[nabs-l] NFB Philosophy

Mon Jul 23 21:12:58 UTC 2012

What=20is=20the=20ABC?
Vejas

=20-----=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:=20Mon,=2023=20Jul=202012=2017:08:53=20-0400
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20NFB=20Philosophy

Josh,
First,=20his=20last=20name=20is=20spelled=20wrong.=20=20Second,
Second,=20I=20think=20based=20on=20comments=20from=20other=20lists=20that=20=
he=20is=20
staying=20with
ACB.=20=20As=20to=20who=20is=20joining=20whom,=20unless=20you=20have=20stat=
s=20to=20back=20it=20
up,=20I
suspect=20that=20organization=20membership=20is=20declining.=20=20This=20be=
cause=20
not=20enough
young=20people=20are=20involved=20in=20NFB=20and=20old=20members=20are=20dy=
ing=20out.=20=20
I=20saw=20on
nfb-talk=20that=20two=20or=20maybe=20three=20members=20just=20passed=20away=
.=20=20A=20few=20
members=20in
my=20state=20have=20=20passed=20too=20such=20as=20Sevelle=20Allen.=20=20Lea=
ders=20seem=20to=20
retire=20and
pass=20away=20or=20move=20away.=20=20So=20really,=20I'm=20not=20so=20sure=20=
nfb=20
membership=20is
increasing=20so=20much=20as=20to=20shout=20about=20it=20like=20we're=20bett=
er=20than=20
ACB.=20=20I=20just
don't=20think=20young=20generations=20join=20advocacy=20groups=20as=20much,=
=20even=20
if=20they're
blind.
Ashley

-----Original=20Message-----
From:=20Joshua=20Lester
Sent:=20Friday,=20July=2020,=202012=201:17=20AM
To:=20National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20NFB=20Philosophy

Well:=20the=20good=20thing=20is,=20that=20people=20are=20leaving=20the=20AC=
B,=20and=20
joining
us,=20because=20they=20realize=20that=20we're=20right.
Think=20about=20Mike=20Coppell,=20(one=20of=20their=20prized=20members,)=20=
who=20has=20
just
left=20them,=20and=20joined=20us!
Blessings,=20Joshua

On=207/20/12,=20Brandon=20Keith=20Biggs=20<brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com>=20
wrote:
=20Hello,
=20Possibly=20because=20the=20NFB=20is=20such=20a=20huge=20pusher=20to=20th=
e=20fair=20wages=20
and
=20frankly,=20they=20probably=20saw=20the=20unfair=20wages=20as=20hardly=20=
something=20
that=20will
=20make=20a=20difference.=20=20Also,=20I=20believe=20another=20voat=20for=20=
less=20than=20
minimum=20wage
=20is=20that=20one=20can=20stay=20on=20SSI=20while=20getting=20lower=20than=
=20fair=20wages.
=20Every=20side=20thinks=20they=20are=20right,=20so=20does=20that=20make=20=
them=20both=20
wrong?
=20As=20pointed=20out=20at=20the=20banquet=20speech=20at=20the=20NFB=20conv=
ention=20this=20
last=20year,
=20we=20can=20only=20try=20our=20hardest=20to=20be=20the=20victors,=20and=20=
because=20we=20
know=20we=20are
=20right,=20we=20will=20win.
=20Thanks,

=20Brandon=20Keith=20Biggs
=20-----Original=20Message-----
=20From:=20Joshua=20Lester
=20Sent:=20Thursday,=20July=2019,=202012=209:30=20PM
=20To:=20National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list
=20Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20NFB=20Philosophy

