[nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising

[qubit]

There are still sighted "pan handlers" asking strangers for money in the big 
cities.  It is actually a big problem that a blind person wouldn't see and 
which I wouldn't have known about unless my friends and family told about 
them.  (Sure, they are in the news, but people pass them commuting to work.)
What one friend of mine said about the problem in NY is that rather than 
hand them cash, which he knew might go for drugs or alcohol, he would 
sometimes invite one to join him for a meal at McDonald's. Then he would get 
the know the person.
Anyway, with all the support available nowadays, a blind person would be 
less likely to end up on the street than a sighted person with less 
identifiable problems.
It's kind of funny -- in the condo where we lived in NC a few years ago, 
there were panhandlers lined up near the intersection nearby.  One of them 
came up to the car and asked for money (not a scary guy, just someone with a 
problem).  I gave him something for a meal.  So I had the white cane and he 
was taking the money.   Kind of a strange twist that is not unusual in this 
crazy society.
--le





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 9:53 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising


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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