[stylist] Canes and dogs

Wed May 11 13:41:57 UTC 2011

Marion,

I have seen your handling of other situations and correspondence so I know you are a fair-minded individual, so please understand that is not the question 
in my mind.  My experience with you is what caused me to be a little surprised at the strength of your response.  However, I also see that the sentence you 
quote below is at the very least one that can be interpreted in several ways, and that it isn't written in a way that stimulates fair discussion.  I won't spend 
time defending his choice of words because the choice was a poor one, I just saw what he said as a poor way of asking a question rather than an 
expression of intollerance.  In addition, I have followed discussions on other lists about when it might be best to leave a dog at home and why it might not be 
a good idea to do that, so I suppose that the question didn't seem that out of line even though I would not have chosen to ask it in that way or regarding a 
situation of that nature.  Anyway, that's probably enough said, at least by me, and it is probably off topic here anyway except for the obvious issue of how 
words can be interpreted.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Tue, 10 May 2011 14:43:33 -0400, Marion Gwizdala wrote:

>Steve,
>    I feel the tone of Mr. Hendel's comments about taking a guide dog to a 
>restaurant was set by the sentence, "I have sometimes not understood why my 
>dog using friends drag their dog along." He then goes on to describe a visit 
>to a restaurant in which he asserts a blind person does no independent 
>travel. I admit my comments were extrapolations questioning whether or not 
>Mr. Hendel uses a cane under such circumstances. It could be argued that, if 
>a blind person is not doing any independent traveling and, therefore, has no 
>need for a guide dog, that one would not have a need for a cane either. 
>After all, the question could very well be, "What need has a blind person 
>for a cane, since there is no independent travel?"
>    I would also like to categorically state that I do not believe that a 
>guide dog or a cane is the best told for independent travel, just as I would 
>not assert that a hammer, screwdriver, plumb, level, saw, or any other tool 
>of the carpentry trade is better. It depends upon the job for which the tool 
>will be used. I have used a hammer on a screw and a screwdriver on a nail; 
>however, the proper tool for the needed application would have worked better 
>if I had it at my disposal.
>    Although I missed the article that triggered Mr. Hendel's comments, it 
>seemed to loathe the use of the white cane. I am not a guide dog user with 
>such loathing. In fact, as I mentioned in my rebuttal earlier, I am as 
>proficient with my white cane as I am with my guide dog. Furthermore, I am a 
>strong advocate for maintaining such proficiency in order to maintain 
>independence in a variety of circumstances.
>    For instance, as a professional musician I am frequently asked to 
>perform at private parties at people's homes. I will not, under any 
>circumstances, ask a customer if it is okay for me to bring my guide dog. I 
>know full well that, if I should ask, I may not get an honest answer. All 
>too many people might feel as if it were disrespectful to say, "No!" to such 
>a request, even though that is their desire. those who know me well enough 
>to know that I am a guide dog user will let me know that it is alright; 
>however, if they do not, I will not inquire. The same is true when I am 
>invited to someone's home for other reasons. I am not one who asserts, "If 
>they don't want my dog, they don't want me!" I think such assertions are 
>ludicrous!In such circumstances, I need to be independent and that means 
>using my cane.
>    There are many other reasons I will opt for my white cane rather than my 
>guide dog. I live in Florida and when the weather is nice, it is very nice. 
>When it is not, though, it can be awful! I might need to go out when it is 
>raining, but a wet dog is not pleasant, so I will leave him home and take my 
>cane. I also enjoy concerts and many venues do not have adequate room for a 
>100-pound dog, not to mention that many concert-goers tend to like to imbibe 
>for the experience. Such a large, intoxicated crowd isn't the best for my 
>dog! Then there are those times - like those of us who are parents know - 
>that we just don't want the hassle of dealing with kids or dogs!
>    There is so much more I could say on the subject line, but suffice it to 
>say that I am not an absolutistic thinker when it comes to the subject. As 
>my response to maid Ziegler said, I have had a dog in my life since I was 
>four years old. I like dogs. I even have a dog for my dog! (grin) If I'm 
>going to have a dog, why not have a guide dog? On the other hand, I have 
>blind friends who do not like dogs and, therefore, would not consider a 
>guide dog. I don't understand why people don't like dog, but I don't think 
>they are bad people because they don't! I like beer; my wife likes rum! 
>Well, I like rum, too, but know my wife won't drink my beer! It's all a 
>matter of choice and preference!
>    I am open to discussing more about the issue of guide dogs and white 
>canes. I will never proclaim one is better than the other, though, so it 
>will never be "guide dog vs. cane"! Now, let's have a beer....or some rum!

