[nabs-l] Future of the NFB

[Sean Whalen]

Kirt,

 

I don't think you miss the mark at all, and I think to dismiss your
eminently reasonable point of view with some blanket statements about
culture is a bit presumptuous. I am not at all familiar with the
anthropological body of work on the question, but I would be willing to bet
that there are at least some respected opinions in opposition to those which
Jedi has put forth. I couldn't tell you  a damn thing about
intersectionality, but I can tell you that it is by no means an accepted
fact that there is an "NFB culture." I, frankly, don't even believe that
there is such a thing as a blindness culture, though that is perhaps a
somewhat easier proposition for which to argue.

 

NFB is just an organization of individuals, with their own individual
opinions, that must reach common statements of policy and position. Yes,
there are some core beliefs that most members build their own personal
philosophies around, and, yes, that is, to my mind, a good thing. But the
idea that NFB membership is either such a central component of, or so
all-encompassingly pertinent to, my life and life goals that I identify
fellow members as people with whom I share a common culture simply doesn't
hold true. And that is coming from an individual who happens to spend a lot
of time and effort on the NFB. Do I share a culture with those who share my
commitment to social justice? Proponents of religious pluralism and
tolerance? Disabled folks in general? Green Bay Packer fans? University of
Wisconsin graduates? Lawyers and wanna be lawyers? I don't think so. Common
values alone do not entail common cultures. Nor do common beliefs,
traditions, or interests.

 

Again, when I use the word "culture' I use it in the commonly understood and
widely accepted sense of the word. I don't dispute that there may exist some
anthropological or sociological conceptions of culture that might be so
broad as to include NFB membership as a culturally defining characteristic.
I would just posit that those definitions are not terribly useful in talking
about the real world, and would be curious as to how many distinct cultures
one can belong to without severely limiting the threshold of importance or
prominence in one's life a "cultural identity" must reach to be considered
in any way instructive about a person.

 

All the best,

 

Sean