[nabs-l] [Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes interview, Ride into History, Race for Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT
Carly Mihalakis
carlymih at earthlink.net
Mon Jun 27 20:06:25 UTC 2011
Hi, Joseph,
How old were you when you had your first tumor?
C.
>Carly, I’ve had two soft tissue sarcomas in
>different spots that look nearly identical under
>a microscope. Odds are even as to whether one
>is metastasis of the other, in which case I’m
>stage 4 and aside from the possibility of a
>spontaneous remission, it’s likely to kill me
>whether I live six year, sixteen years, or sixty
>years. The other possibility is that the two
>tumors are unrelated. We chose this hypothesis
>since that allowed for possibly life-saving
>treatment in the event that it happens to be
>truly the case. It’s pretty much even odds,
>though. The tumor didn’t spread to my lungs,
>which is what these things usually do. If it
>had, chemo would be my only option. But the
>odds of survival if it does that aren’t
>good. It didn’t do that, and it almost always
>does when it spreads, which is why they suspect
>I might have had two separate and unrelated
>tumors. I’m too stubborn to go easily or
>quietly. I’ll fight it till I can’t, and
>then I’ll fight it some more. I found out last
>year on June 21st, so I didn’t get to attend
>convention. In fact, the first tumor was
>excised on July 8th. The second was identified
>January 12th and removed on the 20th. If we
>found another tumor tomorrow, I don’t care,
>I’m GOING to convention this year! Joseph On
>Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 04:41:56AM -0700, Carly
>Mihalakis wrote: > > >Good morning,
>JJoseph, > > What is the nature of your
>continued fight with cancer? And, >on that
>focused, can-do attitude I do believe the
>Federation is on to >something. I live in the
>city where it all began with Dr. TenBroek >and
>Dr. Jernigan's having held professorships, at
>Cal.: >>I have a Master’s degree that is
>completely useless because
>of >>discrimination. I am deeply in debt and
>looking for employment in >>unrelated
>fields. If anything, my degree is an impediment
>to >>employment because people see it and
>presume they cannot afford to >>hire me with my
>educational background. The way I see it, if
>our >>alternative techniques aren’t
>effective enough to do the same job >>and in
>roughly the same time frame, then we need to
>improve either >>the technique or our mastery of
>them, because they are not yet >>suitable
>alternatives to really compete with our sighted
>peers. >>After battling a couple of cancers,
>I’ve really had to ask myself >>what
>limitations I’m willing to accept others
>placing on my life >>because of my disability,
>and whether I’d place any of my own. >>The
>answer was the same to both: I won’t accept
>limitations just >>because I can’t see. I
>just walked into a testing
>environment >>today. I brought with me what
>accommodations I thought I’d need, >>and a
>few I thought I probably wouldn’t. They
>were in no way >>prepared for me as a blind
>person to be there, and tried to figure >>out
>what sort of adaptations I might need. But as
>it happens, I >>didn’t, because I was
>prepared. I took the same
>examination >>everyone else did, aided only by a
>little bit of technology (and >>not exactly high
>tech either!) It worked, I took the
>exam, >>finished in relatively similar time to
>my peers, and I passed. >>Would other
>accommodations have been more
>useful? Yes. Would they >>have been possible
>given time to arrange them? Yes. Did
>not >>having them stop me? No. Because
>I’m no longer willing to be >>stopped. I
>will get it done, one way or another. If we
>couldn’t >>find a way to do that tonight,
>we would have done it at the next >>opportunity.