>Fraternally yours,
>Marion Gwizdala

>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 10:44 PM
>Subject: Re: [stylist] Canes and dogs

>> Hi,
>>
>> This subject has always been one that has interested me.  As a cane user 
>> who has tried to be careful to defend the
>> rights of persons using canes or dogs, I have always been one who has 
>> tried to understand both methods.  What I
>> have found in general, though, that no serious discussion of the 
>> differences, the strengths and weaknesses of each,
>> the attributes of what might make one method work for some and the other 
>> for others, can ever occur without things
>> breaking down.  I did not see everything that was written in the magazine 
>> but have only seen what was written here
>> so perhaps I have missed something.  However, I didn't see anything 
>> written that said that a dog should not be taken
>> to a restaurant, only an interest in understanding why it might be done in 
>> the particular situation described.  I did not
>> see him say that sighted guide need to be used, I interpreted him to be 
>> assuming that a cane would be used because
>> it is my understanding that persons who use dogs generally know how to use 
>> a cane as well.  What I saw in his writing
>> was a guy who was clearly a cane user but who wondered.  I thought he was 
>> simply saying that each was a tool and
>> why wouldn't one just use whatever tool fit in the same way that those of 
>> us prefer to use straight canes might switch
>> to a telescopic cane in some cases.  From my perspective, I do understand 
>> that people and dogs work as a team and
>> that there are always risks when the team is not working together, and 
>> that may be the best answer that one might
>> give him along with some of the others that were given here.  I can think 
>> of a few more answers that I might have
>> given such as what if my plans changed.  What if after a nice dinner I 
>> decided to walk home instead of taking a cab,
>> or if I was on a date, what if the opportunity arose to not return 
>> directly home.  There are simply a lot of responses and
>> areas to explore without assuming that the question was raised as a 
>> die-hard intollerant cane user.  There are some of
>> those who use canes, and there are even some who use dogs.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Steve Jacobson
>>
>> On Mon, 09 May 2011 15:56:35 -0500, Brad Dunse' wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>You know I saw a Chevy in the ditch the other day, they can't even
>>>>stay on the road... people just can't drive right when they drive a
>>>>Chevy. Always bumping into things and stuff. Now I know if they had
>>>>a Toyota... well, that just wouldn't have happened at all. I mean I
>>>>drive a Toyota and never have issues running off the road or bumping
>>>>into stuff. Driver's are going to get a bad reputation for
>>>>running   off roads. I've told them time and time again  I'm right
>>>>about this but they don't listen. We ought eliminate Chevy's before
>>>>pedestrians get the wrong idea  about people behind the wheel.
>>>Plagerized word exchange below...
>>
>>>In response to Feature Writer Alena Roberts - Deciding When to Take Your
>>>flip flops With You
>>>I would like to express my opinion on the question posed by Alena Roberts;
>>>namely, when to take and when not to take your flip flops. I come at this
>>>from a point of view which Alena may not have expected--I am a blind 
>>>person
>>>who has always used sneakers and does not want flip flops. I have 
>>>sometimes
>>>not understood why my flip flop using friends drag their flip flops
>>>along. Here is a
>>>scenario which is difficult for me to understand.
>>>You are taking a cab to a restaurant, maybe by yourself, maybe to meet a
>>>friend. You will then take a cab home.
>>>1. You go from the door of your house to the cab.
>>>2. You go from the cab to the door of the restaurant, where the host or a
>>>waiter/waitress helps you find a table.
>>>3. You repeat the process in reverse, restaurant to cab, cab to home.
>>>You are not really doing any independent travel. Why, then, do you need 
>>>your
>>>flip flops? It seems to me that it's a lot of trouble and hassle to
>>>take flip flops on
>>>such an occasion, not to mention that the flip flops may be in the way at 
>>>the
>>>table, or in the cab. Why not use your sneakers?
>>>I don't even understand why Ms. Roberts says she "dislikes using
>>>sneakers. Sneakers are merely a tool, like a hammer or screw driver.
>>>I use it when I need
>>>it, and I'm glad to have it. I can't even imagine wanting flip flops.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Brad Dunse
>>
>>>Inspiration is sweating over the pen...
>>>  then smiling at  what was written. --Anonymous
>>
>>>http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>>
>>>http://www.facebook.com/braddunse
>>
>>>http://www.twitter.com/braddunse
>>
>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Writers Division web site:
>>>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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