[nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
Peter Donahue
pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com
Mon Mar 31 00:06:31 UTC 2014
Good evening everyone,
It's also the reason why the blind community would be better off without
fence sitters too.
Peter Donahue
----- Original Message -----
From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
> Sir, that's why I'm not a member of either organization! Both of you gripe
> and complaine and both organizations why the blind have a seventy percent
> unemployment rate! RJ Sandefur
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Capelle" <michael.capelle at frontier.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 5:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
>
>
>> as a member of ACB, peter, you are sadly mistaken, as most of you NFB
>> people are, you sit and bitch, bitch about how ACB is trash, how ACB does
>> this and that, as a proud member of ACB, we do not sit and bash NFB, we
>> dont sit and call your president a dictator, even though my personal
>> opinion, is that he is, how if someone doesn't agree with nfb philosophy,
>> you shun them and kick them to the curb as if they are junk, calling
>> people traders and the like to boost your ego does not and will not
>> achieve anything, you are the sad depressed people who need to see the
>> light or are you just to blind to see the light?
>> Lets take a trip back in time if we may, to the year 2000. ACB held
>> there conference/convention in DesMoines. Durring the convention, ACB
>> President Chris Grey and other members were treated pourly. Based on
>> what I have been told,, you nfb people treated acb like we were the
>> plague.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jamie Principato
>> Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2014 4:05 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Success and Why I Left the NFB
>>
>> This is exactly the problem I have with the way some within the
>> organization play the political game. The feud with the ACB is nothing
>> but a distraction. It's a tool to give a cub set of members something to
>> rally behind, because nothing says "I'm a dedicated member of the
>> in-group" like sharing a common out-group rival.
>>
>> And why do you need a computer with internet connection for verification,
>> simply to be a respectful individual and hear a colleague's proposal?
>> Stating that you run a company is not by any means sufficient to scam
>> anyone. And you can always check when you get home if you're so inclined,
>> but to turn them away entirely and claim it is because your laptop isn't
>> handy makes me suspect another motive for turning away a member of the
>> out-group.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Mar 30, 2014, at 2:47 PM, "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Good afternoon everyone,
>>>
>>> I have a few thoughts on this thread. First no one likes anyone who
>>> runs from a fight. Health, work, and other issues can get in the way of
>>> serving in the organization but there are other ways to stay involved.
>>> People are only pushed to the side is they believe they are and don't
>>> find other ways to stay involved. They become lion prey rather than
>>> becoming or remaining lion chasers.
>>>
>>> The shunning we've seen is of those who lack blindness skills being
>>> offered the opportunity to learn them from those who just happen to be
>>> NFB members. My advice to such individuals is that of Judge Judy "Get
>>> over it!" If learning to use a computer, honing your Braille skills,
>>> becoming a better traveler will help you become more independent and
>>> create new career opportunities for God sakes except their offers of
>>> help regardless of whose camp they come from.
>>>
>>> As for this whole NFB VS ACB junk particularly when ACB members like
>>> to bring up stuff that happened 50 or 60 years ago they have been served
>>> notice from us that such conversations are off limits and they would do
>>> well to "Get over it" and that we're not interested in hearing it. On a
>>> few occasions we had several of them removed from our home due to the
>>> conversation getting out-of-control. And it didn't bother us to see them
>>> pay a $50 cab fare to get home to teach them that continuing to engage
>>> in this kind of non-productive garbage can become a very expensive
>>> proposition.
>>>
>>> On several occasions our chapter exhibited at a local resource fair
>>> for those with low vision. Both NFB and ACB had booths at this event.
>>> Some of us went by the ACB table to say hello. At no time did we attempt
>>> to harm their display or interfear with their activities in any way.
>>> They did not return the favor. One year several of their members tried
>>> to knock over our table which had a number of expensive notetakers on
>>> it. Our president at the time should have had the backbone to notify
>>> show officials and have them removed from the event but didn't. On
>>> another occasion one of these ACB folks tried to tell us he was the
>>> president of a new company we may be interested in learning about. Since
>>> we did not have a laptop with an Internet connection present to verify
>>> his story or not we were unable to do anything about it. Had we searched
>>> for the name of his company and found no reference to it online it's
>>> possible we could have had him kicked out for promoting a scam during
>>> the expo. By now you know that we have no patience with those who
>>> misrepresent themselves by atempting to promote a fraudulant company or
>>> engage in destructive behavior. The individual I referred to in this
>>> paragraph has served as the Alamo Council of the Blind's President.
>>>
>>> On the other hand if they wish to learn about various programs and
>>> services offered by the federation, learn about the BELL Program for
>>> example, our STEM Initiative, or if they would like an opportunity to
>>> ride in a car driven by a blind driver we're game for the conversation.
>>> Yes I know this is rather heavy-handed but there's some history behind
>>> why we've taken such a hard line with these people. It can be best
>>> summarized in a paraphraise of some words of a song by the late Stompin
>>> Tom Conners:
>>> "That there may never elsewhere be,
>>> Another Philadelphia tragedy,
>>> Another philadelphia tragety."
>>>
>>> The words above refer to an insident I and several other individuals
>>> were involved in during our 2001 Convention in Philadelphia
>>> Pennsylvania. Disagreements and philosophies among organizations of the
>>> blind helped lead up to this incident. Since taking such a hard stance
>>> against those who have nothing better to do than to run away from
>>> battles, sit on fences, etc there has never been another incident of
>>> that kind involving us. We had a close call in 2012 but heeded the
>>> warning signs and took action prior to that year's national convention
>>> to fend it off. Thanks to our alertness that national convention went
>>> without a hitch.
