[Nfbmo] What would you do?

Gary Wunder GWunder at earthlink.net
Thu Oct 27 12:11:52 UTC 2011


You aren't the only one who has ever had someone try to heal him because he
is blind, and not the only one who has been asked if you would let them pray
for the forgiveness of your sins so you once again might see. The issue
isn't whether some people believe it but whether it is right to paint all
churches and the people who love and try to follow God with one big brush.
Churches are human institutions and have human failings and people are upset
when you tell them that their church going friends don't really respect
them. 

  

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Dewey Bradley
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 12:36 AM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What would you do?

Well he didn't think I heard him, he was an older guy, so something has up 
set him I guess, who knows, but if you read the other posts from this list, 
I'm the only one who has ever gotten that, I'm angry
But I don't bother with people like that, its a waste of my time

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 12:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What would you do?


> Dewey,
> Sounds like that guy at the bus stop felt inferior in the presence of
> someone he felt had a lot more courage than he does.
>
> Dan
>
>
>
> In a message dated 10/26/2011 11:37:02 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
> dewey.bradley at kc.rr.com writes:
>
> I had a guy  at the bus stop the other day telling someone that if he were
> blind he  would kill him self, but that is just me being angry I guess.
>
> -----  Original Message ----- 
> From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
> To:  <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 7:27  PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What would you do?
>
>
>> There are always  a few fringey people in every  group.  Generally, it's
>>  not
>> good to elect, appoint or anoint them, much  less generalize  from their
>> poor behavior to the rest of the group.
>>   And anyone who would pray for you to get your  sight back  and call you
>> evil if you don't needs to pray to lift the  arrogance  from their soul.
>> Dan
>>
>>
>>
>>  In a message dated 10/26/2011 5:51:12 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
>>  mdsmith25 at ktis.net writes:
>>
>> I've run  across a few people  who believe that if I just pray enough my
>> blindness  will be  cured, but none that thought my blindness was caused
>> because I  was  evil.
>>
>> Melissa Smith
>>
>> On 10/26/2011  5:02 PM, Gail Bryant  wrote:
>>> Personally, I go to a wonderful  church which has supported me  in every
>> way
>>> possible.  When I've had surgery, the helped me with meals  and whatever
> I
>>> needed.  When Ed died, they prayed with me, cried   with me, laughed 
>>> with
>> me
>>> and more.   Never have  they called  me evil. I don't know where Mr.
>> Bradley
>>>  gets his figures, but perhaps  the reason he chooses not to go to
> church
>> is
>>> out of anger and   bitterness
>>>
>>> Gail Bryant
>>> Columbia Braille  Teaching  Services L.L.C.
>>> 1212 London Drive
>>>  Columbia, MO  65203-2012
>>> Phone: (573)817-5993
>>>  Cell: (573)268-4962
>>>   gbryant at socket.net
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original  Message-----
>>>  From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org  [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>>> Of Debbie  Wunder
>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 2:05  PM
>>>  To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What   would you do?
>>>
>>> You are being ridiculous! Where do you  get your  facts?
>>> This trivia night issue has nothing to do  with god, or opinions  of the
>>> blind.
>>> -----  Original Message -----
>>> From:  "Dewey  Bradley"<dewey.bradley at kc.rr.com>
>>> To: "NFB of Missouri   Mailing List"<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, October  26,  2011 9:39 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What would you   do?
>>>
>>>
>>>> I wasn't going to reply to this,  but I have to  say this
>>>> its been my experience that  churches and church groups do  this, they
> do
>>>> not want  anyone with a disability around, they just  want to tell us
>>>> that
>>>> if we pray harder we will have are  sight  back, and that we are evil,
>> that
>>>> is why we  are blind.
>>>>  They say that 95% of us don't go to church, I  don't know if the
>>>> numbers
>>>> are that high, but  this is why.
>>>> Most people  that go to church and call them  selves Christians are
>>>> judgmental  like  that.
>>>> I'm not saying don't go to church, nor am I trying  to  get a lintch 
>>>> mob
>>>> after me, I'm just saying that is  what I've  noticed, that is why I
>>>> never
>>>>  go, every church I have seen do not  want blind people  around.
>>>> I'm not saying that is the case here,  but it  could be
