[nabs-l] Of Things that Matter

Fri Feb 4 01:27:52 UTC 2011

Or we can completely miss the point...

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 8:20 PM, humberto <humbertoa5369 at netzero.net> wrote:

> everyone is right. Why are they doing this? Blind people can learn just
> like the sighted, just a little differently, and, whoever started up the
> survey, doesn't know anything about blindness and about that we are just
> normal people who can't see. I was actually thrilled when I first that
> message arrived, and my index fingers touches the letters s, e, and x in
> braille as I read from a braille note. These stupid people are wasting time
> trying to figure out how "these weird strange extra-terrestrial
> own-little-world-holder blind people work." (This is what I think of them
> saying about us.)
> Now I just hope that this internet mailing list can go public enough so
> that these people can read all our posts regarding the matter, and that
> these people are automatedly being invited to one of our National
> Conventions of the NFB, and so that they can listen to Dr. Maurer's banquet
> speeches about blindness. He is really good at speaking and educating people
> about blindness.
> Although I didn't think of posting anything about this thread, but
> inspiration made me, and here are my sixteen cents, for what it's worth.
>
>
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Jorge Paez <jorgeapaez at mac.com
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>
>> Date sent: Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:11:50 -0500
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Of Things that Matter
>>
>
>  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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