[nagdu] once in a lifetime trip to jail

[Marion Gwizdala]

Marsha,
    Thank you very much for the update. I am pleased that I was able to be 
of assistance to you and that the trip was such a huge success. I am also 
encouraged by your statements about the level of support you received from 
your classmates and instructor, even though he was a bit anxious about it 
all!
    Another effect of this issue is that we have made an excellent contact 
with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and had the opportunity to 
educate the Assistant AG over the Civil Rights Division on some issues of 
service animal use. I sent him some documents and he has already given them 
to the Attorney General. I discussed with him our resolution and he told me 
he was supportive of it. Now we need to get a division organized in Penn. 
and begin working on it!

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:37 PM
Subject: [nagdu] once in a lifetime trip to jail


> Hi All,
>
> My trip to Jail happened. It was a once in a life time sort of trip. Emma
> was the most well behaved dog ever, and no one at the prison gave us any
> trouble. My professor was a worry wart about it on the way there, mainly
> that the general message that I was permitted in, had not reached the 
> prison
> it self. We met with 4 inmates, who share their stories with us. We were
> also able to ask questions, as well have a tour of the prison. It was in
> total about a 2 mile walk around. On the way there, my professor and I
> shared the access issue with them all, and every single one of them was
> behind me. And knew that even though, granted a small chance, once we
> arrived, I could still be denied, told me later, that they would have 
> stayed
> behind with me, to protest the injustice. I made some great friends from 
> the
> trip with the students. And of course not only did I learn a lot but they
> did too. I am so happy I got to go, now I know what it was like, I would
> have been missing out on a incredible experience. I not only educated the
> prison system, but the other students, and my professor. I have to write 
> up
> a paper for my political science class, and will use that as a journal
> entry. Once I get that done, if anyone wants to read, I will email it to
> them directly.
>
> Thank you, to all of you for the support. Thank you, to Marion, for 
> working
> hard to help the state change their minds.
>
> If I can stress anything to anyone about this trip. Yes all that was
> involved in me actually being able to go, was stressful. Yes, I had to 
> make
> a big stink about it. Yes I stood up for my rights. But see there in that,
> is what it really means to change what it means to be blind. My professor,
> learned more about me and blindness and generally about guide dogs. The
> college learned, that blind people can visit a prison on a field trip. I
> showed the prison system, about civil rights, and about blindness. I 
> showed
> the students about civil rights, standing up for those rights, and a
> invaluable amount of information about blindness and guide dogs. Before 
> all
> of those people had different ideas of a blind person, about guide dogs, 
> and
> maybe about me. Now they do not, and little old me, has changed those
> thoughts. Wow it is incredible what I have done. Never did I think I was
> ever going to be put into such a position. But as blind people, as guide 
> dog
> users, we have/must/should to fight, stand up for our rights every single
> day. So its just all in a days work LOL
>
> Marsha
>
>
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus 
> signature
> database 5558 (20101023) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net