[nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising

Sun Sep 5 13:25:53 UTC 2010

I have had the same experience carrying a cane in one hand and giving money 
to a sighted panhandler from the other. I too, have also gotten people food 
and gotten to know them as well. with my social work and legal background I 
am also able to give them needed referrals as well at times. Much of my 
social work experience was doing outreach on the streets to the homeless and 
I got very positive reactions from many of the homeless people that I worked 
with because my blindness  was something they could relate to in that I was 
a positive role model for many of them. The fact that I didn't see them 
visually and judge them by physical appearances in many cases made it easier 
for them to trust me when I was working with them. At some point I always 
asked coworkers to physically describe certain people so that I would have 
an idea of their appearances any features that I would miss.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 8:54 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Question of Philosophy- fund raising


> 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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