=20Arielle:=20that=20was=20a=20great=20post.
=20I=20just=20have=20one=20question=20about=20this.
=20If=20our=20philosophies=20aren't=20at=20odds,=20then=20why=20did=20the=20=
ACB=20vote,=20
"Do=20Not
=20Pass,"=20on=20the=20"Fair=20Wages=20for=20Workers=20with=20Disabilities=
=20Act,"
=20resolution=20at=20their=20convention?
=20Evidently,=20they're=20okay=20with=20disabled=20workers=20being=20paid=20=
below=20
the
=20federally=20mandated=20minimum=20wage.
=20Hmmm!
=20Thanks,=20Joshua

=20On=207/19/12,=20Arielle=20Silverman=20<arielle71 at gmail.com>=20wrote:
=20Hi=20all,
=20I=20think=20Sean's=20description=20of=20"NFB=20philosophy"=20as=20he=20s=
ees=20it=20was
=20excellent.=20=20I=20would=20also=20add=20two=20things:
=201.=20=20I=20don't=20think=20the=20NFB=20has=20a=20patent=20on=20this=20p=
hilosophy.=20=20In=20
fact,=20I
=20would=20argue=20that=20most=20committed=20ACB=20members=20and=20many=20o=
ther=20
successful
=20blind=20people=20who=20choose=20not=20to=20affiliate=20with=20organizati=
ons=20also
=20espouse=20the=20positive=20philosophy=20of=20blindness=20that=20Sean=20
described.=20=20The
=20NFB=20has=20chosen=20to=20make=20this=20philosophy=20a=20central=20focus=
,=20but=20that=20
does
=20not=20mean=20that=20non-NFB=20members=20cannot=20live=20by=20it=20themse=
lves=20or
=20encourage=20others=20to=20accept=20it.=20=20It=20is=20important=20to=20r=
emember=20that=20
the
=20ACB=20split=20off=20from=20the=20NFB,=20and=20although=20I=20am=20not=20=
an=20expert=20on=20
what
=20happened,=20everything=20I've=20read=20about=20the=20split=20suggests=20=
that=20it
=20occurred=20because=20of=20disagreements=20about=20how=20leadership=20in=
=20the
=20organization=20should=20be=20structured,=20not=20about=20fundamental=20
philosophy=20of
=20blindness.=20=20In=20more=20recent=20years=20the=20NFB=20and=20ACB=20hav=
e=20taken=20
differing
=20approaches=20to=20some=20policy=20issues,=20but=20that=20does=20not=20ne=
cessarily=20
mean
=20that=20their=20core=20philosophies=20of=20blindness=20are=20at=20odds.=20=
=20I=20don't=20
think
=20the=20two=20organizations=20should=20merge=20into=20one=20super-organiza=
tion=20
of
=20blind=20Americans=20because=20I=20like=20the=20fact=20that=20individuals=
=20have=20
choices
=20about=20which=20organization=20to=20join=20and=20that=20there's=20not=20=
one=20big=20
group
=20monopolizing=20the=20organizational=20stage.=20=20But=20I=20also=20think=
=20that=20
the=20NFB
=20and=20ACB=20have=20more=20in=20common=20in=20terms=20of=20their=20goals=
=20for=20changing=20
what
=20it=20means=20to=20be=20blind=20than=20we=20might=20think=20on=20first=20=
glance.

