[Nfbmo] How to deal with well-intentioned sighted folks?

[Gail Bryant]

Just say thank you and live the life you want.

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 [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Garcia via
Nfbmo
Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2015 3:54 PM
To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'
Cc: Daniel Garcia
Subject: [Nfbmo] How to deal with well-intentioned sighted folks?

I apologize in advance if this venue is not the appropriate place for the
following rant.

I am sure that some of you have received from your friends or family members
articles about blind or partially sighted people recovering part or all of
their eye sight due to some miraculous new procedure. I recently received
such an article. This one is about an 80-year old fellow from England who
recovered part of his sight when the so-called "bionic eye" was implanted in
him. I don't know about you, but I do not want to become a member of the
Borg Collective just to gain some marginal eye sight. If there were some
miraculous cure that could possibly give me back some or all of my eyesight,
I would certainly do my homework and weigh the risks and benefits of such a
"cure." 

But as much as medical science is advancing, there is no guarantee that this
supposed cure will ever come along. Meanwhile I have a life to live and I
won't be sitting around waiting, hoping and praying for this miracle. It is
respectable to be blind and to use the alternative techniques of blindness
to live a normal life. I guess all this is my fault for not doing a good
enough job of explaining Federation philosophy to those who are not members
of the NFB. But this begs the question, should I even bother to explain and
risk conflicts and further misunderstanding? I am sure some sighted folks
may say that all this is a defense mechanism, that we don't really believe
this and that if given a chance we would jump at being sighted. Should I
just thank them for their article and move on then?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Best Regards

Daniel



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