[nfbwatlk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] FW: Fort Worth reporter comments ondiscrimination fromher perspective.

Wed Dec 17 20:13:00 UTC 2008

Hi, All,

I did not see the skit, and we certainly do not need that kind of negative press.  However, maybe it will encourage Paterson to get some alternative skills.

Alco

-----Original Message-----
From: blindjedi at clearwire.net
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 12:11 AM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] FW: Fort Worth reporter comments	ondiscrimination fromher perspective.

That's really interesting. I don't know how many of you check on the
NABS list, but there's been some interesting back and forth on the
issue of the SNL skit. The general consensus seems to be that the
NFB's press release was a little over the top in criticising SNL for
the Paterson skit. In general, it sounds like most on the NABS list
feel we've got bigger problems and that equality sometimes means
getting made fun of just like anyone else. In general most people on
NABS list who have commented seem to think that the skit was more
directed toward Paterson's personal life than his blindness. As for
me, I disagree. I think that the skit, in light of "blindness," didn't
help our situation much. The skit did show the blind Paterson as a bit
of an idiot. While blindness wasn't the key factor gaining attention
in the skit, it certainly added to what could be called their picture
of Paterson's incompetence all around. Most of the blindness jokes
were visually based; he was groping and disoriented, and he apparently
squinted a lot. The upside down graph and the joke about disabled
people being a little off was more or less a small part of the jokes
made toward the disabled. While I doubt any serious harm was meant by
the skit (just as with "Blindness"), it certainly isn't going to help
matters for the blind any time soon. In order for something to be
perceived as funny, the viewer of the comedy has to believe somewhere
that there's some truth to the joke.

On 12/16/08, Lauren Merryfield <lauren1 at catliness.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> Liz Campbell grew up in Nebraska.  I knew her when she was six years old.
> Wow!
> Thanks
> Lauren
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "NFB of Washington Talk" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 8:57 PM
> Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [Nfbc-info] FW: Fort Worth reporter comments
> ondiscrimination fromher perspective.
>
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "tina thomas " <tinadt at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "NFB of California List" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:59 PM
>> Subject: [Nfbc-info] FW: Fort Worth reporter comments on discrimination
>> fromher perspective.
>>
>>
>> Subject: Fort Worth reporter comments on discrimination from her
>> perspective.
>>
>>
>>
>> From Fort Worth:
>>
>> HYPERLINK
>> "http://www.star-telegram.com/189/story/1094846.html"http://www.star--telegr
>> am.-com/189/story/-1094846.html
>>
>> Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
>> Posted on Mon, Dec. 15, 2008
>>
>> First person: "I am glad the Star-Telegram chose to ignore negative
>> stereotypes when I was hired"
>>
>> Elizabeth Campbell
>> HYPERLINK "mailto:liz%40star-telegram.com"liz at star-telegram.-com
>> Editor's note: Elizabeth Campbell has been a reporter at the
>> "Star-Telegram"
>> since 1984. She covers government affairs, focusing on Parker and
>> Johnson
>> counties,
>> as well as surrounding cities. She is president of the National
>> Federation
>> of the Blind chapter in Fort Worth and has founded a group for blind
>> journalists
>> throughout the world. She works with a Seeing Eye dog, Gabe.
>>
>> This weekend's "Saturday Night Live" skit portraying New York Gov. David
>> Paterson, who is legally blind, as an incompetent, bumbling idiot is an
>> unfair,
>> condescending slap in the face to the disabled in the United States.
>>
>> The skit comes on the heels of the movie, "Blindness," which is based on
>> a
>> novel that depicts blind people as demented, cruel thugs when a
>> mysterious
>> disease
>> strikes a city.
>>
>> These depictions bring forth stereotypes that blind people have battled
>> for
>> years.
>>
>> Is it fair to poke fun at people who face an unemployment rate of 70
>> percent
>> or higher, and a high poverty rate at a time when our economy is in dire
>> straights?
>>
>> Is it fair to make fun of a governor who was thrust into a difficult
>> job,
>> and who now must make the difficult choice of whom he will appoint to
>> fill
>> Sen.
>> Hillary Clinton's seat, just because he is blind?
>>
>> I consider myself to be very fortunate because I was given a chance to
>> demonstrate that I can work alongside my sighted colleagues as a
>> newspaper
>> reporter.
>>
>> I am glad the "Star-Telegram" chose to ignore negative stereotypes and
>> images when I was hired.
>>
>> Is it fair that the blind and disabled may not be given a chance to
>> prove
>> what we can do because people get their information from a late-night TV
>> show
>> or films that reach a wide audience?
>>
>> At a time when President-elect Barack Obama is reaching out to include
>> the
>> disabled in policy-making and planning for his new administration, let's
>> not
>> get sidetracked by petty, mean-spirited depictions that serve no
>> purpose.
>>
>> Everyone deserves a chance for success.
>>
>> Star-Telegram.-com
>>
>>
>>
>> __._,_.___
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-- 
Respectfully,
Jedi

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