[nfb-talk] what sometimes happens to new federationists

Mon Apr 25 14:27:14 UTC 2011

I appreciate your well-thought-out observation and basically, I agree with 
you.

Please check out the link below and help blind people in your local area 
achieve their dreams by visiting
http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
Thank you.

Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world. Integrity is 
what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one is paying 
attention.
Sherri Brun
flmom2006 at gmail.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "T. Joseph Carter" <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] what sometimes happens to new federationists

> Sherri,
>
> That formerly sighted person could not be more wrong, and more right at 
> the same time.  The alternative techniques work about as well as the 
> visual ones in the long run.  Sometimes they are superior, and others they 
> are inferior.  It's a wash really, but if you count only those that are 
> not as effective as a working pair of eyes, then you can have a skewed 
> perception based entirely upon (selective) facts.
>
> As to the use of visual techniques when the sleepshade comes off, again 
> that's partly true.  I use a lot of non-visual techniques because they 
> free up my eyes for whatever good they may do me when I can.
>
> Take navigating an airport for example.  In several airports, I can spot a 
> sign visually and even read it as I pass under it.  But not if I am 
> watching where I'm going!  But then, I have a cane, and I'm very good with 
> it.  So, I let my cane and my ears manage the basic task of navigating and 
> use my eyes as a sighted person would to help me navigate a little faster.
>
> Can I do it without vision?  Not only can I do it, I HAVE done it!  You 
> need to stop and ask directions a little more if you can't read the signs, 
> so it isn't quite as efficient when you need to get there quickly.  But 
> you can do it quite effectively all the same.
>
> Joseph
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 24, 2011 at 01:59:11PM -0400, Sherri wrote:
>>Mike, what really bothers me about all this is that formerly sighted 
>>friends of mine say the blind will never be equal and that those of us who 
>>have never been sighted have that misplaced attitude because we have not 
>>lived in the sighted world. People of this mindset also state that to 
>>expect a partially sighted person to function in training circumstances as 
>>a totally blind person is unrealistic and ineffective since that person 
>>will just go back to his former techniques once the sleep shades are off. 
>>Again, these people claim that this is the unrealistic attitude of the 
>>totally blind-never sighted people who lead the NFB.
>>
>>Sherri
>>Please check out the link below and help blind people in your local area 
>>achieve their dreams by visiting
>>http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
>>Thank you.
>>
>>Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world. Integrity 
>>is what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one is 
>>paying attention.
>>Sherri Brun
>>flmom2006 at gmail.com
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>>To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2011 1:27 PM
>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] what sometimes happens to new federationists
>>
>>
>>>Sherri et al:
>>>
>>>Let us remember that in that same speech, "The Nature of Independence", 
>>>Dr.
>>>Jernigan talked about the three phases of
>>>blindness-consciousness-development.  He maintained that everyone hat to 
>>>go
>>>through "rebellious independence" before coming to "normal independence".
>>>It is analogous to use of sleep-shades by the partially-sighted.  We
>>>advocate this because they learn to function as totally-blind persons so
>>>that if their sight decreases or isn't efficient for certain tasks, they
>>>know they can function as blind persons and that this need not connote
>>>inferiority.  In like fashion, we probably have to learn to function as
>>>"rebelliously-independent" persons in order to gain the knowledge and
>>>self-confidence to be able to accept help when that is most efficient yet
>>>function without it when it is not available or desirable.
>>>
>>>Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>Behalf Of Sherri
>>>Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2011 8:52 AM
>>>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] what sometimes happens to new federationists
>>>
>>>Ray I totally agree with you. When I first joined the NFB,  way back in
>>>ancient times, I was I would say militant. I took my straight cane
>>>"everywhere" got on and off planes before anyone else and basically 
>>>refused
>>>any help. I thought that to truly embrace the philosophy of the NFB meant 
>>>to
>>>decline any kind of help from anyone. Several years later, I read The 
>>>Nature
>>>of Independence by Dr. Jernigan. It changed how I felt about NFB and 
>>>about
>>>blindness and the way I acted toward others. I have a much more "fair and
>>>balanced" attitude about blindness today.
>>>
>>>Sherri
>>>
>>>Please check out the link below and help blind people in your local area
>>>achieve their dreams by visiting
>>>http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
>>>Thank you.
>>>
>>>Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world. Integrity 
>>>is
>>>
>>>what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one is paying
>>>attention.
>>>Sherri Brun
>>>flmom2006 at gmail.com
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
>>>To: "Jeanette Fortin" <jeanette at fortin-home.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing List"
>>><nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2011 12:47 AM
>>>Subject: [nfb-talk] what sometimes happens to new federationists
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Okay.  Perhaps it is time to change the subject line.
>>>>
>>>>Jeanette, in your message, you say, in part, "instead of being happy for
>>>>folks who have the opportunity to gain vision it seems sometimes folks 
>>>>are
>>>
>>>>angry about  it acting like it is a slam to blind folks".
>>>>
>>>>Aint that the truth.  To speak frankly, I think it's the consequence of
>>>>missplaced anger.  That's the very same missplaced anger that makes some
>>>>federationists say that blind people, (or sighted for that matter)
>>>>shouldn't laugh at anything blindness related.  Shouldn't laugh?  That's
>>>>not normal; and, that's another discussion too.  It's one I tried to 
>>>>start
>>>
>>>>some time back; but, as I recall, no one wanted to touch the subject.
>>>>Don't know why.
>>>>
>>>>Well, let's be honest with ourselves and each other shall we?  The 
>>>>simple
>>>>truth is this.  When some people, (not all mind you), find the 
>>>>federation,
>>>
>>>>they are so relieved, they begin eating, sleeping and breathing it.  The
>>>>federation becomes the very defenition of their lives.  They take
>>>>themselves so seriously that they lash out at anyone who doesn't
>>>>immediately adopt their thinking.  Those poor souls who get the short 
>>>>end
>>>>of that stick realize how much the blind person in question has changed
>>>>and no longer want anything to do with them.  So, what happens is that
>>>>they then break off.  That's how new federationist tend to lose friends.
>>>>I know.  I saw it happen.  It almost happened to me that way.  Then, 
>>>>what
>>>>tends to happen with the new federationist is that they get angry 
>>>>because
>>>>the world doesn't understand things the way they do.  Mind you, not 
>>>>every
>>>>new federationist goes through this; but, some do.  This anger becomes
>>>>badkly misplaced and they take themselves so seriously that nobody wants
>>>>even to be around them anymore.
>>>>Sincerely,
>>>>The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>>
>>>>Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>>>>Skype name:
>>>>barefootedray
>>>>
>>>>Facebook:
>>>>facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1
>>>>
>>>>On Apr 23, 2011, at 5:49 PM, Jeanette Fortin wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>instead of being happy for folks who have the opportunity to gain 
>>>>>vision
>>>>>it seems sometimes folks are angry about  it acting like it is a slam 
>>>>>to
>>>>>blind folks
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>com
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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