[nabs-l] [nfbWaTlk] class essay

Sun Jun 19 18:34:08 UTC 2011

Chris,
  Good point-we don't really know even if Homberto agrees with this or
is just putting it out there for discussion.

On 6/19/11, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
> Just a reminder, this essay was not written by Humberto.  He only
> forwarded this to us when he got it from somebody else on the NFB
> WA list.
>
>  Chris
>
> "A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)
> To learn more about Camp Abilities and find a local camp near
> you, just click on this link to their national Web site:
> www.campabilities.org.
>
> The I C.A.N.  Foundation helps visually impaired youth in
> Maryland have the ability to confidently say "I can!" How? Click
> on this link to learn more and to contribute:
> www.icanfoundation.info.
>
>  Sent from my BrailleNote
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at earthlink.net
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>,National Association of Blind Students
> mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:00:43 -0700
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] [nfbWaTlk] class essay
>
>
>
> Hi, Kirt,
>
> Thank you, for this!
>
> Hamberto, Have you forgotten that, when people
> talk of "blindness" in everyday  speech, they are
> merely making a commentary on a person's mere
> failure  to perceive.  Not, I don't think that they cannot
> physically SEE!
> Honestly, I believe your premise, Hamberto, an
> extraordinarily flawed one because it seems to be
> removing spontaneity and truth from, your vision of a discourse.
>   2011, 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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