[nfbwatlk] the power of words

[Mike Freeman]

I agree to some extent with both you and Noel. You have chosen wise words 
below. However, as with most "mottos", there is, I contend, *no* word that 
truly would fit -- which is why I hate sloganeering of any ilk. "Educating" 
might work but it has some problems. "Promoting" may have the same problems 
as "striving". Note that in the original NFB model: Security, Equality, 
Opportunity, there was *no* verb. I suspect that Dr. tenBroek was far wiser 
than we in eschewing anything but nouns. (smile)

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Ellen" <gabias at telus.net>
To: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 12:19 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] the power of words


> The word "striving" has some of the same problems as the word "trying." 
> Both
> imply permission to fail.
> We rarely get more from life than we genuinely expect. The question for
> each of us is what our level of expectation should be.
> I might say that my child should be getting straight A's. In that case, 
> does
> the occasional B make my child a failure? On the other hand, if I tell my
> child that C minus is fine, what are my child's chances of excelling at
> school?
> We all know people who have set expectations for themselves far higher 
> than
> the expectations of their families and schools. They have not only had to
> work to reach the levels they expected of themselves; they also had to
> overcome the burden placed on them by the low expectations of others.
> We all also know people who could never enjoy success because their own
> expectations were so high that nothing they ever could do would be
> satisfactory in their own minds.
> Although both extremes are destructive, I tend to agree with Noel that our
> words shouldn't proclaim limitations or offer excuses.
> As for the question of people of differing abilities, supported living 
> might
> be a lofty goal for some students. For them, living in a group home and
> working at a job with ongoing support is as much to be celebrated as a 
> Ph.D.
> in biochemistry would be for another student. The problems arise when the
> student who could achieve a Ph.D. is steered toward a group home or the
> student who could best serve the world from a group home is not fully
> respected.
> We ask the school, and I believe we have a right to expect it, to know how
> to set the dream for each student accurately high.
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