[nabs-l] Ending the NFB/ACB feud

Mon May 18 22:26:12 UTC 2009

Well, let's take a closer look at this. Are the people yammering on that ACB
list serve reflecting the views of all ACB members? Their venomous attacks
smack of the militancy they so frequently accuse us of, and we wouldn't want
to attempt to work with people like that. Others in the organization however
may not be so hostile, in fact they like Aziza, Jim  and others might be
seeking an end to the pointless bickering. Let's not throw a blanket over
all ACB members, on either end of the spectrum. 
	As I have said before, I'm not real optimistic about a project like
this. The animosity between the organizations is too bitter, the differences
run too deep. I do believe however that there may be some moderate ACBers
who might be brought toward the NFB if we could reach out to them. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Aziza C
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 1:55 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Ending the NFB/ACB feud

Joesiph,
If we were to come together, then maybe there wouldn't be a reason for them
to venomize us.
Aziza

On 5/18/09, T. Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote:
> Jedi, the ACB isn't so cohesive as that.  Some of the Southern 
> affiliates of the time did want to segregate, and they allied with the 
> faction that formed the ACB since the NFB leadership opposed 
> segregation.  It wasn't really a factor in the split.  It was an 
> incendiary thing that made lots of noise, but it had almost nothing to 
> do with the split.
>
> Joseph
>
>
> On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 12:52:29PM -0400, Jedi wrote:
>> Joseph,
>>
>> I haven't yet been able to read People of vision, but it's definitely 
>> on my reading list for this summer. I recently had to read Walking 
>> Alone and Marching Together on Dr. Maurer's request. It was, forgive 
>> the pun, an eye opener. Not just regarding the aCB, either.
>>
>> I figured that it was mostly a tit for tat issue regarding the split 
>> itself. But racism? I'd heard, and I don't know how true this is, 
>> that the aCB wanted segregation by race and that the NFB didn't given 
>> Jacobus tenBroek's scholarly efforts in Constitutional Law. Can you 
>> confirm or refute that? I doubt racism is an overt issue in either 
>> group. But given that we're a cross-section of American society, it 
>> wouldn't surprise me a great diel if both groups dabbled in 
>> institutional/accidental racial bias.
>>
>> Respectfully,
>> Jedi
>> Original message:
>>> Jedi,
>>
>>> I'll add only that both versions of the history appear to be 
>>> accurate, or close enough to it.  The composite effect is a tit for 
>>> tat sort of escalation with one major systemic cause: Two factions 
>>> were fighting for control of the organization.  The challengers were 
>>> unable to wrest control from those in power.  The factions' various 
>>> political alliances result in a large number of proximate causes for 
>>> the split from racism to term limits, and everything in between.
>>
>>> Joseph
>>
>>
>>> On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 11:48:45PM -0400, Jedi wrote:
>>>> Jim,
>>
>>>> There is some long history between the NfB and ACB. It's not just 
>>>> about disagreements on philosophy even though philosophical 
>>>> differences certainly set the two organizations culturally apart.
>>
>>>> The first members of the ACB split from the NFB mostly because of 
>>>> political banter. said individuals thought that Jacobus tenBroek 
>>>> and others were dominating the organization. Certainly, they had a 
>>>> right to their views, and they certainly had a right to leave. 
>>>> Unfortunately, these individuals went about voicing their opinions 
>>>> in all the wrong ways possible including undermining the 
>>>> organizational structure and creating a lot of bad feelings between 
>>>> people who would otherwise be friends.
>>
>>>> In the sixties and seventies, the NFB was under siege by agencies 
>>>> serving the blind. these agencies were staffed by well-connected 
>>>> people with a lot of money and a lot of power, but not a lot of 
>>>> positive philosophies and knowledge about the blind. These agencies 
>>>> often subordinated the blind through threats and bad dealings. The 
>>>> NFB called these folks out, and the agencies used the ACB like an 
>>>> ever-loving meat shield to say "See Federation! Not all blind people
agree with you!"
>>>> Naturally, it was much easier for the aCB just to go along with 
>>>> things because they were still angry with the NfB over past political
issues.
>>>> And certainly, they weren't going to put themselves in the line of
fire.
>>
>>>> Fast-forward to NAC. I don't know what you know about NAC, but it 
>>>> was bad bombin'. Once again, the aCB never called NAC out, but we 
>>>> did. Once again, NAC spoke of professionalism in services to the 
>>>> blind. Instead, blind folks got left with a raw deal, threats to 
>>>> their livelihoods and well-being (even their health in some cases), 
>>>> and all kinds of things. A couple folks from ACB and a few other folks
with a grudge against Dr.
>>>> Jernigan even brought the FBI to the Jernigans' and Maurers' doors 
>>>> on trumped up charges of keeping weapons and possibly starting some 
>>>> kind of military effort. It was insane. People were getting death 
>>>> threats and the whole bit. Remind me to tell the story of my own 
>>>> state affiliate's frustrations with the ACB sometime.
>>
>>>> This isn't to say that the ACB is all evil and the NFB perfectly 
>>>> innocent. I wasn't there to know everything. But from what I read 
>>>> and have observed in current ACB/NFB behavior, there's good reason 
>>>> for a split in the organizations. At this point, we can certainly 
>>>> say that there are key factors in philosopy that separate the 
>>>> organizations to the point where nothing good would ever get done 
>>>> because the two parties would be constantly feuding. Better live 
>>>> and let live. Both organizations have compiled their versions of 
>>>> history if you want these facts for yourself.
>>
>>>> Respectfully,
>>>> Jedi
>>>> Original message:
>>>>> Terri and Arielle,
>>
>>>>> I just wanted to let you both know that one of the members of MABS 
>>>>> is also VP of the National Student Division of the ACB. He is 
>>>>> adamatly opposed to the (bordering on childish) feud that exist 
>>>>> beteen the two organizations.
>>
>>>>> I am wondering if we can't use this oppertunity to somehow begin 
>>>>> bringing the two organizations back together. After all, we will 
>>>>> be then next generation leading these two organizations, and if we 
>>>>> can sieze this oppertunity, maybe we students can set the example 
>>>>> for the "adults" within the two national organizations.
>>
>>>>> I wonder if a join NABS/ACB student convention would be just the 
>>>>> solution to begin ending this conflict?
>>
>>>>> Thoughts?
>>>>> Jim
>>
>>>>> Homer Simpson's brain: "Use reverse psychology."
>>>>>  Homer: "Oh, that sounds too complicated."
>>>>>  Homer's brain: "Okay, don't use reverse psychology."
>>>>>  Homer: "Okay, I will!"
>>
>>
>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>>> for
>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/loneblindj
>>>>> edi%40samobile.net
>>
>>>> --
>>>> Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network.  Visit 
>>>> www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>> for
>>>> nabs-l:
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carter.tjos
>>>> eph%40gmail.com
>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>> for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/loneblindjed
>>> i%40samobile.net
>>
>> --
>> Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network.  Visit 
>> www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carter.tjosep
>> h%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/daydreamingnco
> lor%40gmail.com
>

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/fowlers%40syix.com