[Nfbc-info] Letter to the Bee: Help get the word out onattacksonthe blind/visually impaired

Thu Sep 3 23:35:39 UTC 2009

        Let me second that. Great Job Angela.  Having worked closely with 
Dianne you have the ability to quite eloquently address issues from her 
direct perspective.
Of course it's not just her perspective it is ours.
The thing is some people misinterpret our call for stiff penalties They 
argue that well, if you truly want equality why such a call "seems you want 
it both ways" and they usually will take the position Eric suggests.
I don't know if some one with legalese might want to address this question 
from that prospective.
Brian notes in his update that a special attorney is working the case who is 
an expert in protecting "vulnerable populations.
We want to send the message loud and clear that society will not tolerate 
abuse and exploitation of anyone with a disability.
This is a very important message whether the aslant is a mugger with a log 
hitting Dianne from behind or a greedy relative who is stealing and misusing 
someone's SSI because they can.
But if promoted the wrong way this can actually become proof to illiterate 
uneducated drug dependent members of our society that blind folks are easy 
targets.
The very people you want to get the message we will punish you to the 
fullest instead get the idea that the only thing Web did was handle things 
stupidly and of course they could do things differently.
Perhaps for example they might obscure the view by choosing the different 
time Eric proposed by attacking earlier or later or they might do a better 
job of isolating their victim.

Those discussions or thoughts won't bee seen in the press.  The idea that 
someone would be even thinking that way is repulsive and would give most of 
us the chills.
I remember when I was in my early twenties one of my "friends" was hanging 
around some not so nice people.
At a party or somewhere he, or someone he knew heard discussion by a guy 
they had tagging along with them from new York.  He was making plans to do 
something similar to me on the first of the month so he could "get my check"
Someone gave him a very stern warning and it never happened thank God but my 
point is there are some losers who really aren't very nice people.
They think nothing of invading a house, knocking down an elderly lady and 
taking her purse, attacking a blind woman from behind, luring a blind lady 
with a dog in to a trailer raping her and stealing the dog, or as in what 
would've been my case hitting a blind guy in the head with a pipe and 
stealing his wallet.
Many times in fact what appear to be random acts of violence aren't some 
times the perpetrator actually stocks the victim in advance and chooses what 
they perceive as  the best target sometimes from amongst social circles they 
run in sometimes family members and sometimes just daily observation.

Unfortunately we have those elements in society.
Eric is right that we each need to be alert and not deliberately put 
ourselves in a bad situation if it's unnecessary to do so. But this is true 
of everyone in society.
While I like many of you call for the stiffest penalties possible especially 
because I am a member of the organized blind and I applaud the district 
attorneys handling of the case I fear discussions with some friends who will 
just become more protective because in their mind this only highlights that 
blind people are more in danger than they are.
If I have a company in a "bad area" I might now be less likely to expose the 
blind applicant so I will refuse to hire him or her.I don't want to feel bad 
or be responsible if something like this happens.
Reading Eric's letter from a blind man in the Sacramento Bee I may be more 
convinced than ever--after all this is what blind people think and it proves 
what I all ready believe.

"I used to complain because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no 
feet."
So it's an issue we wrestle with.  How do we have it both ways equality and 
special protection?
Many of our leaders argue this same position contending even though blind 
people as a class have less money than the general population living below 
the poverty level we should not have "discounted or removed fares because of 
our disability. We can't be equal if we act unequal.
 Taking that logic a step further we can't say how wonderfully independent 
we are in one breath while screaming helpless disadvantaged in the next 
breath.
That confuses employers and service providers such as the airlines who say 
keep that person out of the exit rows or don't worry we will take care of 
you.
If blind people are so vulnerable I might argue is it safe to let them have 
or take care of children?  What if some one wants to snag the kids the poor 
blind person wouldn't even know what to do.
Truthfully, no matter who was sitting at the bus stop if they weren't paying 
really close attention or looking behind they would've been just as 
vulnerable as Diane was most likely.

So how do we wrestle with these questions as individuals or as a movement?
Remember the three components Maslow's higherarchy security, equality 
opportunity!
>From the right to be safe to the right to be free to the right of self 
actualization!
I don't intend to attack Eric specifically on this list serve but I want us 
to wrestle with the questions and if we can clarify the delimit.
that's why in my first effort I choose to use a more comical approach just 
to get wheels turning.
These are most likely very similar to equality questions every civil rights 
movement must tackle whether it be women's suffrage with Susan BE. Anthony, 
or the various racial movements beginning with liberation of the blacks from 
slavery.  Through the ages equality and opportunity have brought much debate 
one quick example should women's suffrage include abolition of the use of 
alcohol?
Many in the early part of the last century said yes!
Looking at the bigger picture with regards to protection of blind people, 
what do you think?
Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net>
To: "NFB of California List" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Letter to the Bee: Help get the word out 
onattacksonthe blind/visually impaired

