[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

Larry D. Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net
Thu Mar 29 00:51:08 UTC 2012 

Just teasing from a midwesterner!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicole B. Torcolini at Home" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness


> LOL, and exactly what was that supposed to mean?
>
> ----- 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: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 4:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>
>
>> 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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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
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