[nabs-l] Blindness and other minorities

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hi=20Ashley=20and=20Bridgit,

Let=20me=20point=20out=20that=20although=20there=20is=20still=20discriminat=
ion=20and=20
inequality=20in=20America,=20it's=20not,=20in=20my=20opinion,=20because=20o=
ur=20
"democracy"=20is=20flawed;=20we=20don't=20have=20a=20democracy!=20We=20have=
=20a=20
Republic=20for=20a=20system=20of=20government,=20which=20is=20different=20f=
rom=20a=20
Democratic=20form=20of=20government.=20=20The=20difference=20is=20that=20in=
=20a=20true=20
democracy,=20the=20country=20is=20ruled=20by=20the=20people=20as=20a=20coll=
ective,=20
all-powerful=20group.=20=20In=20other=20words,=20it=20is=20what=20some=20wo=
uld=20call=20
"mob=20rule."=20This=20historically=20has=20caused=20riots=20and=20chaos,=20=
which=20
usually=20leads=20to=20the=20end=20of=20whatever=20country=20tried=20it.=20=
=20As=20a=20
republic,=20we=20have=20representatives=20who=20are=20sent=20to=20represent=
=20the=20
people=20in=20our=20government.=20=20We=20then=20vote=20for=20who=20we=20th=
ink=20would=20be=20
best=20to=20represent=20us.=20=20So,=20the=20discrimination=20and=20inequal=
ity=20
isn't=20because=20of=20our=20system=20of=20government,=20in=20my=20opinion.=


Chris
-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Ashley=20Bramlett"=20<bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Thu,=203=20Nov=202011=2014:54:56=20-0400
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Blindness=20and=20other=20minorities

Bridget,
Well=20said.=20=20I=20agree=20there=20is=20discrimination=20and=20not=20eno=
ugh=20
equality.=20=20And
other=20minorities=20are=20fighting=20for=20=20the=20same=20thing.

However,=20I=20will=20do=20my=20part=20to=20participate=20in=20the=20democr=
acy=20we=20
have,=20even
though=20it=E2=80=99s=20a=20flawed=20one.=20=20I'm=20voting=20next=20tuesda=
y!
Ashley

-----Original=20Message-----
From:=20Bridgit=20Pollpeter
Sent:=20Thursday,=20November=2003,=202011=201:20=20PM
To:=20nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20Blindness=20and=20other=20minorities

Jedi,

I=20also=20identify=20with=20feminism,=20but=20I=20consider=20myself=20a=20=
part=20of=20a=20
new
wave=20of=20feminist,=20as=20it=20were;=20my=20term,=20no=20official=20defi=
nition!=20
Smile.=20=20I
just=20try=20to=20consider=20all=20people=20equals.=20=20It's=20not=20about=
=20asserting
dominance=20over=20any=20particular=20group,=20or=20being=20just=20like=20a=
=20man;=20
it's
about=20being=20me,=20the=20best=20me,=20and=20not=20buying=20into=20precon=
ceived=20
ideas.

I=20don't=20back=20down=20from=20my=20positions=20and=20arguments=20unless=
=20I=20find=20
sense=20or
logic=20in=20another's=20view=20point.=20=20Feminism,=20true=20feminism,=20=
which=20is=20
about
equality,=20is=20often=20misconstrued=20and=20viewed=20in=20a=20negative=20=
light.=20=20
I=20tried
to=20tailor=20my=20argument=20so=20as=20to=20not=20focus=20on=20feminism=20=
in=20and=20of=20
itself,
but=20to=20display=20how=20far=20from=20true=20equality=20this=20world=20re=
ally=20is.

We've=20lulled=20ourselves=20into=20a=20false=20sense=20of=20equality=20in=
=20today's=20
world.
Yet=20everywhere=20we=20look,=20discrimination=20and=20prejudice=20remain=20=

