[nabs-l] NFB/ACB

[Jedi]

What do you classify as negative traffic? You would be right to suggest 
that back stabbing and villification on either side would be negative. 
On the other hand, telling the truth is telling the truth.

While we're at it, has anyone on list looked at the ACB's White Paper 
on Rehabilitation? They villified us there, too. Effectively, the aCB 
made it clear that they're uncomfortable with our training methods and 
said that Joanne Wilson's funding of research regarding discovery 
learning in the training center had more to do with political ties to 
the NFB than with anything else.

I'm with Joseph on this one. It's not about hating anyone, having 
prejudice, or keeping anyone down. However, i think it's pretty clear 
that joining the organizations would be a big mistake for everyone on 
all sides for a variety of reasons. However, there's no great law 
saying that we can't unite when there's real need for it and the blind 
of both groups agree on a common issue. The hybrid is a great example. 
Braille literacy is another. Preventing commission closure is still 
another. We can all work together on these issues. Most of the time, we do.

I think it's great to put prejudice behind us. But that doesn't mean we 
should altogether forget our histories as blind people and as separate 
organizations. I am rather fond of saying that the NfB is sort of the 
stop gap for the blindness field. The aCB keeps us honest. It's a good 
relationship.

Respectfully,
Jedi
Original message:
> Joesiph,
> If David and others continue to hold that mentality, we are just as
> bad as 3 fourths of the ACB's negative traffic concerning us. Has
> anyone stopped to look at the statistics about the negative traffic
> from us to the ACB?
> Aziza

> On 5/18/09, T. Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Jim,

>> About 3/4 of ACB traffic is negative reaction to anything (and just
>> about everything) the NFB does.  It's easy to come to Dave's
>> conclusion.

>> Joseph


>> On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 11:23:05AM -0700, Jim Reed wrote:
>>> Aziza,

>>> Well said. The older folks currently running these organizations have it
>>> ingrained in them to hate the other division. There is no need for that.
>>> All it really does is waste time, money, resources, and energy fighting
>>> amongt ourselfs, when that time, energy, money and resources could be
>>> better spent fighting discrimination or working to better the lives of
>>> blind people.

>>> It is widely recognized by sociologist and governemts that if government
>>> wants to impart change in society, the best place to start is with the
>>> children, as they will internalize what they learn, then pass it along to
>>> their parents. Consider "Smokey the Bear", Smokey certianly isn't trying
>>> to teach adults about forest fires.

>>> Additionally, student organization have a better chance of bridging the gap
>>> because we don't have the baggage preventing us from working with the
>>> other side. Furthermore, there are new members such as myself who have no
>>> history in this conflict, thus no reason to prepetuate it. I have no
>>> affiliation with the ACB, but if I am in a conversation,  and the
>>> conversation turns anti-ACB, I will remove myself from that conversation.
>>> There is no reason for me to listen to that and no reason for me to
>>> develop an unwarranted bias against a group of individuals I have never
>>> met.

>>> I am not saying a joint student convention will solve any or all of our
>>> issues, but it could eb a good first step. If it goes well, we students
>>> let time (and the circle of life) remove the baggage between these
>>> organizations, and we atart anew. Unlike the current leadership, time is
>>> on our side.

>>> Last, the NFB is not innocent in prepetuating this conflict. The fact that
>>> Dave Anderws said, "The ACB exists to do things differently from the NFB.
>>> If you take that away from them, there isn't much left." speaks volumes to
>>> me about the nature of this conflict; because the ACB is different, they
>>> are inferior? Isn't that the same type of biggotry that we are trying to
>>> fight in society regarding blindness?

>>> Just a thought
>>> Jim

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