[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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