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message   -----
>>>> From: "MATTHEW   SIEVERT"<msievert at sbcglobal.net>
>>>> To: "NFB of  Missouri  Mailing List"<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent:  Wednesday, October 26,  2011 7:33 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo]  What would you  do?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Group,
>>>>
>>>> I hope  you are all  well.
>>>>
>>>> What I have observed is that many   times people will want to "rebel"
>>>> instead of
>>>>  remedy a  situation through other means.
>>>>
>>>>  Equality for all will  not take place over a period of one year or
> even
>> ten
>>>> years, but  you can lay the foundation  that other's can build  upon.
>>>>
>>>>  Representing a group in a negative light will  not win over
> supporters.
>> It
>>>> will
>>>> bring attention  to  the issue, but you want people understand, not
>>>>  simply
>>>>  notice
>>>> through a negative  act.
>>>>
>>>> Some day we  will have a  blind/visually impaired astronaut. Until that
>> time
>>>>  we  as
>>>> the NFB should do what we can to build upon  our  organization's
>>>> achievements and
>>>>  represent our disabled  community in a positive  light.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Equality at   trivia night's should be obtained, but like all
> challenges,
>>  it
>>>>  will
>>>> take time and a calm  intellect.
>>>>
>>>> Matt   Sievert
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   ________________________________
>>>> From: fred   olver<goodfolks at charter.net>
>>>> To: NFB of Missouri  Mailing  List<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wed, October  26, 2011 7:41:12  AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] What would you  do?
>>>>
>>>>   Gary,
>>>>
>>>> I have read your comments several times  and  perhapse even lost some
>> sleep
>>>> over what I  consider to be an  afrontery to me and others who might
> wish
>>  to
>>>> participate in an  activity alongside individuals who  are not limited
> in
>>>> their   vision.
>>>>
>>>> Let me say first of all that a year  ago I  confronted this situation
> and
>>>> explained to the  individuals in  charge that I felt wronged because
> half
>>  of
>>>> the questions were  undeciferable by myself. Okay,  they didn't know I
>>>> was
>>>> going to be   there. This year, however nearly a third of the questions
>>  were
>>>>  again undeciferable by a blind person. It is my  feeling that if the
>> folks
>>>> in
>>>> charge  know that individuals will be  participating who are unable  to
>>>> participate in a significant  number of questions  related to the
>>>> activity
>>>> that they not  allow  those questions. To me, the reasons ought to be
>>>>  very
>>>> obvious. If  you alienate a significant number of  individuals you 
>>>> won't
>> get
>>>>  them to come back next  year. If you knowingly allow questions to be a
>> part
>>>> of  an activity which you know will exclude individuals from
>>  participating
>>>> then you are wrong to include them. If for  example I  only provide
>> agenda's
>>>> in Braille to  individuals who don't read  Braille then I am wrong to 
>>>> do
>>  so,
>>>> because I have ignored their   needs.
>>>>
>>>> Bottom line, I'm feeling ignored. Next  year, I  think I'll find seven
>> other
>>>> individuals  who can not make use of  visual questions and attend the
>>>>  same
>>>> fundraiser and practice a bit  of civil  disobedience.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Fred   Olver
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From:  "Gary  Wunder"<GWunder at earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "'NFB of  Missouri Mailing  List'"<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent:  Tuesday, October 25, 2011  5:53 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo]  What would you  do?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>  Hi Fred and the folks who have  commented here. Please allow me  to
>>>>> interject
>>>>>  another  perspective. I find this troublesome philosophically. When I
>>  can
>>>>> have access and am denied it because someone doesn't  want  to go to
> the
>>>>> trouble of making their software  accessible, I'm  up in arms. When
> they
>>>>>  use
>>>>> artificial barriers  such as possessing a  driver's license when what
>> they
>>>>> mean is  that  an employee has to get around, I'm bothered. When they
>> say   I
>>>>> have to be able to visually read print to take a job and  I  have a
>> machine
>>>>> to
>>>>> do  it, I'm  outraged.
>>>>>
>>>>> How is the  issue changed when we  know of no way to make a process
> 100
>>>>> percent accessible? I  don't want to deprive  anyone of the beauty
> found
>> in
>>>>> paintings  or  photography simply because I can't observe them. I
>>>>>   understand
>>>>> there are some cartoons that are so torturous  to  explain that by the
>> time
>>>>> one finishes  putting them into words,  they are no longer  funny.
>>>>>
>>>>> Mental challenges  may be  audible, visual, or they might even involve
