[stylist] question

[John Lee Clark]

Judith:

There is nothing wrong with trying to succeed out there AS A BLIND person.
I feel there is something wrong if someone tries to succeed out there by
trying NOT TO BE BLIND, acting as one or looking like one.

There is a huge difference between the two.  It's not about tryint to
succeed.  That's universal.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Judith Bron
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 6:33 PM
To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] question

John, I think someone who does not face the fact that they are impaired in 
one way or another is in denial.  However, I don't take that as a bigotted 
comment towards others who are also impaired.  My goal as a blind woman is 
to function in society the same way I did when I was sighted but I use a 
white cane and am restricted by some realities in blindness.  I have many 
blind friends, enjoy their company and have no problem with blind people. 
Perhaps by trying, and I daresay succeeding, to be on the same level as the 
sighted world you can call me a white, blind Uncle Tom.  But I never 
understood the bigotted term Uncle Tom.  My black friends who did better 
than me in school, were accomplished musicians or talented in other areas 
were simply themselves.  Isn't that the way we should accept everyone?  As 
simply themselves without all the extraneous labeling or name calling? 
Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Lee Clark" <johnlee at clarktouch.com>
To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] question


> Yo, blinks:
>
> Just read my first issue of the Monitor.  The Ved Mahta piece reminded me 
> to
> ask you all two questions.  I am wondering if you have a term that you use
> for two concepts I am sure that very much exists.
>
> The definition of the first one would have a picture of Ved Mahta himself 
> or
> someone else more notorious in your community for this type.  The text
> definition would be something like "a blind person who is in denial or
> refuses to embrace blind identity and in fact takes pains to avoid blind
> people or being associated with the blind community."  The black community
> has its own version, called Uncle Tom or Oreo--dark on the outside but 
> white
> inside.  The Deaf community has this type, too, called hearing-headed, 
> with
> a special sign that implies the person is hearing in his head, obsessed 
> with
> trying to be hearing.  The most notorious hearing-head is probably Heather
> Weatherstone, who was Miss America but is a graduate of the much-hated
> Clarke oralist school and doesn't sign or anything.
>
> So what do you call a blind person like that?
>
> Now, I'd like to learn what you call something else.  Blacks have to deal
> with racism, which is the belief that blacks are a lower class.  Women 
> often
> encounter sexism, which is the belief in the inferiority of one gender 
> under
> another.  Young people and old people sometimes suffer from ageism, which 
> is
> discrimination against someone because of that person's age.  The signing
> community has to work against audism.  Our most villainous audist figure 
> is
> Alexander Graham Bell, and he is the subject of many works of Deaf art,
> taking the role of a monster, a dread ghost, and in a famous poem he is 
> the
> Pilate who crucifixes Laurent Clerc, the most beloved Deaf historical
> figure, the first Deaf teacher in America.
>
> So what do you call bigotry targeting the blind?
>
> Thanks!
>
> John
>
>
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>
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