[nabs-l] Ending the NFB/ACB feud

Bill cassonw at gmail.com
Mon May 18 23:11:42 UTC 2009 

>From what i have read, i have gathered the following:
The ACB and NFB have a bad history
The ACB and NFB have different pholosiphies
the ACB and NFB like attacking each other
The ACB and NFB want to serve the blind's interests

Someone said that consumers should have choice.  Therefore, the two
organizations should continue to exist to promote the welfare of blind
individuals.  The organizations should present their pholosiphy to consumers
without attacking eachother.  Consumers should be able to choose which
organization or both organizations they want to support without being judged
for it.  the organizations should also stop taking every oppertunity to
slander the other.  On issues of agreement, they should work together, on
issues of difference, it should be debated in the appropriate forum in a
logical manner.  Now it sounds like I'm talking about the government.  But
if we spend less effort be disagreeable, we would get more done.  Niether
organization is always right or knows what is best for the consumers.
Just my 2 cents,
Bill


On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 4:26 PM, Angela fowler <fowlers at syix.com> wrote:

> 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!"
> >>
> >>
> >>
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