=202.=20=20To=20address=20Marc's=20point=20about=20universal=20design:=20In=
=20the=20nine=20
years=20I
=20have=20been=20a=20part=20of=20the=20NFB,=20I=20have=20observed=20that=20=
the=20NFB=20
increasingly
=20takes=20a=20pragmatic=20dualistic=20approach=20to=20promoting=20both=20
individual
=20coping=20with=20accessibility=20barriers=20and=20advocacy=20to=20bring=20=
them=20
down.=20=20I
=20would=20urge=20you=20to=20read=20the=20NFB=202012=20resolutions=20once=20=
they=20become
=20available=20online,=20and=20you=20will=20find=20that=20most=20of=20these=
=20
resolutions
=20address=20access=20barriers=20in=20one=20form=20or=20another=20and=20adv=
ocate=20for=20
their
=20removal.=20=20I=20believe=20the=20NFB=20is=20moving=20further=20in=20the=
=20direction=20
of
=20pushing=20for=20accessibility=20and=20I=20have=20seen=20change=20on=20th=
is=20front=20
even
=20since=20the=20time=20when=20I=20first=20joined=20nine=20years=20ago.=20=
=20However,=20
though=20we
=20are=20committed=20to=20doing=20what=20we=20can=20to=20promote=20universa=
l=20access=20
for
=20blind=20people,=20we=20also=20are=20aware=20that,=20realistically,=20it=
=20will=20
take=20time
=20for=20all=20those=20in=20power=20to=20make=20it=20happen.=20=20In=20the=
=20meantime,=20we=20
are=20also
=20working=20to=20help=20blind=20individuals=20figure=20out=20how=20to=20ad=
apt=20to=20
those
=20barriers=20we=20are=20not=20yet=20able=20to=20control.=20=20For=20exampl=
e,=20we=20will=20
fight
=20for=20full=20access=20to=20educational=20technology,=20but=20instead=20o=
f=20
waiting=20to
=20enroll=20in=20college=20until=20this=20access=20happens,=20we=20will=20a=
lso=20work=20
to
=20harness=20the=20support=20of=20human=20readers=20and=20other=20adaptatio=
ns=20so=20
that=20we
=20can=20still=20be=20successful=20in=20spite=20of=20these=20barriers.=20=20=
In=20other=20
words,
=20instead=20of=20pitting=20individual=20adaptation=20and=20universal=20des=
ign=20
against
=20each=20other=20as=20mutually=20exclusive=20options,=20why=20not=20take=20=
a=20dual=20
approach
=20toward=20both=20of=20these=20goals?
=20Arielle

=20On=207/19/12,=20Justin=20Salisbury=20<PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>=20wrote:=

=20I=20have=20a=20few=20notes=20for=20a=20few=20different=20people=20on=20t=
his=20thread.

=20Tyler:
=20I=20understand=20the=20hesitancy=20about=20getting=20involved=20when=20y=
ou=20don't=20
fully
=20agree
=20with=20everything=20that=20everyone=20else=20believes.=20=20I=20once=20h=
ad=20that=20
hesitation
=20about=20getting=20involved=20with=20organized=20religion.=20=20I=20start=
ed=20going=20
to=20a
=20campus
=20ministry=20at=20my=20college=20because=20a=20friend=20sold=20me=20on=20t=
he=20free=20
dinner,=20and
=20I
=20quickly=20learned=20that=20no=20church=20is=20homogenous=20in=20beliefs.=
=20=20In=20
some
=20churches,
=20the=20leadership=20will=20try=20like=20mad=20to=20perpetuate=20the=20ide=
a=20that=20
everyone=20in
=20the
=20church=20believes=20exactly=20what=20they=20do=20and=20that=20anyone=20w=
ho=20
disagrees
=20slightly
=20is=20against=20them.=20=20In=20my=20church,=20we=20aren't=20like=20that,=
=20and=20we=20
understand
=20that
=20people=20have=20differing=20views.=20=20We=20unite=20under=20the=20idea=
=20that=20it's=20
okay=20to
=20disagree=20on=20individual=20issues=20and=20discuss=20them,=20but=20we=20=
have=20
generally
=20the
=20same=20core=20beliefs.
=20That's=20how=20we=20are=20in=20the=20Federation.=20=20If=20you=20don't=20=
agree=20with=20
something
=20we're=20doing,=20I'll=20make=20an=20effort=20to=20help=20you=20come=20to=
=20terms=20with=20
it
=20because
=20that's=20my=20individual=20personality.=20=20I=20often=20find=20that,=20=
when=20
someone
=20disagrees
=20with=20something=20we're=20doing,=20it=20is=20because=20of=20a=20lack=20=
of=20
understanding=20of
=20what
=20we're=20doing=20or=20the=20underlying=20issue.=20=20At=20the=20end=20of=
=20the=20day,=20I=20
won't
=20shun
=20you.

