[il-talk] Matilda Ziegler Magazine -- weekly edition September 30

Andrew Webb awebb2168 at gmail.com
Wed Oct 2 18:16:52 UTC 2013


I don't think it was an article; I took it to be a letter to the editor kind
of thing.

-----Original Message-----
From: il-talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert A
Hansen
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 1:06 PM
To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List
Subject: Re: [il-talk] Matilda Ziegler Magazine -- weekly edition September
30

Honestly. What was the point of the article?


Sent from my Virgin Mobile phone.

Andrew Webb <awebb2168 at gmail.com> wrote:

>I think these have been great sentiments that people have shared.  In 
>truth, when I read the Ziegler reader's comments, I found them to be 
>poorly articulated and without much substance.  He really didn't 
>comment much on the relevance or power of the organized blind movement, 
>so much as he did on his own personal frustrations with perceived 
>slights from his chapter's president and and what he considers to be 
>the entrenched nature of the leadership structure.  It was more of a 
>personal rant, that doesn't much square with objective reality.  I 
>don't know much about the Council, but as for NFB, it's hard to accept 
>the notion that's it's failing to attract young members when it has 
>thriving student divisions across the nation, youth-oriented training 
>enrichment programs at each of its three training centers, affords 
>multitudinous scholarships each year between the national and state 
>levels, etc.  Obviously, I don't know who this gentleman is or to which 
>chapter he belongs, and so I must acknowledge that it's possible that 
>his chapter president is a condescending jerk who has been putting him 
>down for the last 30 years.  Anything's possible.  But I doubt many 
>Federationists would recognize that kind of behavior in our elected
leaders; it sure hasn't been my experience.
>
>Blindness being the relatively low-incidence disability that it is, 
>there are relatively few blind people throughout the general populace 
>with the power and moxy to improve popular perceptions of our talents 
>and capabilities.  Thus, the notion that a blind individual can't 
>assume leadership or make a difference because NFB has some sort of 
>impermeable "glass ceiling" seems pretty ridiculous to me.  There 
>simply aren't enough powerful blind leaders to be able to construct a 
>glass ceiling, even if they wanted to.  The extent to which blind 
>people, individually or collectively, can take action, set good 
>examples and affect social change is limited only by time, energy, and
determination.
>
>Just my two pennies worth.
>
>Cheers,
>Andrew
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: il-talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jemal 
>Powell
>Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 11:05 AM
>To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [il-talk] Matilda Ziegler Magazine -- weekly edition 
>September
>30
>
>I find that a lot of the people who write letters in the reader's form 
>out of Ziglo Magazine either tended to be bitter or uncomfortable with 
>themselves because of their blindness and it is sad.  Instead of people 
>trying to criticize consumer groups for what they're not doing, they 
>need to get involved and help the process instead of crying about what 
>we supposedly don't ****.  A lot of these people seem to be 
>historically bankrupt and don't seem to get the concept that without 
>that without **** we as white people will be way, way worse off than we
are.
>
>Jemal Powell sent you this voice-to-text generated email using Voice on 
>the Go.
>To listen, click on the voice message link or open the attachment.
>https://vemail.whitelabelapp.net:443/enterprise/Recordings/PRjhnCQi-201
>31002
>-1157.wav
>
>
>> Original Message:
>> ---------------------------------
>> 
>> From: Denise Avant <dravant at ameritech.net>
>> Sent: October 2, 2013 8:03:25 AM
>> To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [il-talk] Matilda Ziegler Magazine -- weekly edition 
>> September 30
>> 
>> Good morning all,
>> 
>> I have not traveled to other states and been involved in other NFB 
>> related
>events. But I can say without a doubt, there is definitely a need for 
>the National Federation Of The Blind. We have not arrived yet. Most 
>people don't think we live full lives and when you get right down to 
>it, really don't believe we have something significant to contribute to
society.
>> 
>> I was traveling to church last Sunday, and a woman I was riding with 
>> said
>she was talking to someone, and saying how intelligent she thought I 
>was etc, even though I was blind. Well actually she said visually 
>impaired because you see she does not use the word blind. I expressed 
>that there is nothing wrong with saying I am blind because I am. She 
>said, "No I don't like to use that word." The driver responded I just say
visually impaired.
>> Most of us who are comfortable in our skins have no problem with 
