[nabs-l] [nfbWaTlk] class essay

Sun Jun 19 10:39:36 UTC 2011

Kirt:
Well written and completely agree.
I remember one time I was at this camp for the blind, and every time I happen to run into this kid, also totally blind, just like me, he'd say "Dude, open your eyes!"
Was he making fun of me?
No, just a saying.

On Jun 19, 2011, at 3:18 AM, Kirt Manwaring wrote:

> Holy crap this is awesome!
> (how's that for a formal letter opening?)
>  I actually disagree with this.  A lot.  Maybe these expressions came
> about, at least in part, because of the stereotypes of us being
> stupid/inattentive/inferior.  But, the fact is, most of the time when
> people use them they aren't talking about physical blindness at all!
> Are we being racist when we talk about black friday every year, or the
> "black death", or some issues being black and white, or blacklisting
> someone?  I know I'm not.  When we say someone has an unorthadox way
> of doing something, are we saying they aren't part of the Eastern
> Orthadox branch of Christianity?  If I tell you all I just got a fat
> paycheck from my job, am I making fun of people who are overweight?
> The same principle applies here, I think.
>  If someone has "blind faith", it just means they can't see what's
> really going on because they're mentally blinded by the person/idea
> they are following.  When we say "in the country of the blind, the
> one-eyed man is king!" (not that I've heard that in casual
> conversation), we're saying that when everyone is too stubborn/set in
> their ways to look at reality, even someone with a little bit of
> insight is superior.  it's a metaphor.  The way it's used in every day
> parlains isn't making fun of physically blind people at all, it's
> making fun of people with blind minds!  What's that motto at the end
> of each of Chris's messages?   "A loss of sight, never a loss of
> vision."  Same concept-these sayings and idioms make fun of people
> with no vision...heck, I use them sometimes because the imagery fits.
> And, when I say "dude!  What are you?  blind or something?", after a
> friend runs over a curb or misses an exit from the freeway, I'm not
> implying blind people aren't attentive.  I'm just implying we can't
> see.  Don't we have real problems to worry about?  Like actual
> descrimination maybe?
>  Best,
> Kirt
> 
> On 6/18/11, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> At 03:24 PM 6/18
>> 
>> Hi, Humberto,
>> 
>> Do you envision a culture that only speaks in
>> generalities and does not celebrate people by use
>> of descriptive language? Ought there be some
>> ministry of language, some policing body that
>> goes around, making sure individuals don't take
>> offense to a mere figure of speech? 'Seems it may
>> be impossible to speak in an interesting and
>> engaging manner if descriptive, specific language
>> is not employed, to help do so.
>> Carly of Berkeley/2011, you wrote:
>>>> Our daughter Joanne is a linguistic
>>> anthropology student and was assigned > to > do
>>> a one page essay on the ways society reenforces
>>> discrimination. She > could have chosen a
>>> number of groups and picked one from any number
>>> of > ways > that discrimination and bigotry is
>>> permitted to continue. Here's what she > said
>>> about language and the blind. > > Don't Turn a
>>> Blind Eye on the Discrimination Against the
>>> Blind > > By Joanne Gabias > > North American
>>> societies are trying more and more to be >
>>> accepting of disabilities. They do so by adding
>>> Braille to elevator > buttons, > adding closed
>>> captioning on television, and making sure there
>>> are > wheelchair > accessible parking spaces.
>>> These actions may alleviate discrimination to >
>>> an > extent, but in everyday society,
>>> discrimination is far from extinct. As we >
>>> know, language creates, transmits and
>>> perpetuates culture. In our society, >
>>> expressions that refer to someone as being
>>> naive, inattentive or stupid > all > use the
>>> word blind. Discrimination against the blind
>>> can only diminish > once > our language removes
>>> these connotations (of being naive, inattentive
>>> or > stupid) from the word blind. > > > > "What
>>> are you, blind?" This statement is normal in >
>>> everyday > speech in our society. No matter the
>>> context, this phrase is degrading, > and >
>>> indicates the person is subpar. Until this
>>> expression is out of our > linguistic
>>> vocabulary, it is impossible for a blind person
>>> to be treated > with respect and not be cast in
>>> these stereotypes of being naive, > inattentive
>>> or stupid. > > > > "In the kingdom of the
>>> blind, the one-eyed man is king" - > Desiderius
>>> Erasmus. This famous quote, once again or
>>> almost more so, shows > the blind as inferior
>>> human beings. This quote implies that the blind
>>> can > never achieve greatness. They will always
>>> be lower than everyone else. In > fact, having
>>> no sight rather than a small amount of sight is
>>> more > advantageous, since having a small
>>> amount of sight can be unreliable in > many >
>>> situations. > > > > The English proverb "the
>>> eyes are the window to the soul" > implies that
>>> people whose eyes don't work, don't have souls,
>>> and souls are > required to be human in our
>>> culture. In other words, the blind are not >
>>> human. Our society puts so much importance on
>>> sight that it is difficult > for a blind person
>>> to show the world they are just as able as a
>>> sighted > person. > > > > The list of
>>> linguistic discrimination towards blind
>>> people > is abundant. Until the connection
>>> between blindness and naive, inattentive > and
>>> stupid is removed from our language,
>>> discrimination towards the blind > will
>>> continue to be transmitted and perpetuated
>>> throughout our culture. > As > Mark Twain once
>>> said "The difference between the right word and
>>> the > almost-right word is the difference
>>> between lightning and a lightning >
>>> bug." > > > > > >
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>> 
>> 
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