=20Marc=20Workman:
=20=20Of=20course=20we,=20in=20the=20Federation,=20fight=20to=20break=20dow=
n=20the=20
barriers.=20=20Why
=20do
=20you=20think=20we=20do=20legislative=20lobbying?=20=20Washington=20Semina=
r=20is=20an
=20absolutely
=20amazing=20experience,=20and=20you=20should=20try=20it!=20=20We=20honor=20=

adaptability
=20because
=20there's=20no=20sense=20in=20being=20helpless=20in=20the=20meantime=20whi=
le=20we=20work=20
on
=20those
=20barriers.
=20On=20the=20mention=20of=20Sean's=20place=20in=20social=20stratification:=
=20=20I=20am=20a=20
colored
=20person,=20I'm=20the=20first=20person=20in=20my=20family=20to=20go=20to=20=
college,=20and=20
I=20don't
=20bother=20wallowing=20in=20the=20lack=20of=20advantage=20that=20I=20face=
=20because=20of=20
it.
=20Quite
=20frankly,=20I'm=20not=20even=20convinced=20that=20I=20am=20disadvantaged=
=20by=20being=20
a
=20colored
=20person.=20=20With=20the=20first=20generation=20college=20student=20part,=
=20I=20have=20
to=20seek
=20mentors=20in=20the=20academic=20process=20from=20outside=20my=20family,=
=20and=20I=20
know=20many,
=20many=20educated=20Federationists=20who=20have=20eagerly=20fulfilled=20th=
at=20
role=20for
=20me.
=20Lastly,=20I've=20made=20comments=20like=20"i've=20had=20this=20conversat=
ion=20with=20
you
=20before"
=20in=20a=20public=20manner=20to=20other=20people-trust=20me,=20I=20have-bu=
t=20I've=20
realized=20in
=20retrospect=20that=20it=20only=20creates=20distance=20between=20everyone=
=20who=20
hears=20me
=20and
=20myself.=20=20A=20lot=20of=20people=20take=20that=20as=20an=20implied=20p=
ersonal=20
attack.=20=20I'm
=20not
=20saying=20Sean=20took=20it=20that=20way,=20but=20I'm=20sure=20plenty=20of=
=20people=20did=20
read=20it
=20that
=20way.

=20Brandon=20Keith=20Biggs,=20I=20loved=20reading=20this=20part=20of=20your=
=20email:
=20In=20my=20book,=20there=20is=20no=20larger=20crime=20than=20depriving=20=
someone=20of=20
their
=20dreams
=20and=20the=20second=20biggest=20crime=20is=20taking=20away=20the=20chance=
=20for=20
people=20to
=20reach
=20for=20those=20dreams.=20=20For=20while=20there=20are=20dreams,=20there=20=
is=20hope.=20=20
With=20hope
=20life
=20always=20has=20enough=20energy=20to=20turn=20the=20corner=20and=20keep=20=
going.=20=20The=20
NFB=20to
=20me
=20is=20that=20hope=20and=20the=20rock=20and=20refuge=20that=20is=20always=
=20there=20for=20me=20
if=20I
=20need
=20it.

=20Yours=20in=20Federationism,

=20Justin=20Salisbury

=20Justin=20M.=20=20Salisbury
=20Class=20of=202012
=20B.A.=20=20in=20Mathematics
=20East=20Carolina=20University
=20president at alumni.ecu.edu

=20=93Never=20doubt=20that=20a=20small=20group=20of=20thoughtful,=20committ=
ed=20
citizens=20can
=20change
=20the=20world;=20indeed,=20it=92s=20the=20only=20thing=20that=20ever=20has=
.=94=20=20=20=20
=97MARGARET=20MEAD

=20_______________________________________________
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