>> people
>noting that we are blind. And in fact, I as the blind person should be 
>able to say whether the term is offensive.
>> On another day, I went to a store, and asked for help. So the young 
>> lady
>called on the radio to her manager and said, I have a blind customer 
>who needs my assistance, can you send someone to cover. Her manager 
>told her, don't use that term. I  said to her that you are perfectly 
>fine to say blind. There was no derogatory  tone, and nothing 
>politically incorrect about it.
>> I have gone into an Apple store, and been stopped, obviously knowing 
>> right
>where I am going up the stairs, and the person says hey, "don't you 
>want to take the elevator." No, I say, the stairs are just fine. But 
>they insist on getting on the elevator.
>> 
>> I had this very thing happen while Debbie, Steve and myself were 
>> looking
>for the escalator at O'Hare airport. When an attendant saw us, she 
>asked "don't you want the elevator." We told her no, on at least three
occasions.
>finally, someone did come over and offered some assistance without 
>being intrusive or insulting.
>> 
>> The individual is critical of the NFB for engaging in fund raising. 
>> But he
>fails to answer the questions. How do we do the many programs we do if 
>there is no money? Does he think a program like BELL is important? How 
>do we litigate a case of discrimination if there is no money? Does he 
>feel that discrimination against blind people exist?
>> 
>> Well, misunderstanding , disrespect and discrimination as it relates 
>> to
>blind people remains. 
>> The federation has work to do.
>> 
>> Denise Avant
>> dravant at ameritech.net
>> 
>> P.S.  Please give to the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois 
>> Annual Appeal by sending your tax deductible donation to NFBI c/o 
>> Glenn Moore III, Treasurer P.O. Box 1065 Elgin, IL 60121.
>> 
>> On Oct 1, 2013, at 11:53 PM, "Cathy Randall" <chr47 at mchsi.com> wrote:
>> 
>> > I agree with Patti's comment in a later message.
>> > 
>> >
>
>> > Cathy Please donate to the National Federation of the Blind of 
>> > Illinois
>(NFBI) Annual Appeal by sending your tax deductible donation to 
>Treasurer Glenn Moore, PO Box 1065,  Elgin, IL 60121.  Thank you.
>> > 
>> > Cathy Randall
>> > 217-243-3529
>> > 
>> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Syed Yousufuddin" 
>> > <syedy2003 at hotmail.com>
>> > To: <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> > Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 1:16 PM
>> > Subject: [il-talk] Matilda Ziegler Magazine -- weekly edition 
>> > September 30
>> > 
>> > 
>> >> Below, please find a submission from the reader's forum in this 
>> >> week's
>Ziegler magazine.
>> >> 
>> >> I, being a NFB member, find it intrusive, and yet thought provoking.
>> >> 
>> >> Any thoughts?
>> >> 
>> >> Disclaimer: this content does not reflect my views, this is the 
>> >> opinion
>of Dave, a Ziegler reader.
>> >> 
>> >> 
>> >> 
>> >> The second response to the reader's forum is about Bob Branco's 
>> >> input
>on blindness organizations like ACB and NFB. I agree with him that they 
>are having trouble getting younger members. It's because of a few 
>reasons, such as long term office and board positions. Many people in 
>both groups think they are the only ones who can do anything concerning 
>the blind. With the economy being in the state it is in, things are 
>pretty tight. I have had many people tell me they are turned off by the 
>NFB because it seems the NFB wants and craves money, money, money. My 
>local chapter is just that way, it's like a social status: if you don't 
>have fund raising skills or money you don't fit in. The biggest problem 
>with the NFB as far as getting younger members is I think is they don't 
>feel needed or appreciated when they do join. I've seen many members in 
>my local chapter come and join and attend a couple of meetings then 
>drop out, it's not for them, like Bob said, many younger blind people 
>really don't feel the need for membership in either the ACB or the NFB 
>because they are mainstreaming into the sighted world, the ones who 
>stay in the ACB or NFB have been there a long time to keep things 
>going, but what are we going to do when our current today's leaders die 
>off or drop out? The reason why blind people aren't joining is they 
>can't take over because of the ones that are in the ACB or NFB those 
>leaders are afraid to let newer younger people in. It is a power issue, 
>there is a lot of insecure blind people in the ACB and NFB who really 
>don't know how to let go and move on and let others learn and grow. I 
>may drop out at the end of this year because of the way the local 
>chapter president treats some of us. I don't need the stress, 
>aggravation, criticizing and judgmental attitude towards me or anyone else.
I've put with it for 30 plus years. That's a lot of why both groups are
having trouble getting new and younger members.
>> >> 
>> >> 
>> >> 
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