[NAGDU] {Spam?} Guide Dogs And Canes

[Michael Hingson]

Woe there! It sounds to me as if we should be talking about some cane users and not the long vs. short cane. Admittedly travel is tough around a convention especially with 2,000 cane users and 500 or 600 guide dog users. However, I find that most cane users, long or short canes, use them well and our interactions with them are not traumatic.
As for being the word police as the vice president of this organization it is in part my job to help keep tempers down on the list. I have not said to cut off the discussion, but rather to make sure tempers do not flare. 


Best Regards,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of S L Johnson via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2016 3:58 PM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: S L Johnson <SLJohnson25 at comcast.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] {Spam?} Guide Dogs And Canes

I have a very valid reason for hating long canes.  My little three year old golden Eva still suffers from chronic infections in her left eye after being hit by a cane at our 75th anniversary convention.  At that same convention I was tripped several times by the long canes and suffered multiple injuries. 
That isn’t good for someone like me who already had to deal with severe arthritis and multiple sclerosis.  It would be nice if the cane user’s would be more careful when around our guide dogs.  I can’t imagine ever attempting to use a cane to work with my guide dog.  Oh, by the way, Eva isn’t my first dog to be hurt by a cane, it has happened to three of my previous guides over 40 years.  Vet bills for injured dogs are very expensive and loss of vision for a guide is traumatic.  Now you know why I hate them, especially the extra long NFB canes!!!  Oh if you don’t like what a person is saying, and it is the complete truth even if you don’t want to admit it, then just hit the delete key.  Stop being word police and stopping valid conversations.  This is not comunist Russia!!!  It is the United States of America where we have the  right to free speech.

Sandra and Eva, who hates all canes!!