[nabs-l] [Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes interview, Ride into History, Race for Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT
Josh Gregory
joshkart12 at gmail.com
Mon Jun 27 20:24:01 UTC 2011
Um... just a thought. Maybe you two could take this offlist?
I'm no Mr. Andrews (sorry, sir) but this seems a bit
inappropriate to me for this list.
Best,
Josh
sent from my Apex
Email: joshkart12 at gmail.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at earthlink.net
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:06:25 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] [Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes
interview,Ride into History, Race for Independence, Wed. June
22, 8:00 pm EDT
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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