a
>>
> positive light and I'm not dishing that all portrayals are bad. But in
a situation
> such as this, a blind referee costume with the picture on its
packaging, I
> must say it shows blindness in a negative view. The picture is of a guy
> posed as a blind person in a referee's uniform with the shades on and
cane in
> hand looking up in the air. His composure and the look on his face
makes
> him look as if he is a moron and stupid.
>
>> As for what can be done, I was thinking that the NFB can at least
bring
>>
> it to Walmart's attention and they can take it off the shelves and
> apologize. But thats just my idea on what I'd like done.
>
>> Thanks,
>> Monika Reinholz
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> From: cjfoster2000 at gmail.com
>>> To: cabs at nfbnet.org
>>> Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 16:50:24 -0600
>>> Subject: Re: [Cabs] Walmart issue
>>>
>>> Dear Nimer, Monica and others on the list,
>>> What a great topic for discussion. Monica, I am very glad you brought
>>>
> this
>
>>> to our attention. It is at least worth knowing that someone has
decided
>>>
> to
>
>>> produce a costume of a blind referee . On the surface (especially for
>>> sports fans) it could seem actually a little funny. Looking in to it a
>>> little deeper, it is every bit as disturbing as Monica thought it was.
>>> Blind people don't need any more fun poked at us (however indirectly
it
>>>
> may
>
>>> be) than we are already dealing with.
>>> Nimer, I'd like to address several of your points in the message
below
>>>
> and
>
>>> I'll take them in the order they appeared.
>>> 1. You said, "No doubt NFB will find a reason to file a lawsuit about
>>>
> this
>
>>> issue, but I personally think you're making a bigger issue about
this."
>>> NFB does not purposefully look for reasons to file law suits about
>>>
> anything.
>
>>> NFB only takes legal action when discussion, negotiation, and all
other
>>> paths to a reasonable resolution have been exhausted. You may well
know
>>>
> and
>
>>> certainly other members on the list can tell you that entering into
any
>>>
> kind
>
>>> of legal dispute, whether it is as miner as small claims court or as
>>>
> major
>
>>> as a class action suit is tiring, draining, complicated, and always
>>> expensive.
>>> I believe that it is good that Monica took the time to throw her
>>>
> concern out
>
>>> here on the list for others to read. It is good for all of us to at
>>>
> least
>
>>> be aware of how society is choosing to portray us, whether it be
>>>
> negatively
>
>>> or positively. We can then choose how we want to handle these type of
>>> instances.
>>> 2. You said "I mean, we should be proud of two things. First that
blind
>>> people have gained enough attention to be on packages at the super
>>>
> market,
>
>>> and second that blind people can ref basketball games. "
>>> Regarding blind people on packages in stores, blind people have been
>>> portrayed in newspapers, magazines, movies, and TV very positively in
>>>
> the
>
>>> past. Many talented blind musicians have had their faces appear on
>>>
> albums
>
>>> in record stores etc for years. Regarding blind people refereeing
>>> basketball games or any other sport, so far as I know, there are no
>>>
> blind
>
>>> referees in professional sports. The sole intent of this costume is
to
>>>
> make
>
>>> fun of referees. At nearly every professional, minor, and local sports
>>> game, people will invariably yell "come on referee ! What are you?
>>>
> Blind?"
>
>>> whenever they perceive that a bad call is made. In general, many
people
>>> will perceive this as a sports fan blowing off steam and venting
their
>>> frustrations at the ref, because as always, the ref is the best
target
>>>
> of
>
>>> opportunity. So, without looking below the surface of the seemingly
>>>
> comical
>
>>> idea of a blind referee, I could see how the costume designer would
>>>
> think
>
>>> this would be funny. However, there is the possibility of a child or
an
>>> adult walking around and seeing someone dressed up as a blind referee
>>>
> for
>
>>> Halloween and for the briefest moment they might think, "the referee
is
>>> blind and because he can't see, he can't do his job correctly. Maybe
>>>
> that
>
>>> means that other blind people can't work either." maybe this might be
>>> stretching the point just a little, but again, we as blind people
don't
>>>
> need
>
>>> any more misconceptions or stereotypes flung at us than already have
>>>
> been.
>
>>> These are my thoughts. Monica, thanks again for putting this out
there.
>>> Nimer, thanks very much for voicing your views. Maybe we need to do
>>> something about this. What do others think. Regards, Chris Foster
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: cabs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:cabs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>
> Behalf Of
>
>>> Nimer
>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 10:47 PM
>>> To: Colorado Association of Blind Students List
>>> Subject: Re: [Cabs] Walmart issue
>>>
>>> Monika,
>>>
>>> No doubt NFB will find a reason to file a lawsuit about this issue,
but
>>>
> I
>
>>> personally think you're making a bigger issue about this. I mean, we
>>>
> should
>
>>> be proud of two things. First that blind people have gained enough
>>>
> attention
>
>>> to be on packages at the super market, and second that blind people
can
>>>
> ref
>
>>> basketball games. the fact that it's on a halloween costume just
makes
>>>
> it
>
>>> funnier. I mean, how many blind people have you seen reffing
basketball
>>> games? I think it shows that blind people are getting out there and
>>>
> doing
>
>>> things that were never thought of before, and also that kids get
>>>
> exposure to
>
>>> blind people. No doubt some kids will say oh, blind people only
belong
>>>
> in
>
>>> costumes, but I bet some kids will ask questions about what the cane
>>> actually does for a blind people.
>>> Maybe those kids will grow up to be smarter than their dumb parents
who
>>>
> know
>
>>> nothing about blind people.
>>>
>>> thanks
>>> Nimer J
>>>
>>> Monika Reinholz wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> I normally do not write on the lists but I thought I should bring
>>>>
>>>>
>>> something up that I recently discovered. I was at my local Walmart
the
>>>
> other
>
>>> day and went down the Halloween aisle as I was needing to pick-up
some
>>>
> face
>
>>> makeup for this weekend. As I was heading to that section of the
aisle,
>>>
> I
>
>>> happened to notice the costumes that were out and about. And lo and
>>>
> behold I
>
>>> saw something that really ticked me off....they have a "Blind Referee"
>>> costume on the racks. It comes with the shades, a cane, and a
basketball
>>> referee uniform. Now, I am not blind myself...but I thought that was
>>>
> just
>
>>> messed up and wrong, to say it nicely. So, I picked it up to look on
the
>>> back to find out the "maker"....its a Walmart brand costume.
>>>
>>>
>>>> We of the NFB have worked so hard to bring blindness to a positive
>>>>
> light.
>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I see this "costume" as a way to ridicule and bring negativity to
what
>>>
> it
>
>>> means to be blind, and they pisture on the front of this costume
package
>>> doesn't help either in my view. Now, Im not sure if anything or what
>>>
> can be
>
>>> done about it or not but I wanted to bring this to your attention. I
do
>>>
> hope
>
>>> something can be done about this though.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thanks all,
>>>> Monika Reinholz
>>>> NFB-CO member, CS affiliate
>>>>
>>>> CABS member
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>
> signature
>
>>> database 4474 (20091001) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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