[Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

[john schwery]

I sent this to the blind-x list and the liberals 
on that list snubbed noses at it, saying in 
effect, maybe, we don't have the full story.

text of forwarded message follows:
>Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:11:42 -0400
>
>How stupid is this?
>
>text of forwarded message follows:
>
>
>>
>>
>>American Airlines just shot themselves in the foot with this incident!
>>~~~
>>Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>PITTSBURGH (KDKA)
>>
>>A blind man was told if he tried to use his 
>>cane he'd be removed from a flight and arrested 
>>and now he's asking for an apology.
>>
>>Bill Diamond is legally blind and sees nothing 
>>from his left eye and shadows from his right 
>>eye. He lost his sight 15 years ago due to diabetes.
>>
>>He's a Navy veteran and spent 13 years in the 
>>service. It was on a recent trip to a special 
>>veterans school in Chicago to learn how to use 
>>a talking computer where he ran into real 
>>trouble on an American Airlines flight.
>>
>>"American Airlines just wants customers who can 
>>see – it's not going to be a burden to them," 
>>he said. "Anybody with a disability is going to 
>>be a burden to American Airlines."
>>
>>Diamond caught his flight to Chicago out of 
>>Pittsburgh. He was brought to the plane in a 
>>wheelchair. He got on board using his cane and 
>>was told he had to give it up even though it was folded up.
>>
>>"I says, 'I need my cane.'
>>
>>"She goes, 'Sir, if you refuse to give up your 
>>cane, I will have no alternative but to call security,'" Diamond recalled.
>>
>>Faced with possible arrest, Diamond gave up the 
>>cane, sat on a nearly two-hour flight unable to 
>>get up and move around even though he needed to use the bathroom.
>>
>>"The stewardess acted like, 'Oh no, not another 
>>disabled person on my flight,'" he said.
>>
>>On his way back from Chicago, Diamond flew 
>>United. They had no problem with his cane. He 
>>used it to get to the men's room. He says it 
>>gave him his dignity back and his freedom.
>>
>>"That's my independence, that's my mode of 
>>travel, that's how I learned to travel being 
>>visually impaired," Diamond said. "They're 
>>taking something from me that I've learned to use."
>>
>>KDKA's Marty Griffin spoke with American 
>>Airlines Monday. They said they were 
>>investigating the matter and offered no further comment.
>>
>>Griffin could find no evidence indicating the 
>>use of a folding cane on a flight is determined 
>>to be against the policy of any airline.
>>
>>(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
>>
>> From Our Neck Of The World, our current 
>> weather is:  Silver Springs, Florida Partly Cloudy, 60°F Wind:Calm
>>Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down.
>>Anna
>text of forwarded message ends:
>
>John
>Currently in Ocala, Florida Mostly Clear, 62°F Wind:Calm
>"Wink, I'll do the rest!"
>Created by Weather Signature v1.31 • http://www.weathersig.com
text of forwarded message ends:

John
Currently in Ocala, Florida Clear, 51°F Wind:Calm
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in 
their shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Created by Weather Signature v1.31 • http://www.weathersig.com