>>>>>   other
>>>>> senses such as taste or smell. If we look hard  enough,  we'll find
>> people
>>>>>  who
>>>>> have problems with one  or more of these. So, in  the areas where we
>> don't
>>>>> have true   alternatives, should our request be that the thing we
> cannot
>>  do
>>>>> be
>>>>> stricken from the activity?  Would we  have been wrong to run a clip 
>>>>> of
>>>>>  Henry
>>>>>  Kissinger saying "Piece is at hand," and  asking the group to 
>>>>> identify
>> the
>>>>> man or what he  was talking about or the year when he made  the
>>  utterance?
>>>>> The
>>>>> blind are at something  of a  disadvantage because we cannot see him.
>>>>>  The
>>>>>  deaf
>>>>> are at a disadvantage  because they cannot hear him. The  young may
> well
>>  be
>>>>> at
>>>>> a disadvantage because   they weren't around when he made headlines
> with
>>>>>   that
>>>>> statement, much to the displeasure of his boss,  the  president of the
>>>>> United
>>>>>  States. Take the same  question, put it in print, and then decide if
> it
>> is
>>>>> fair to  the dyslexic who might have an  easy time with the audio or
> the
>>>>>   video
>>>>> clip.
>>>>>
>>>>> I  Don't like being  excluded, and if I am excluded enough, I'll  find
>>>>>  another
>>>>> activity. It hurts  and seems unfair, but to me it  doesn't rise to 
>>>>> the
>>>>>  level
>>>>> of discrimination  which, if I understand it,  means something which 
>>>>> is
>>>>>  both
>>>>>  unreasonable and detrimental. I don't think we can be  critical  of
>> people
>>>>> using sight and acknowledging that it  plays  a major role in the way
>> they
>>>>> find and  even remember things.  What we can and should make an
>>  unequivocal
>>>>> stand for are  things which have  nonvisual alternatives but which are
>>>>>   ignored
>>>>> to the detriment of our education and   employment.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do not mean this as a  real  answer to the question of what should I
>>  do,
>>>>>  but
>>>>> as a thought process we  go through when trying to decide  when to
> fight
>>>>>  and
>>>>> what we can reasonably fight  for as blind  people. I am not targeting
>> Fred
>>>>> here but  trying  to engage in some discussion of a philosophical
>>  principle
>>>>> that  I wrestle with at least two or three  times per month. I
>> appreciate
>>>>>  the
>>>>> question, even if I don't have  anything like a  good answer.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>   -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From:  nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org  [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org]  On
>>>>> Behalf
>>>>> Of  fred  olver
>>>>> Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 8:45   AM
>>>>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
>>>>>  Subject:  [Nfbmo] What would you  do?
>>>>>
>>>>> A year ago, I  attended a  Trivia Night put on by a food pantry in the
>>  St.
>>>>>  Louis area. This pantry is supported by my  church along with 
>>>>> several
>>>>>  others.
>>>>> After the night's program was  over, half of  the categories being
>>>>> visual
>>>>>  in
>>>>>  nature so that a blind person could not  participate in that portion
>>>>> of
>>>>>  the
>>>>> program I wrote an item for my churches   news-letter and sent it on 
>>>>> to
>> the
>>>>> director of  the  organization. In this item I pointed out that it was
>>   not
>>>>> fair  or necessary to include only video-type  questions and asked
> that
>>>>> they
>>>>>  do, in the future consider having  categories which were non-video 
>>>>> in
>> the
>>>>> future. I received  assurances from  the director of the organization
>> that
>>>>> indeed   they would do this.
>>>>>
>>>>> Last Friday, I  attended  their Trivia Nighht again. True, only  two
>>>>>  categories
>>>>> of questions were  video in nature, however these  two categories
>>  included
>>>>> roughly 1/3 of the questions.  Yesterday at  a meeting of a church
>>>>> committee
>>>>>   I
>>>>> suggested that they with-hold two weeks worth of  donations  and that
>> these
>>>>> donations go to  another organization as a  protest, the rest of the
>>>>>  committee
>>>>> said no to  this idea, sighting the  possibility that a family might
>>>>>  have
>>>>>  to
>>>>> do without this food, I  personally doubt it, and figure  they're just
>>>>>  to
>>>>> comfortable in their place and don't wish to   because it doesn't
> affect
>>>>> them,
>>>>> so  what would  you do if you were in my place? This really upsets 
>>>>> me,
>>>>>  especially since I had spoken to this  organization a year ago and
>>>>> they
>>>>>  had
>>>>> more or less agreed that this was not  a good  thing to have happen.
>>>>>
>>>>> Fred   Olver
>>>>> http://www.dealingwithvisionloss.com For some of us  it's  a way of
> life
>>>>> and
>>>>> for some  of us it just makes  life easier. Fred Olver
>>>>>   _______________________________________________
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