[nabs-l] [nfbWaTlk] class essay

[Jedi]

I agree that expressions like "blind faith" and "turn a blind eye" do need a little more attention as I also believe that they are part of the reason why the blind face such discrimination and lingering prejudice.

Back in ancient Greece, there used to be this thing called "Ate." Ate was the word given to a state where metaphorical and physical blindness meet. Whenever Ate was mentioned in a play or story, it was often unclear whether or not physical or metaphorical blindness was the topic of discussion. People overcome by Ate were said to be crazy and overcome by their emotions. Often, physical blindness worked itself into the story somewhere, usually as a punishment for actions committed under the influence of metaphorical blindness or as a cause of metaphorical blindness. Over the centuries, the crazy aspects of Ate faded and it morphed more into a sense of ignorance or not knowing. that notion still exists. If it didn't, why do the sighted tell us about things we know are there like stairs and things? Why do they insist that they know more about the world than we do just because they use a more common sensorium than we do?

While it is true that we may not be able to change language altogether, I think it is important to look at our language and see where it needs changing. Note that in this very sentence, I said see instead of discover; I can only conclude that I, like everyone else, have come to associate seeing with discovery.   In any case, it's always a good idea to think about how our social and linguistic conditioning affects us. There is nothing wrong with using the word blind to describe someone with a visual condition that substancially alters their way of life, but there is a problem with linking that physical blindness with a host of other problems such as ignorance, or as Joanne pointed out, subhumanity.

Respectfully,
Jedi


Sent from my iPhone

On 19/06/2011, at 2:18 AM, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> 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,
>>