[nabs-l] Of Things that Matter

[Jorge Paez]

Completely agree.
Why in the world would the general public care about that kind of private stuff?

1 the general public doesn't care,

and

2. the survey--if its done on that principle is therefore baseless.

The only person we'd ever have to educate about such things are the person we would be doing it with--if that makes sense.



Jorge


On Feb 3, 2011, at 2:40 PM, Beth wrote:

> Joe,
> 	I agree with all the stuff you are saying.  I think the survey is irreleevant now that I think about it and is a useless waste paper baket of .. well, wastepaper.  Crumpled up receipts can go on top of the survey if possible. *crumples up the survey sheets and throws them into wastepaper basket).  IF only I could do what I think I just did virtually.
> Beth
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 13:47:20 -0500
> Subject: [nabs-l] Of Things that Matter
> 
> For me, the sex study is irrelevant and insignificant.  The age range is
> limited, making me wonder about a sufficient sample, and we really don't
> have a clue as to what exactly it is that the research hopes to accomplish.
> And this survey is merely preparatory for a future survey?  What does
> trouble me is the validity people have given the project.  From what little
> we know of the project, it would appear the professor believes there is
> something inherently different in blind people that would make sex education
> a special circumstance for this population.
> 
> Maybe I'm missing something.  Is your perception of sex different because
> you're blind?  Was your inability to see a significant challenge to figuring
> out how it works?  Was your childhood so isolated that your friends did not
> fill in the gaps?
> 
> Okay, let's say we agree the study is a joke.  You say it's important to
> educate the public that blind people are every bit as capable of intercourse
> as anyone else.  The million-dollar question is quite simply:  Why?
> Seriously, why is it necessary to tell scholars that blind people learn
> about sex the same as any other adolescent.  You could claim it's everyday
> advocacy, but advocacy is only necessary if you are being barred from
> equally participating in certain activities.
> 
> This specific study is intellectual waste because it makes blind people feed
> into public misconceptions.  It makes blind people feel they need to defend
> themselves against something for which no defense is necessary.  The
> research presumes blind individuals are subjects worthy of unique
> examination, and we allow ourselves to be reduced to odd samples the second
> we begin to engage the researcher in his own experiment.  You're not going
> to educate him, because it's not just about disproving a hypothesis.  It's
> about disproving the preconceived prejudice that triggered the research in
> the first place.
> 
> Ultimately, people will wonder but will probably not publicly ask:  Why are
> sighted people generally put off by the idea of intercourse with a blind
> person?  My educated guess is fear of the unknown.  We have all been in
> situations where we feared too many questions would be just plain rude.
> Well, you think, how is it that we're supposed to change minds if we're not
> supposed to advocate?  Remember, you're not trying to have sex with the
> general public.  There are things for which you do not need to make a
> statement to make happen with the one person that is the target of your
> natural instincts.
> 
> Is there a place for an examination of sex and blindness in the same
> context?  Certainly.  We should examine the depravity of certain humans who
> force themselves on blind people simply because they perceive the victims as
> easy prey.  This is an idea worth investigating and finding solutions.
> 
> But, there is a difference between a victim of violence and a victim of
> society.  In the case of the former, one may not always have the resources
> to protect oneself against the circumstances.  In the case of the latter,
> however, you do have a choice, and you do not need to feel pressured to send
> a signal over something so insubstantial as to almost be laughable.
> Hard-core disability activists who feel moved to write books about sexual
> equality irritate me because all that time that was spent preaching could
> have been spent...But, I digress.
> 
> We need to keep things in perspective.  We need to not be lured into
> dialogues that do nothing to advance our equality.  There are plenty of
> fields where we need to educate the public of our abilities, and as far as
> I'm concerned, the three main people in that big diverse public for whom the
> extra mile is required are the people you call family, the people who cut
> your check, and the people you take home to meet mama.  How I learned about
> and fulfilled my private tasks is not a matter of academic speculation,
> because my disability does not make me any different from anyone else.
> 
> Alright, now I'm going to smack myself around for succumbing to the urge to
> fall victim to this irrelevant distraction.  I am copying the professor here
> in hopes he might enlighten me as to his motives.  Maybe there's something
> there I'm just too dense to see?  Criticisms aside, I'm open to being
> educated.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Joe
> 
> "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
> 
> 
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