>>>
>>> Another thing that disturbs us is the ACB's attempts to undermind our
>>> programs and activities in some states. Did anyone tell them that this
>>> is America and they're free to establish programs and operate them as
>>> they see fit instead of attempting to scuttle the hard work of
>>> others?They attempted to quash NFB Newsline in a few states. If they
>>> didn't like the way the Newsline Program operates they're free to begin
>>> a similar program and operate it as they choose. Fortunately since we
>>> now host The Braille Forum I would hope it's got them thinking twice
>>> about that one.
>>>
>>> One thing that could help bring about greater unity in the blind
>>> community is if more agency directors had more backbone and laid out to
>>> all potential partners for a program they're considering the criteria
>>> these partners will need to satisfy for consideration instead of feeling
>>> like they need to be all things to all consumer groups of the blind.
>>> Again this is America and we're a free enterprise society. If someone
>>> wishes to be considered to assist with a program or to help fill a need
>>> they need to meet the criteria for consideration. For example if a host
>>> agency decides that immersion training is to be used in the operation of
>>> a particular program or service anyone wishing to partner with this
>>> agency will need to endorse immersion training or they will not be
>>> considered as a venture partner. Thus if ACB wants to be a partner in
>>> the operation of a program or service offered by a blindness agency that
>>> chooses to use immersion training they'll need to over hall their
>>> philosophy and adopt immersion training as a viable way to operate a
>>> program. If they're unwilling to do that they will be filtered and would
>>> do well not to complain that they were left out of consideration and
>>> would do well to refrain from trying to undermind the activities of such
>>> an agency because they were unwilling to adapt their approach and
>>> philosophy to meet changing conditions and needs of the blind. Again we
>>> have no patience with losers according to our standards!
>>>
>>> As for Joe's point about fundraising part of this one can be traced to
>>> the approach to career planning taken by many in the field including the
>>> NFB. We hear it every day about how unstable the job market has become
>>> yet we still tell people to go to school, get good grades, and you'll
>>> land that dream job when we should be taking it a step farther and urge
>>> blind individuals, parents, and educators of blind children to develop
>>> multiple income channels should something happen to your primary income
>>> source and so you will have the funds to support causes such as the
>>> activities of the NFB. We're currently working with the mother of a
>>> blind child in our area to encourage her to do this so she will be
>>> bettter able to meet her blind child's needs as she progresses through
>>> school and college and to have financial resources that will last her
>>> for her entire life instead of just 40 or 50 years of it if even that
>>> given the high unemployment rate we face.
>>>
>>> And let's not forget aboutthe the high cost of technology, and the
>>> refusal of the so-called blindness professionals to teach blind children
>>> and adults such valuable skills as Braille and cane travel to name a
>>> few. The NFB needs to urge blind persons and parents of blind children
>>> to develop multiple income sources so in the event that a school
>>> district is unwilling to teach a blind kid Braille no problem. They can
>>> hire someone to teach them privately and perhaps provide a job for
>>> another blind individual. If necessary they could home-school their
>>> blind child and give him/her an education far superior to that offered
>>> in many public schools. Likewise if a state agency refuses to fund a
>>> blind person to attend one of our centers since we urged them and their
>>> families to create ,multiple income streams they could pay for it
>>> themselves and to Hell with the rehab system. The more financial
>>> resources you have at your disposal that you can control the better you
>>> can provide for your blind child or fund the training you yourself wish
>>> to obtain.
>>>
>>> We attend regular information sessions related to one of our ventures.
>>> Each week we see many college students at these meetings. They're
>>> heeding the advice of those telling them not to put all of their eggs in
>>> one basket. These young folks most often referred to as Generation Y or
>>> Gen-Y for short understand the value of this advice and are creating
>>> multiple income streams for themselves should something happen to them
>>> or their career job. Individuals 30 years of age and under are
>>> considered to be a part of Gen-Y. Like their sighted Gen-Y counterparts
>>> blind individuals should be as intelligent. Consumer organizations of
>>> the blind need to become more agressive in this respect and urge blind
>>> persons and their families to do likewise.
>>>
>>>
>>> Mary and I have been around professional networking for years. In
>>> the late 1970s a blind individual and his wife became very successful in
>>> a well-known direct selling business achieving an extremely high level
>>> of success. Back then there were no smart phones, no direct delivery of
>>> the products in question to his home as there is now, no Internet
>>> portals in which one can transact business, yet this individual and his
>>> wife built an empire using this concept. The online resources I'm
>>> speaking of our accessible and usable by blind entrepreneurs. We have
>>> worked closely with the company in question to insure that this is so
>>> and they have greatly appreciated our assistance. Given his success one
>>> would think other blind individuals would have followed his lead in
>>> large numbers given the technology and services now available to those
>>> persuing careers in the direct selling industry. We find this state of
>>> affairs sad and shameful! This is something that can change in the years
>>> ahead. It's not too late. Anyone wanting more information about such
>>> opportunities is strongly advised to seek it from credible sources such
>>> as attending a meeting like the one mentioned above. Some of our NFB
>>> Lists have been used to spread information concerning particular
>>> companies that is inaccurate, false, and misleading. We're neither
>>> talking about your grandmother's business opportunity or NFB.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If the NFB wishes to have increased financial support it needs to
>>> change the advice it gives to its members and others with respect to
>>> career options and advise blind consumers to create an income to last
>>> them a lifetime not just for 50 years of it only to end upon skid row
>>> when those years are over. It needs to give the kind of career advice
>>> that will allow its members and others to have the resources needed to
>>> support its programs and to allow blind individuals to maintain a
>>> deasent quality of life. Now I believe I'm spent. All the best
>>> everyone.
>>>
>>> Peter Donahue
>>>
>>>
>>>
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