[nabs-l] ACB not trying to destroy us?

[T. Joseph Carter]

Peter,

I've always thought we should offer the ACB's Not The Braille Monitor 
on Newsline.  I suggest this because I think we can withstand the 
things they print about us in there, and I'm all for making 
information that is relevant to blind people as accessible as 
possible, even when we happen to think it's wrong.

Finally, it gives critics of Newsline little leg to stand on, as it 
were, when they claim that Newsline is just another way to promote 
the NFB and "brainwash" people with our philosophy.

Newsline is about promoting access to information, to my mind.  Of 
course, I believe this does in fact promote the NFB.  I believe that 
truly informed blind people in this country tend toward the NFB 
because they recognize that we're more organized, have a more 
realistic (if sometimes cynical) view of the sighted world and its 
willing to adapt to us, and yet we're determined to compete despite 
those obstacles.

I don't think the ACB would go for it, but if we asked and they said 
no, the onus is upon them.

Joseph


On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 09:12:34PM -0500, Peter Donahue wrote:
>Good evening everyone,
>
>    Oh I wish y'all could have been at the 2009 San Antonio Low Vision 
>Exposition held on March 14. This is a blindness and low vision information 
>and product fair this organization holds every year. We had an information 
>table as did the ACB. If both organizations attended to their exhibits and 
>promoted their cause all would have been fine. About mid way through the 
>expo several gentleman came by our table pretending to be John Q. blind guy 
>wanting information about the NFB. Not knowing who they were we began 
>telling them about the organization. About half way through our discussion 
>they announced they were ACB members, began pounding on our table,  and were 
>going to destroy our organization. Mind you this happened in a public venue 
>and was an insult to both our organization and theirs.
>
>    One of them asked who was manning the table. When I announced who I was 
>they quickly departed and left us alone for the rest of the afternoon. At no 
>time did anyone from our chapter table engage in similar behavior towards 
>them. Our chapter president chose to let the incident ride as they did not 
>continue to harass us during the rest of the expo. Had I been chapter 
>president I wouldn't have been so nice. They could have been asked to leave 
>and/or banned from participating in future expos. for harassing another 
>exhibiter. They did themselves and the ACB a disservice by behaving this 
>way.
>
>    The literature is full of similar encounters between NFB and ACB that 
>have occurred through the years. If the ACB is to ever change its image and 
>command the respects it wants and craves it must cease and desist from 
>engaging in this and other behavior that has garnered an unpopular 
>reputation among federationists and others. They would do better to develop 
>their own version of Newsline rather than criticizing us for creating it all 
>the while subscribing to this service. If they don't like the way we run our 
>orientation and adjustment centers let them start their own and run them as 
>they see fit. This is a far more positive use of time, resources, and energy 
>instead of constantly attacking the NFB. JMO.
>
>Peter Donahue