[nabs-l] Future of the NFB

[bookwormahb at earthlink.net]

We can integrate and keep part of our identity, yes.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jedi
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 2:51 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Future of the NFB

David,

Is it possible to have our cake and eat it too? In other words, do you
think it's possible to have an NFB culture and still integrate into the
greater society?

Respectfully,
Jedi

Original message:
>  From what I know, many people in the deaf community believe there is
> a "deaf culture" and are active in nurturing and protecting it.  In
> the NFB, one of our goals is to integrate blind persons into society,
> so we are consequently going to be less interested in creating,
> nurturing, or protecting a blind culture.  It may or may not exist --
> it depends on how you define it, and who you ask.

> David Andrews

> At 01:30 PM 3/13/2011, you wrote:
>> 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



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