[il-talk] p.s.

Wed May 6 15:08:37 UTC 2009

dear dave and deb, i agree that none of us are completely independent. all we can do is our best and if good enoguh people will ask us to do it again. 

--- On Tue, 5/5/09, David Meyer <datemeyer at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

From: David Meyer <datemeyer at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [il-talk] p.s.
To: "'NFB of Illinois Mailing List'" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 8:52 PM

Joe,

I think part of your statement misses the point somewhat.  You say that
those of us who are blind cannot be completely independent?  Can any of us
blind or sighted be completely independent, or for that matter, would we
really want to be?

Take the president of the United States for example.  I think it can be
assumed that anyone who becomes President has a farily strong degree of self
reliance and he is by nature a decision maker with at least a reasonably
strong personality.  Yet he does not and should not make his decisions
alone.  He has a cabinet to advise him and at time protect him if he makes a
move that many consider to be a mistake or misstep.

It seems to me that a more relevant question would be can a blind person
expect to compete with his sighted peers, or, can he expect to achieve
similar results  in life to his sighted peers?  It seems to me that with
proper training and attitudenal development, the answer to both of these
questions would be yes.

Remember Gary Wunder's banquet speech at the 2001 convention?  He talked at
some length about his position in the family and compared some of his own
achievements to those of his siblings.  Clearly, his career and his position
in life could at that time be viewed at least on a par with that of his
siblings.

I can think of several examples in my own high school class where the blind
person did at least as well as his/her family members.  In the case of one
individual, he was the only one of three to graduate from college with a
four-year degree and he is now a senior analyst for 3-m.  Though his
siblings are both employed, it is questionable they achieved the success in
life he has achieved.  Beyond that, he has distinguished himself as a
Federation leader and strong participant in shaping blindness programs in
Minnesota for years.  Two identical twins who were my classmates both
graduated from college with double majors and landed professional careers.
Their brother also has a good job but I don't believe he ever went to
College.  In my own case, I come from a family of four.  Of the four of us,
I am the only one who obtained a college degree, and the only one to move
more than 25 miles away from the homestead.  My siblings all have
respectable careers and good families.  Though I never became a parent, I
became a Federation leader locally, a church leader and a chairman of a
local disability advisory committee, all things that none of my siblings
have done.  Because I was fortunate enough to have reasonably good musical
ability, I have performed at various times with some respectable musicians.
I've played in bands with Lyle Mays, appeared on stage with Ella Jenkins
and
jammed with 
Frank Yankovic.  My siblings might have done the same thing had they had
these opportunities but they did not and will not.  Finally, Dr. Jernigan's
brother Lloyd was a farmer, I think.  Dr. Jernigan was a leader of the
Federation, a leader in rehabiloitation for the blind, and had he chosen to
do it, could have run for the United States senate in Iowa.  If memory
serves me correctly, I believe he was saught to become head of the anti
poverty program under President Johnson but decided to turn these
opportunities down in order to continue to give to the Federation as well as
the blind citizens of Iowa.

I know this has been long.  I hope it has been useful.

-----Original Message-----
From: il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Hansen
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 6:29 PM
To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List
Subject: Re: [il-talk] p.s.

I do not allow myself to be treated as a weak individual.  I am a person
first and not a piece of furniture.  I will not be "man handled" like
I am
an obstacle in somebody's way.  I will also not be dragged around like a
rag
doll.  I never allow myself to be treated like a rag doll.  I also have
feelings and I will NOT sequester my feelings just for the benefit for some
eye balled do gooder.  i speak my mind and when I do not want to be
fingered, touched, whatever, I have every right to let people know that.
STAND up.  Do not let these people push us around.

Mr. H

On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Edwin Rodriguez
<conibodyworks at gmail.com>wrote:

> Joe,
> know preaching to the quire,
> Blind people have a vary good insight as to what sighted people think 
> about the blind.
> It is time to tell sighted people about the blind.
> Isn't that what the NFB is doing?
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "JOSEPH MONTI" 
> <jlmonti at sbcglobal.net>
> To: <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 11:36 AM
> Subject: [il-talk] p.s.
>
>
> all this reminds me of what our affiliate and the National board is 
> going to do at the next convention. IL. has done 'the significant
other
breakfast'
> for the last 4 years. why?? because blind people need some insight in 
> what sighted people think of us. some people were afraid this would be 
> just a 'bitch' session. i disagree completely. i think these
sessions 
> have been a time for sighted and blind people to learn that they can trust
each other.
> blind people can never be completely independent no matter how loud 
> some say it can happen. we gave a forum to sighted people and they 
> took it. they showed us how it can be rewarding, funny, and 
> exalsperating to live with a blind person. just like living with any other
kind of person.
> oops, i'm rambling again.
> joe monti
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