[stylist] question

Judith Bron jbron at optonline.net
Wed Mar 25 16:31:17 UTC 2009 

It only affects us if our life's goal is changing the world.  I gave up on 
that decades ago.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Canaday M.A. N6YR" <n6yr at sunflower.com>
To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] question


> well it actually harms us by pushing a notion that circumlocution helps 
> us, that we need protection from the simple concept of blindness.  the the 
> stark reality of the simple word "blind" harms us and we sensitive weak 
> people need the big strong educrats and professors to come along and fix 
> it for us.
> baaah.
> jc
>
> Jim Canaday M.A.
> Lawrence, KS
>
> At 06:47 AM 3/25/2009, you wrote:
>>The labeling of groups according to some falsely researched sociologists 
>>is for the sake of those who aren't a part of the group being labelled. 
>>When New York State labeled the blind visually impaired I'm sure the State 
>>Assembly felt fuzzy and warm.  After all, they just lifted a labeling 
>>burden from those who were blind.  However, no blind person saw better 
>>with their eyes, got a higher grade at school or got a job faster because 
>>some bureaucrat had to feel that they had done something very benevolent 
>>towards a charitable group that was waiting for them to be benevolent so 
>>that the targetted group could have a better life.  Bureaucracies have 
>>done this with a lot of minorities.  But they are too stupid, or self 
>>centered to notice that their actions are as useful as spitting in the 
>>ocean.  Judith
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "James Canaday M.A. N6YR" 
>><n6yr at sunflower.com>
>>To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 1:31 AM
>>Subject: Re: [stylist] question
>>
>>
>>>sadly,
>>>many of the terms, particularly "visually impaired"  have been promoted 
>>>by paternalistic researchers/professors.  I knew one at kansas 
>>>university. had all kinds of publications, teaching that circumlocution 
>>>actually helped us blind, and when we disagreed she dismissed our 
>>>protests.
>>>
>>>if white professors published and insisted upon how blacks should be 
>>>labeled, how long would that last?
>>>
>>>unfortunately I had to take a class as a grad student from that crone. 
>>>crone is a technical term.
>>>she never accepted that we blind people accepted the term and chose it 
>>>for ourselves.
>>>jc
>>>
>>>Jim Canaday M.A.
>>>Lawrence, KS
>>>
>>>At 01:45 PM 3/24/2009, you wrote:
>>>>John, The reality, as much as you disagree, is that being sighted is 
>>>>better than being blind.  Terms like "visually impaired", "Visually 
>>>>challenged" or any of the like are legislated terms.  I can't see any 
>>>>better or worse when a bureaucrat describes my visual limitations.  I am 
>>>>what I am.  Like I said before, I have to take those limitations, do the 
>>>>best I can to do what I am capable of and continue striving to be the 
>>>>best me I can be.  I don't care how society looks at my limitations. 
>>>>And, yes, they are limitations.  I have to be the one to deal with them. 
>>>>Almost every person in this world has limitations.  Some can create 
>>>>beautiful artwork, some can't.  Some can write beautifully, some can't 
>>>>put together a cognizant statement either verbally or in writing.  Some 
>>>>have athletic prowess while others are happy being couch potatoes.  Some 
>>>>love to eat while others are skinny and physically fit their entire 
>>>>life.  All "problems", all "limitations" when put in the perspective of 
>>>>the optimum and people all over the world live with them every day. 
>>>>When was the last time you heard of the "art impaired" person? Or the 
>>>>person who can't sing one note without causing distress to the other 
>>>>person's eardrums?  Are there cultures for the tone deaf?  The person 
>>>>who can't draw a straight line?  John, deal with John.  Society has 
>>>>enough problems.  As a society we have a lot to deal with, but making 
>>>>John socially comfortable isn't one of them.
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "John Lee Clark" 
>>>><johnlee at clarktouch.com>
>>>>To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 1:56 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: [stylist] question
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Lori:
>>>>>
>>>>>I love the words blind and deaf.  I abhor anything with impaired in it.
>>>>>
>>>>>Although the definition of blind may say one who cannot see, and that's 
>>>>>a
>>>>>negative description, we still have the opportunity to neutralize the 
>>>>>word
>>>>>itself and have it convey something else entirely, into something 
>>>>>that's
>>>>>cool.  Same with deaf.  We can take it and turn it around, and 
>>>>>associate it
>>>>>with culture, pride, ASL, all sorts of great and positive things.
>>>>>
>>>>>But you can't neutralize and turn around a term like sight impaired. 
>>>>>Tthat
>>>>>term does two very bad, bad, bad things.  First, it implies that sight 
>>>>>is
>>>>>the ideal, that it's right, and what we SHOULD have, and that if we 
>>>>>don't
>>>>>have it, we SHOULD want it.  This is society talking, "Sight is 
>>>>>better."
>>>>>
>>>>>Second, the term implies that we're broken or we're short of the ideal, 
>>>>>or
>>>>>we've fallen from the grace of what society says is normal.  This is 
>>>>>very
>>>>>bad, bad, bad.
>>>>>
>>>>>Does NFB merely "prefer" the word blind?  It shouldn't.  it should 
>>>>>embrace
>>>>>it absolutely.
>>>>>
>>>>>John
>>>>>
>>>>>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>>>>>Checked by AVG.
>>>>>Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.11.26/2020 - Release Date: 
>>>>>3/24/2009
>>>>>9:19 AM
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
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>>><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
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>>
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>
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