[Nfbmo] Blindness is not a gimmick

Tue Oct 4 03:27:20 UTC 2016

I agree with Roger here.  The "How We See It" campaign is a riff on  the 
ice bucket challenge from a year or so back - one that was very successful  in 
getting information on ALS into the public consciousness.  "How We  See It 
is not so much a gimmick as a PR stunt that reveals woeful ignorance on  
blindness.

    The campaign commercial you cite is a reference to a  very old cliche'  
- I know that so well I can do it blindfolded" - or in  other words,  
something you've done so many times you can do it by  feel.
     The ad has nothing whatsoever to do with blindness  or blind people.  
The only thing offensive about it is the same thing  that's offensive about 
all political ads - there are too many of them and  they're pretty much 
useless in telling us anything about a candidate or an  issue.  
    Pretty much everybody ties their shoes without using  their eyes, but 
taking apart and reassembling a gun?   I  certainly hope that's not an 
everyday skill for most people!
Dan

Roger sums up the message well - he's calling out his candidates claims of 

In a message dated 10/3/2016 11:49:22 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
nfbmo at nfbnet.org writes:

I agree  whole heartedly with the message you shared, Daniel.  The only 
thing that  I do not necessarily agree with is the fact that the ad run by the 
Senate  candidate is belittling to the blind.  I think what is missing in 
the  context of the message of the ad is that he is a veteran and war vet.   
Part of the training for soldiers include being able to assemble and break  
down the assault rifle blindfolded because you never know what situation you  
will find yourself in.  The other candidate has been running a campaign  
claiming that he is anti-gun and wants to take all the guns away.  The  other 
candidate claims to be a big proponent of guns.  So, I think that  the 
purpose of the ad was to highlight the skill gained in his training and  voice 
that he believes in the rights of gun owners but wants to keep those  kind of 
weapons out of the hands of criminals.  He did make the comment  that he 
wanted to see the other candidate do that, but I think that was more  of a 
display of bravado th
an the blindfold.  So, I can see how this  can be perceived as being a 
"look, I can even do it blindfolded."  But, I  really believe that it was a 
display of the training he has received and the  respect he possesses for the 
weapon.

Of course, the above is only my  opinion.  Very well put sir.
Roger

-----Original  Message-----
From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of  Daniel Garcia 
via Nfbmo
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2016 9:07 PM
To: NFB  of Missouri Mailing List
Cc: Daniel Garcia
Subject: [Nfbmo] Blindness is  not a gimmick

In the Imagineering Our Future newsletter that came out  today from 
President Riccobono there is a citation:
"We have a very  personal interest in publicity about us, and we will tell 
the story as it  truly is. We are a part of this society, and we expect to 
be welcomed within  it, not made the butt of somebody else's so-called humor."
- Dr. Marc  Maurer "The Power of Belonging." 2013 NFB National Convention, 
Orlando,  Florida, July 6, 2013.

Not only is the How We See It Campaign harmful,  but in Missouri there is a 
candidate for U.S. Senate who is running an ad in  which he is assembling a 
gun with a blindfold on. I sincerely believe that  this add belittles the 
blind. This kind of gimmick promotes the idea that  blind people are 
"amazing" because they can assemble a gun, tie their shoe, or  even cross the street 
without eyesight. The May, 2015 Braille Monitor has an  article titled 
"Blind People and talking Dogs." The author Dick Davis makes  the point that 
people consider blind people to be similar to talking dogs in  the sense that 
if a dog said something, people would not care what it said,  but they would 
be amazed that it said something at all. And so it is with the  blind, the 
fact that blind people can do every day things with alternative  techniques 
of blindness strikes some people as "amazing."

No, I am not  a big fan of extreme political correctness, but we do have a 
first amendment  right to firmly express our disagreement and to further 
explain why we  disagree. 

Best Regards

Daniel  Garcia

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