>Joseph On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 10:03:06PM
>-0400, >>bookwormahb at earthlink.net
>wrote: >Joseph, >Yes most people work >>through
>college. But as Kirt rightly points out, >we
>have barriers >>to doing those little part time
>jobs. One of them is >that our >>studying and
>alternative techniques take longer. We
>cannot >glance >>at a graph; we cannot skim a
>book or cut many corners in >studying >>as
>sighted students do either because their lazy or
>in a >time >>crunch. >In theory we should work
>and be like everyone else. But >>sadly, >without
>that BA degree >our opportunities for office
>jobs >>are very limited. Aren't you >looking for
>work with a degree? If >>so, you know the job
>market is >tough and competetive. > >Kirt
>said >>>"School is preparing me to work a
>regular job-since my alternative >>>techniques
>require lots of time work isn't really practical
>for me >>>while I go through school. I suspect
>that's why you applied for >>SSI >in the first
>place. " >That's right. SSI could be seen as
>a >>handout, but if its used >temporarily and a
>blind person intends to >>use his/her schooling
>to >secure competetive employment, then
>that >>is alright. After all, your >years of
>work paying taxes you will >>contribute to the
>system like >most Americans. > >I agree with
>Kirt >>that its not too practical to work
>through school. >I could go on >>and on. I'm
>sure some people do it to earn extra cash, >and
>if they >>are lucky to find a good job with an
>open minded >employer, that is >>great. But how
>many blind people do you know with >only high
>school >>diplomas working part time? How many do
>you know who >cansay work >>typical college part
>time jobs at cash registers, as
>a >>>salesperson, or front desk? No, I don't
>know any because those >>jobs >are too visual.
>Being a hostess, server, or table cleaner
>are >>other >common jobs. Again, a blind person
>cannot wait tables; oh >>maybe they >could
>bartend, but that requires a special license
>and >>I think you >have to be 21. >There are
>some jobs a blind student >>can do with skills,
>but again you >have to have someone willing
>to >>hire you with no, I repeat no >experience;
>and most employers won't >>do that and you don't
>even have >the schooling to back up what
>you >>want to do. >Jobs such as babysitting,
>tutoring, being a >>receptionist, >telemarketer,
>or customer service representative are >>jobs we
>can do. >These jobs don't require a college
>degree, if you >>work for
>certain >employers. > >Joseph, if you decide not
>to take >>SSI, I hope you still have
>food >stamps or your family or friends >>can
>loan you money. I would not want >you to go
>hungry. Food >>pantries don't give out full
>meals; only soup >kitchens do and most >>soup
>kitchens only serve one or two meals a
>day. >Good luck with >>whatever you
>decide. >Ashley > >-----Original Message-----
>From: T. >>Joseph Carter >Sent: Sunday, June 26,
>2011 9:03 PM >To: National >>Association of
>Blind Students mailing list >Subject: Re:
>[nabs-l] >>[Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes
>interview, >Ride into History, >>Race for
>Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT > >Wait,
>are you >>saying the system is designed for us
>to sit on our >collective >>duffs and mooch off
>of others while we piddle around
>and >do >>nothing? Does that seem like an
>appropriate system to you? > >You >>know how
>most people get through school? They work. Why
>should >>>we be different? Yes, I know we ARE,
>but why should we accept >>that? >We cannot work
>through school because the very act of
>going >>through >school takes us
>longer. Why? Because we haven’t got >>the
>skills to >keep up. Why? Because the same
>system that is >>giving us our little >handout
>(for which I’m told we should
>be >>grateful) has actively >interfered in our
>efforts to be and do >>better than that. > >As
>for suing, how, whom, and why? My
>benefits >>were never actually >stopped, only
>threatened. Just enough to keep >>me jumping
>for my >government slavemasters. I was entitled
>to, >>had, and won each of my >appeals, so the
>system worked as designed. >>> >I’m just no
>longer willing to be a
>slave. > >Joseph > > >On >>Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at
>01:18:23PM -0600, Kirt Manwaring
