[nabs-l] Help-Philosophy Question

Tue Apr 20 15:32:34 UTC 2010

Hello all,
  My feeling on the matter is that we can generally do better by
handeling things in a less confrentational manner when possible.
While  this is easier said than done,  I think it's worth taking  a
second (if possible depending on the situation)  and  try to  look at
what you need or  would like to get out of the situation you are in.
  I find it difficult to balance the  short-term solution and
long-term results of that  dicision made (example:if someone takes
one's cane on an airplane or  even in a differennt situation such as
somebody insisting  in helping  you across the street).
 Sometimes i have to ask myself, when do I make a dicision for the
good of other blind people, or for my  own good? Should I  take my
long cane  because  it somehow  better models  my comfort in blindness
to other people?    or should I take a telescoping cane because it's
easier to carry  and it  still conforms to  what is  an NFB cane?  Or,
do I use a folding cane because I'm feeling like it's  less likely  to
get broken of someone steps on it while  traveling?   The question
that I think is worth asking is- is there a "model positive image of
blindness"?  In much the same way that people tend to  look for the
ideal image of  gender or ethnicity, is there such an Ideal  for the
blind?
   if so, is that what we all  must conform to?   or is there a such a
thing as conformity in the blind community and in this case, the
Federation community/family?
  Best,
  Darian

On 4/20/10, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com> wrote:
> Good morning,
>
> I wasn't there, so I can't speak to how your friend handled the situation.
> The fact of the matter is though that allowing airline personel to take our
> mobility aids awe frm us is, A, illegal, and B, degrading. It also sets a
> bad precedent for blind people that may be traveling with them in the
> future. That said, it is of course better to use a calm professional tone
> when dealing with this kind of situation. There is a quiet way to insist
> that our rights as blind people be respected. Also explaining the why's of a
> certain ideal often help. This wasn't a situation where your friend
> should've just "let it go" for the sake of peace, but perhaps she could've
> handled it in a calmer way.
>
> The Throw the Nickel principal applies more to accepting help I think than
> having our rights ignored. In that situation, it was better to accept the
> kindness of a stranger than to make a fuss. This has to do with the airplane
> rights of a lot of people, and while we should always be calm and
> professional, but sometimes confrontation is required to bring about change.
>
> Just my 10 cents.
>
> BrileyOn Apr 19, 2010, at 10:34 PM, Candice Chapman wrote:
>
>>
>> Dear NABS members,
>>
>> I recentally was in a situation where my NFB philosophy was put to the
>> test. I was travelling with a friend who is totally blind by airplane and
>> we got into a confrontational situation with the flight attendant. She
>> insisted upon taking my friend's straight cane, but didn't have a problem
>> with mine since it was teloscopic. Perhaps she assumed that storing the
>> straight cane would be a hazard. My friend proceeded to have a loud,
>> obnoxious verbal confrontation, that resulted in hold up of traffic and
>> embarrassment on my part. Eventually the conflict, due to time constraint,
>> my friend was finally mollified and allowed to keep her cane. However I
>> can't help but wonder if there was a more diplomatic way to handle the
>> situation. It brings to mind an article by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, perhaps
>> you guys know it, it's in The Master, The Mission, The Movement. The
>> article is titled, "Don't Throw the Nickel."
>>
>> How do you think the confrontation could have been handled more
>> delicately? In the above article Dr.Jernigan referenced many situations in
>> which you could choose your battle. Perhaps it's true that you can make a
>> situation worse by escalating a said situation with a sighted person,
>> rather than taking the high road. What are your thoughts on the art of
>> negotiationg NFB philosophy? What might you suggest as potential
>> alternatives to the above confrontation? I would like to hear all of your
>> thoughts on the importance of our philosophy in the lives of blind people.
>>
>>
>> Best,
>> Candice Chapman
>>
>> P.S. The Article is attached for your convience. 		 	   		
>> _________________________________________________________________
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
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