> Very nicely put Angela.
> As the father of a blind almost-teen & a blind child, I agree with what 
> you have so nicely expressed.
> Thank you.
>
> Dear Dianne,
> Best wishes from our family as well.
> Sincerely,
> DrV
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Angela fowler" <fowlers at syix.com>
> To: "'NFB of California List'" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 09:49
> Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Letter to the Bee: Help get the word out on 
> attacksonthe blind/visually impaired
>
>
>> Dear Eric,
>> The vicious attack on Dianne Starin, who is a close friend of mine
>> as well as a true federationists, has brought home the very real danger
>> which faces all of us who travel independently on the streets of our 
>> inner
>> cities. It is natural at a time like this that our minds be turned to the
>> question, how do we ensure that something like this doesn't happen to
>> another of our brothers and sisters, or to ourselves. I can understand 
>> the
>> feelings which lead you to write to the Sacramento Bee advising your 
>> fellow
>> blind and visually impaired people on how to protect themselves from 
>> violent
>> crime. I'm deeply concerned however, that your letter advises an excess 
>> of
>> caution which is impossible to achieve while reinforcing the negative
>> stereotypes about blind people which the NFB has been fighting for 
>> decades.
>> To summarize a couple of your points, you would have us avoid
>> traveling out of doors after 7 PM, and avoid "areas where we might be
>> vulnerable" all together. In short, this is impossible. Many of us work 
>> or
>> take classes later in the day which necessitates traveling home after 7 
>> PM.
>> Would you have us eliminate these important things from our lives in the
>> name of caution? Also, few of us can afford to live in gated communities 
>> and
>> hire transportation all the time, and these days "areas where we might be
>> vulnerable" are virtually impossible to avoid.
>> More important than the logistical concerns I have about your advice, it
>> sends a message of fear and vulnerability which scares me more than he
>> undeniable dangers which are present on the mean streets of the cities. 
>> It
>> reinforces the idea that blind people are helpless and in need of 
>> protection
>> by sighted society. Of particular concern to me is the following point 
>> from
>> your letter:
>>
>> "Finally, do not go in places where you may be vulnerable.  This includes
>> bus stops in gang-related areas.  If you must be there, look for sighted
>> assistance from prompt personnel.  Do not attempt to ignore orders, if an
>> attack happens."
>> Federationists, Dianne Starin prominently among them, have worked 
>> tirelessly
>> to build within the blindness community the confidence that we can travel
>> independently from place to place, and the security within ourselves that 
>> we
>> can protect ourselves from potential danger so that we are no less
>> vulnerable than our sighted counterparts. Federationists have also worked 
>> to
>> educate society so that they do not see us as victims or potential 
>> victims,
>> but as people equally capable of competing and succeeding in the world in
>> which we live today. I fear your letter counteracts both these efforts. 
>> It
>> strikes fear into the hearts of blind people, and labels us as "victims" 
>> in
>> the minds of sighted society. It goes against the very things which 
>> Dianne
>> Starin has worked all her life to achieve.
>> Eric, there's a certain element of danger in all that we do, from
>> walking down the street to cooking to breathing the very air. We exercise
>> caution where it is feasible, but we can't let it dominate our way of 
>> life.
>> We can't live our lives in fear, wrapping ourselves within a cocoon to
>> insolate ourselves from life's dangers. Though your intentions I know are
>> good, and your fear for yourself and others is understandable, I urge you 
>> to
>> reconsider sending your letter to the Sacramento Bee.
>> With deepest sincerity
>> Angela Fowler
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>> On
>> Behalf Of Eric Calhoun
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 5:10 PM
>> To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org; letters at sacbee.com
>> Subject: [Nfbc-info] Letter to the Bee: Help get the word out on attacks
>> onthe blind/visually impaired
>>
>> Eric Calhoun
>>
>> 5341 Brynhurst Ave.,
>>
>> Los Angeles, CA 90043
>>
>> 323-295-5750
>>
>> To The Editor:
>>
>> My friends from the National Federation of the Blind of California's 
>> Board
>> of Directors, the Sacramento Chapters of the NFB of California, and 
>> everone
>> else were very appalled to learn that Diane Starin was attacked by Joseph
>> Webb, (Our Region, Saturday.)  I would like to offer a few tips for all
>> blind/visually-impaired residents:
>>
>> 1.  Try and do all your activities before 7 P.M.
>>
>> 2.  Whenever possible, carry around an alarm, a cellular phone, and a
>> whistle.  (Life-Alert will do.)
>>
>> 3.  If an attack is unprovoked, yell, and attract attention, and notify
>> authorities immediately!
>>
>> Finally, do not go in places where you may be vulnerable.  This includes 
>> bus
>> stops in gang-related areas.  If you must be there, look for sighted
>> assistance from prompt personnel.  Do not attempt to ignore orders, if an
>> attack happens.
>>
>> Eric Calhoun, (Blind), Los Angeles
>> --
>>
>> --
>>
>> Don't get caught offsides!   Get into the game!  The way it was meant to
>> be played!  The game of life: over the limit, under scrutiny!
>>
>> Eric from Los Angeles
>>
>>
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