[nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising

[Mike Freeman]

And I'd bet most Americans don't remember blind persons running newsstands, 
either. I remember!

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Bullis" <mabullis at hotmail.com>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising


> One thing that occurs to me is that we're several generations in America
> away from the 1930's when begging was seen as a large activity among blind
> people.  The Randolph-Sheppard program was started as an alternative to 
> that
> activity.
> Most Americans have never seen blind people regularly begging as a part of
> their community so don't necessarily equate blindness with begging.  Those
> of us born in the 50's were still close enough to relate and certainly 
> there
> is a strong flavor of blindness and begging in American and other
> literature.
>
> So, it may be that those of us who are older are more sensitive than 
> younger
> people about an image that has for the most part not been a part of our
> culture for two or three generations.
> I just read the annual publication by Beloit College on the mindset of the
> students who are starting college today.
> Perhaps one of them should be:
> "for this generation blind people have never been beggars."
> Mike Bullis
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Drenth, Joe
> Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 11:10 AM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising
>
> Hello all,
>
> There are at least two reasons why someone would financially support a
> cause or individual:
>
> 1. Pity -- The person or group is incapable of providing for
> himself/herself/themselves.  Weakness, dependence, and inability to
> survive without assistance are emphasized to invoke compassion and
> possibly guilt.  This is begging.
>
> 2. Cooperation -- The cause represented by the person or group is a
> worthy one, and contributions to further its programs is a way of
> showing agreement with the work being done.  Financial support is given
> to encourage those on the front lines and to further the reach of the
> efforts.
> Information about those who are directly helped through the financial
> support can be provided as evidence of the good and just purposes of the
> cause, such as statistics about children who are at risk of being
> illiterate without proper Braille training.
>
> Setting up a table to raise funds could be done in such a way that it
> leans in either one of these directions, but I think the second approach
> more adequately matches the philosophy of the NFB.
>
>
> Best regards.
>
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