staunch
parts=20of=20life.=20=20I=20totter=20on=20the=20edge=20of=20controversy=20=
=20here,=20but=20we=20
send
military=20presences=20into=20other=20countries=20demanding,=20forcing=20th=
em=20
to
accept=20a=20democratic=20way=20of=20life,=20but=20in=20our=20own=20country=
=20many=20of=20
us=20are
still=20struggling=20to=20be=20considered=20a=20part=20of=20the=20so-called=
=20
democratic
society=20here.=20=20Yes,=20I'm=20not=20so=20stupid=20to=20not=20realize=20=
in=20many=20
instances
people=20in=20other=20countries=20experience=20medieval-like=20ways=20of=20=
life=20
and
horrid=20governments=20that=20will=20kill=20to=20get=20what=20they=20want,=
=20but=20in=20
terms=20of
a=20democratic,=20equal=20life,=20no=20one=20has=20achieved=20this.=20=20Ho=
w=20can=20
Americans
take=20on=20the=20role=20of=20big=20brother=20when=20we=20won't=20give=20ce=
rtain=20rights=20
and
respect=20to=20groups=20living=20in=20America?=20Our=20perspective=20is=20s=
kewed.=20=20
I'm=20not
necessarily=20claiming=20we=20intentionally=20dish=20out=20inproportionate=
=20
amounts
of=20equality,=20but=20because=20many=20don't=20have=20to=20deal=20with=20c=
ertain
experiences=20or=20have=20much=20exposure=20to=20them,=20they=20fail=20to=20=
realize=20
the
truth.=20=20Unfortunately=20this=20ignorance=20has=20led=20too=20many=20to=
=20think=20we=20
live=20as
equals,=20and=20that=20opportunity=20is=20simply=20something=20you=20reach=
=20out=20
for=20and
grab=20it,=20as=20though=20opportunity=20is=20attainable=20equally.=20=20Te=
n=20
percent=20of
students=20learning=20Braille=20is=20certainly=20not=20a=20statistic=20allo=
wing=20a
minority=20to=20simply=20reach=20out=20and=20achieve=20anything.

Anyway,=20I=20didn't=20mean=20to=20come=20across=20with=20a=20wishy-washy=20=
message;=20
it's
just=20that=20my=20focus=20was=20on=20showing=20that=20people=20with=20disa=
bilities=20
are=20not
the=20only=20group=20still=20fighting=20to=20be=20viewed=20as=20capable=20e=
quals.=20=20
And=20I
personally=20don't=20look=20at=20certain=20women=20differently=20just=20bec=
ause=20
they
choose=20to=20take=20a=20path=20less=20traveled=20these=20days.=20=20Whethe=
r=20working=20
or=20not,
I=20don't=20think=20we=20should=20judge=20anyone=20who=20is=20pursuing=20so=
mething=20
they=20love
or=20being=20productive=20even=20if=20not=20in=20a=20conventional=20or=20tr=
aditional=20
way.=20=20I
believe=20in=20equality=20among=20genders,=20and=20I=20think=20women=20shou=
ld=20be=20
able=20to
choose=20whatever=20path=20that=20makes=20them=20happy;=20meanwhile,=20my=20=

ultimate=20dream
is=20to=20be=20a=20soccer=20mom!=20Smile.

It's=20going=20to=20take=20time=20to=20convince=20people=20that=20disabilit=
y=20isn't=20
the=20end
of=20the=20road.=20=20It=20helps=20when=20people=20with=20disabilities=20ac=
tually=20
live=20up=20to
the=20standards=20and=20ideas=20espoused=20by=20groups=20like=20the=20Feder=
ation,=20
but=20the
same=20comment=20can=20be=20said=20about=20any=20minority=20or=20under-serv=
ed=20
group.=20=20I
think=20the=20best=20way=20to=20truly=20affect=20society=20is=20to=20live=20=
our=20lives=20
and=20meet
the=20same=20expectations=20placed=20on=20the=20rest=20of=20the=20world-=20=
to=20achieve
averageness=20should=20be=20the=20goal=20all=20people=20with=20disabilities=
=20works
towards.=20=20Smirky=20grin.

Sincerely,
Bridgit=20Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read=20my=20blog=20at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

"History=20is=20not=20what=20happened;=20history=20is=20what=20was=20writte=
n=20down."
The=20Expected=20One-=20Kathleen=20McGowan

Message:=208
Date:=20Wed,=2002=20Nov=202011=2016:53:20=20-0400
From:=20Jedi=20<loneblindjedi at samobile.net
To:=20nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Blindness=20vs.=20=20other=20minority=20groups
Message-ID:=20ef9b1671-465f-4c4b-8cd7-511b7cd8d5c3 at samobile.net
Content-Type:=20text/plain;=20charset=3D"us-ascii";=20format=3D"flowed"

Bridgit,

Never=20apologize=20for=20what=20you=20say=20here=20if=20it=20comes=20from=
=20your=20
deepest
experience.=20=20This=20is=20exactly=20the=20discussion=20we=20should=20be=
=20having.=20=20
And
really,=20there=20is=20nothing=20dirty=20about=20feminism.=20=20In=20fact,=
=20
feminists=20have
been=20saying=20the=20same=20thing=20for=20decades=20that=20you've=20just=20=
said=20here=20
on
list.=20=20So=20while=20you=20personally=20may=20not=20identify=20as=20femi=
nist,=20you=20
do
share=20feminist=20beliefs.=20=20I=20identify=20as=20a=20feminist,=20and=20=
we're=20not=20
all
bra-burning=20crazies=20out=20to=20get=20men,=20we're=20just=20men=20and=20=
women=20who=20
are=20as
sick=20of=20sex=20oppression=20as=20you=20are.

Respectfully,
Jedi


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