[nabs-l] Blind Majority

Fri Mar 18 23:59:13 UTC 2011

Hi all,

I believe that, because of the way that the organization has grown over
time, we will always have a majority of blind people even though we may
invite more sighted people into the organization.  Seeing the NFB as
comparable to the black civil rights movement, when they first started I am
sure that sit ins and other assemblies were all black people, but when the
movement grew larger, and started to expand, more and more white people
joined the cause, and to my knowledge they never had a rule about a majority
of black people making up the movement.

Also, regarding the parents division, what would happen when so many parents
remain members after their children are adults that the ratio of blind to
sighted member begans to come closer and closer to equal.

Just my two cents.

Any thoughts?

Respectfully,
Jordan Richardson
President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students

On 18 March 2011 16:30, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:

> To Arielle's post-  and that's why we have amendments, lol.
>
> On 3/18/11, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Miranda has a valid point, though I am not sure  how often  this is
> > the case  across the organization.
> >  I know this is kind of petty, but the 51 percent rule really applies
> > to  "active" voting members,  or  that's how I've always understood it
> > to be.  If that's indeed the case,  any sighted person falling outside
> > of that number can be a "supporting  member"   (or non-voting).  If
> > one really  thinks about it,  how often do we vote on things on the
> > division level? On the  local chapter level,   you may hold more
> > votes, but how many of them are very key votes? (then again, the
> > closest chapter to me doesn't meet, lol.)
> >  respectfully,
> >   Darian
> >
> >  just
> >
> > On 3/18/11, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Hi all,
> >>  As you all may well know, every state affiliate, state
> >> chapter/division,  national division and  even the national board it's
> >> self requires that  the majority of it's members and  members of board
> >> of directors and officers be  blind,  except that  in the case of the
> >> parents division, that requirement was waved.
> >>
> >>  I think that that requirement should be kept in place, but that we
> >> should look to recruit sighted members into our  organization.
> >> The recruitment of these members should not be utilized as nor viewed
> >> as a reason to back- peddle on our    philossophical views on
> >> blindness, but  to better educate and strenthin our cause and belieffs
> >> in our ability to  collectivly act as blind people, and our ability to
> >> work with sighted folks who believe in what we do.
> >>
> >>  my view of any movement, and of any organization that  is a part of
> >> or fuels a movement, is that while they  may have an ethnic, gender,
> >> or other such majority, they also have a minority of people who
> >> believe in the cause in just  the same way the  majority does.  This
> >> is a very healthy thing, to me.
> >>
> >>   just some thoughts,
> >>   Darian
> >>
> >> On 3/18/11, Jorge Paez <jorgeapaez at mac.com> wrote:
> >>> Completely agree with the constitution.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Mar 18, 2011, at 4:50 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Dear all,
> >>>>
> >>>> I always knew that the executive positions on any NFB chapter,
> >>>> affiliate
> >>>> or
> >>>> division board had to be blind.  I did not, however, know that this
> >>>> majority
> >>>> rule also applies to the general membership of these organizations.
>  It
> >>>> is
> >>>> my understanding that at least 51 percent of the membership has to be
> >>>> blind
> >>>> and that this provision was primarily included to prevent sighted
> >>>> people
> >>>> from taking over the organization.  I can see how this would have made
> >>>> since
> >>>> in the organization's early beginnings, maybe even during the 60's,
> but
> >>>> seeing as how the provisions survived the 1986 ratification and is
> >>>> still
> >>>> on
> >>>> the books today, I am curious to hear what you think as the up and
> >>>> coming
> >>>> generation of leaders.  Is it necessary to guarantee a predominantly
> >>>> blind
> >>>> organization through constitutional provisions, or should we be
> allowed
> >>>> to
> >>>> bring in sighted people interested in membership to further promote
> our
> >>>> cause?  I have my thoughts on the subject, but I'm curious to hear
> your
> >>>> views.  The NFB constitution provisions read as follow:
> >>>>
> >>>> "Section C. State affiliates shall be organizations of the blind
> >>>> controlled
> >>>> by the blind. No organization shall be recognized as an "organization
> >>>> of
> >>>> the
> >>>> blind controlled by the blind" unless at least a majority of its
> voting
> >>>> members and a majority of the voting members of each of its local
> >>>> chapters
> >>>> are blind."
> >>>>
> >>>> ...
> >>>>
> >>>> "Any organized group desiring to become a state affiliate of the
> >>>> National
> >>>> Federation of the Blind shall apply for affiliation by submitting to
> >>>> the
> >>>> president
> >>>> of the National Federation of the Blind a copy of its constitution and
> >>>> a
> >>>> list of the names and addresses of its elected officers. Under
> >>>> procedures
> >>>> to
> >>>> be
> >>>> established by the board of directors, action shall be taken on the
> >>>> application. If the action is affirmative, the National Federation of
> >>>> the
> >>>> Blind shall
> >>>> issue to the organization a charter of affiliation. Upon request of
> the
> >>>> national president the state affiliate shall provide to the national
> >>>> president
> >>>> the names and addresses of its members. Copies of all amendments to
> the
> >>>> constitution and/or bylaws of an affiliate shall be sent without delay
> >>>> to
> >>>> the national
> >>>> president. No organization shall be accepted as an affiliate and no
> >>>> organization shall remain an affiliate unless at least a majority of
> >>>> its
> >>>> voting members
> >>>> are blind. The president, vice president (or vice presidents), and at
> >>>> least
> >>>> a majority of the executive committee or board of directors of the
> >>>> state
> >>>> affiliate
> >>>> and of all of its local chapters must be blind. Affiliates must not
> >>>> merely
> >>>> be social organizations but must formulate programs and actively work
> >>>> to
> >>>> promote
> >>>> the economic and social betterment of the blind. Affiliates and their
> >>>> local
> >>>> chapters must comply with the provisions of the constitution of the
> >>>> Federation."
> >>>>
> >>>> Regards,
> >>>>
> >>>> Joe
> >>>>
> >>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
> >>>> sleeves,
> >>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Darian Smith
> >> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> >> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> >> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
> >>
> >> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
> >>
> >> — Robert Byrne
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Darian Smith
> > Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> > Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> > Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
> >
> > "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
> >
> > — Robert Byrne
> >
>
>
> --
> Darian Smith
> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>
> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
>
> — Robert Byrne
>
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-- 
Jordan Richardson
President, Minnesota Association of Blind Students
lilrichie411 at gmail.com
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
~*Frederick Douglass*<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/frederickd201574.html>