[nabs-l] Not Just Your Average Cane

[Joe Orozco]

Hi Mark,

Having started the thread, I feel compelled to respond to your thoughtful
post.  It goes without say that people's opinions here do not reflect any
official NFB positions, and I honestly doubt the NFB would genuinely care if
all its members suddenly decided to sport a wide range of colorfully
decorated canes.  I think Dr. Maurer would probably find the concept
amusing, and doesn't Whozit sport a black cane in our logo?  That fellow was
far ahead of the curve.

For my own part, I'm headed to Michael's sometime soon to embark upon a
project to transform my own cane into the walking wonder I know it can be.
I think that in doing so I would do well to use a measure of practical
sense.  Security checkpoints at airports and federal buildings would
probably not look kindly on a cane that is different from what is popularly
accepted.  We can't expect the world to automatically get that blind people
have their own sense of pizzazz, and by the same token, we can't expect
people to pick up on the fact we're blind at night if using something as
obscure as a black cane, even though I agree with the previous subscriber
that motorists should respect pedestrians with or without this new breed of
eye candy.

I'm glad people pointed out the jurisdictions that specifically call for the
cane to be white.  In asking my question, sarcasm notwithstanding, I was not
really setting out to violate laws that are meant to preserve my safety, but
I do not want these laws to tuck me away into a label that can be every bit
as condescending as terms like "handicapped."  If senior citizens can sport
all manner of creatively designed walking canes, by golly, I want my own
mode of transportation to broadcast my own sense of humor.  It's not as if I
can smack a bumper sticker on my German shepherd's butt and call it good,
although, can you imagine the wide range of clever slogans one could produce
with that kind of strategic angle?

All of this having been said, I spent nearly a year working on behalf of
victims of human trafficking.  I learned all about the negative connotations
associated with words like "pimping," and for using that term to catch your
attention, I am truly sorry.

In summation, I think the responses on both lists to which the question went
out has been mostly positive.  It's no scientific survey, but I think it is
at least slightly indicative of the membership's willingness to explore the
idea or at least humor my nonsense.  People who have given more
straight-laced responses are no doubt secretly glad they're not the only
ones who thought of this, because original this idea is most certainly not.
Let's leave out the references to accessible currency and other
controversial topics out of it this time around.  We debate those serious
issues all the time and should enjoy the all too infrequent light banter.

Best,

Joe Orozco and the Soon to Be Improved Sir Tap-A-Lot

What, as if you haven't ever thought of giving your cane a name???

"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mark BurningHawk
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 5:51 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Pimp My Cane

I'm following this thread, and I know a large percentage of the folks  
here are NFB members; I personally a not, nor any organization, for  
that matter.  I find a bit of hypocrisy in this discussion:  First the  
NFB rails against things like audible cross walk signals and so on,  
claiming that the blind don't need them, that it's not what the blind  
"want," whatever.  Same with identifiable currency.  Now, however, I  
hear a bunch of the same people saying, in effect, "I want to carry a  
symbol of blindness! I want to proclaim my blindness to everyone so  
that they can alter their behaviors appropriately in recognition of  
the fact that I'm blind!"  I should think the true spirit of the NFB  
might be to use a black cane and give no indication whatsoever of  
blindness, except on a purely voluntary basis.  I just don't  
understand this.

Mark BurningHawk
Skype and Twitter:  BurningHawk1969
Home:  Http://MarkBurningHawk.net/
Namaste!


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