[il-talk] p.s.

Wed May 6 18:54:49 UTC 2009

Good job Dave.  Everyone needs someone and it has nothing to do with 
visual acuity.  Husband's and wives need each other, children need 
their parents, employers need employees, and the list goes on.  As 
for being independent as blind people, again that is also a 
reality.  In my own personal experiences in life, I have worked and 
traveled all over the country alone and if I needed directions, I 
just asked for them.  I learned to travel in four major cities, 
learned their bus and subway systems and I strongly believe that a 
blind person can do anything he/she wants to do.  Keep up the good 
work.  Independence is not something that needs to be shouted about, 
but something that is proven daily by the thousands of us who just 
work and play and live our lives in a normal manner.

Connie Canode
At 10:08 AM 5/6/2009, you wrote:
>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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