[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

Larry D. Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net
Wed Mar 28 23:14:44 UTC 2012


You're sure right about that!  Especially those Californians!!!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rhonda cruz" <rhondaprincess at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness


> not everyone. has the same problem.
>
> all of us. are different.
> that is a great feeling.
>
> On Mar 28, 2012, at 11:22 AM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
>
>> Yeah, we all have similar issues but it seems that people think they have 
>> the right to treat people in ways they wouldn't even consider doing if 
>> the person in question is a non disabled, sighted, straight, non trans 
>> person. Somehow the rules of civility don't seem to apply.
>>
>> It is interesting how people react when facedf with this problem of 
>> public intrusion for the first time.  I can help them out and educate 
>> them about disability as I talk to them.
>>
>> I don't mind that people ask about my guide dog and then we talk about 
>> dogs. This makes them more comfortable in interacting with a disabled 
>> person.
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry D. Keeler" 
>> <lkeeler at comcast.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:02 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>>
>>
>>> Lyn, The LBGT community is the one I was thinking of.  We don't need to 
>>> know, so why ask.  Unless we have friends who are comfortible discussing 
>>> it. If not, what does in matter.  We all have the same issues more or 
>>> less.
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lyn Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:33 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Julie and Mardi,
>>>> I will use the word blind most of the time.  I think political 
>>>> correctness is just BS to detract one from real discussions and 
>>>> attitudes held by people who don't belong to any "minority" group.  I 
>>>> don't really care much about a person's terminology - I care about 
>>>> their attitudes and respect for all people.
>>>>
>>>> If someone calls my dog a "blind dog" when they really mean to say 
>>>> "guide dog", I laugh and say to them, "I sure hope the hell not! I'd be 
>>>> in real trouble with both of us being blind!" and we both crack up at 
>>>> that thought!
>>>>
>>>> Marti, the rude people aren't you - it's the idiots who ask you all 
>>>> those personal questions about why you use a wheelchair or have a 
>>>> service dog that guides and does other tasks for you.  Maybe ask them 
>>>> about their hystorectiemies or prostate problems and they'll get the 
>>>> point real fast! LOL!
>>>>
>>>> I see this same thing in the LGBT community where non-transsexual 
>>>> people ask the transsexuals about their surgeries and other very 
>>>> personal stuff. I find myself giving advice about dealing with thios 
>>>> problem as I have dealt with this as a blind person all my life.  I 
>>>> tell both groups that people asking personal questions about surgeries, 
>>>> health, etc is intrusive and "none of their beeswax"!
>>>>
>>>> For me, I let people think whatever they like about what I can or 
>>>> cannot see while I'm out and about town or on the bus so I don't get a 
>>>> whole lot of questions from people.  I may get some questions if I 
>>>> happen to get into a conversation with someone on the bus.  They mainly 
>>>> ask about the dog.  I ask them if they have a dog and if they say yes, 
>>>> we then go on to talk about their dog!  The blindness questions go out 
>>>> the window.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 5:32 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Mardi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I tell people I'm blind for a few reasons.  First it's how I identify 
>>>>> myself.  I do have a bit of usable vision, but for most things I 
>>>>> prefer to use a non visual alternative.  I am comfortable with the 
>>>>> word blind. It's who I am.
>>>>>
>>>>> The second reason I say blind is because it is shorter.  Sure the word 
>>>>> itself is shorter, but the conversation about my private medical 
>>>>> details are also shorter when I use the word blind.  If I tell someone 
>>>>> that I'm visually impaired, and I did used to use this terminology, it 
>>>>> seems to invite a conversation about just exactly how much I can see, 
>>>>> in what circumstances, on which day of the week, in what colors and 
>>>>> what the underlying medical cause is.  Really I can live without all 
>>>>> of that.  If I say I'm blind, then that is that and we can move 
>>>>> directly on to what is important in that particular interaction. 
>>>>> Sometimes I will do something or say something that cues the person in 
>>>>> to the fact that I do have a bit of vision.  Sometimes they will ask 
>>>>> if I can see some.  I just say "yes, a small bit" and do not 
>>>>> elaborate.  I gently but firmly move the conversation back to the 
>>>>> important bits.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think the whole PC movement is silly.  I think it was invented by 
>>>>> able bodied, straight, white men who are a bit uncomfortable but won't 
>>>>> admit it with people who are different.   I always put the adjective 
>>>>> before the noun just as I do with any other descriptive words.  I say 
>>>>> blind person not person who is blind, just as I say red sweater, not 
>>>>> sweater which is red.
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps my choice of the word blind has these effects or perhaps it is 
>>>>> my comfort level with myself, my identity and my blindness.  I don't 
>>>>> know, but I can say for certain that I have a lot less intrusive and 
>>>>> inappropriate conversations since making this shift.
>>>>>
>>>>> All my best,
>>>>> Julie
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/25/2012 12:31 AM, Mardi Hadfield wrote:
>>>>>> I have a political correctness question. I have been referring to my 
>>>>>> self
>>>>>> as legally blind. I don't call my self blind, as I feel that might 
>>>>>> mislead
>>>>>> other people into thinking that I am totally blind.I do have some
>>>>>> sight,though it is diminishing.I am also deaf in one ear.I don't 
>>>>>> refer to
>>>>>> my self as Deafblind as I can still hear. I just can't tell where 
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> sound is coming from.As a matter of fact, I seldom even mention that 
>>>>>> I have
>>>>>> a hearing problem.I have mentioned it on this list due to some of the
>>>>>> threds that have been discussed here. Is it the right thing to call 
>>>>>> my self
>>>>>> a legally blind person? If not, what should I say to people.I often 
>>>>>> get
>>>>>> asked if my dog is a wheelchair dog or a guide dog.They ask me, why 
>>>>>> do I
>>>>>> need a guide dog if I am using a wheelchair. I guess they think that 
>>>>>> only
>>>>>> people that can walk become blind?I actually dread talking about this 
>>>>>> as I
>>>>>> end up explaining all about how I have spinal stenosis and that is 
>>>>>> why I
>>>>>> use a wheelchair and then how I was affected by brain damage  and 
>>>>>> then
>>>>>> affected by macular degeneration, and that is why I am legally blind. 
>>>>>> Then
>>>>>> I have to explain legal blindness. I am a very private person and 
>>>>>> hate
>>>>>> answering all these questions. But some how they always ask.Some 
>>>>>> times I
>>>>>> just don't answer and then people think I am rude. All this while 
>>>>>> they are
>>>>>> usually petting my dog. How do others on this list handle this 
>>>>>> situation?
>>>>>> Mardi and Shaman and Tipton,future GDIT.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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