>wrote: >>>>Joseph, >> You make great points, and
>I really do feel for
>you. >>That's >>aweful...like, maybe get a
>social security lawyer kind of >>aweful. >> All
>I'm saying is, the way the system is intended
>to >>work (and the >>way it works for a lot of
>us), SSI is necessary >>income. I'm using
>it >>so I don't starve through school;
>the >>minute I get out and find a >>full-time
>job, I'm saying goodbye to >>my SSI for
>good. That's how it >>should be-use it to get
>yourself >>able to work then cut the
>cord. I >>know lots of people abuse it, >>I
>know it's poorly managed, and I know >>you're
>getting screwed by >>the system. But the way I
>see it, it's >>designed to be a boost up >>to
>equality, not a handout. Of course, >>everyone
>doesn't use it >>that way. >> In any case, best
>of luck. I hope things work out
>for >>you. For >>what it's worth, I'm sorry
>you're going through all >>this crap. >> Best
>wishes, >>Kirt >> >>On 6/25/11, T. Joseph
>Carter >><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>wrote: >>>Kirt, >>> >>>Social Security >>and SSI
>are still a handout, and they come
>with >>>strings attached >>that make getting off
>of them pretty difficult. >>>Especially if >>you
>live in subsidized housing, collect food
>stamps, >>>receive >>utility subsidies, etc. If
>you do and you go and find >>>yourself >>a job
>that doesn’t pay enough, you will have a
>sudden net >>>>>reduction in your income that
>already doesn’t pay the
>bills. >>>>> >>>I’ve decided I’m
>getting off this roller coaster even if >>it
>makes me >>>homeless in the process, because
>I’m sick and >>tired of living in
>fear >>>that they might take away my
>benefits! >>I’ve gotten three letters
>to >>>that effect in the past two >>years, in
>the midst of cancer treatment >>>for two of
>them, all >>with the customary 30 day appeal
>I’d better take >>>advantage of >>if I want
>to be able to survive another
>month! >>> >>>I’m tired >>of getting paid
>to NOT work. I’m tired of living in
>places >>>>>where the government intrudes upon
>my home three times a year to >>make >>>sure my
>landlord isn’t complete pond scum (but
>allowing >>them to be >>>one level removed from
>pond scum!) I’m tired of >>being told that
>if I >>>start working, my rent will suddenly
>be >>120% of what anybody in their >>>right
>might would ever pay for >>this dump. And
>I’m tired of being >>>told that
>they’re sorry, >>but I just don’t
>qualify for the work >>>incentives, or
>the >>better medical coverage, or the exemptions
>that >>>might possibly >>allow me to save a few
>hundred dollars with which to >>>actually >>get
>out of here! >>> >>>Your not-a-handout Social
>Security and SSI >>have made slaves of
>far >>>too many of us. Perfectly able to
>work, >>but afraid to try for fear >>>that
>we’ll lose what little
>we’ve >>got. We are trapped in a prison
>of >>>learned helplessness, and >>the only way
>out is to see these things—all >>>of them—for
>what >>theyhey are: Government handouts designed
>to keep us >>>docile, >>afraid, and living in
>poverty. >>> >>>I’m done playing that
>game. >>>>> >>>Joseph >>> >>> >>>On Sat, Jun 25,
>2011 at 09:13:21AM -0600, >>Kirt Manwaring
>wrote: >>>>Carley, >>>> First off, I've done a
>bit >>of really light research and I was
>way >>>>liberal about what I >>thought the cost
>of this would be. It's probably >>>>going to
>be >>in the neighborhood of $100 million, so I
>was way off. >>>>That'll >>teach me not to make
>outlandish statements with no proof. >>>>
>But >>still, the point I made in my last message
>stands. Of course I >>>>>>don't want the
>government to write out a check for all of
>us-I >>was >>>>trying to point out that trying
>to make all the cash out >>there
>more >>>>"blind-friendly" is not
>necessary. Just like we >>don't need
>government >>>>handouts (I'm not counting SSI as
>a >>government handout because that's >>>>money
>lots of us genuinely >>need), we don't need the
>government >>>>spending $100
>million >>redesigning currency we can already
>use with >>>>pretty much
>no >>problem. Honestly, if you think you can't
>afford an >>>>iBill, >>there's probably
>something you're buying with your $680 a
>month >>>>>>that you really don't need. >>>>
>Just a
>thought, >>>>Kirt >>> >>>>>______________________
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