[Missouri-l] Remembering back

[Franklin Johnson]

what was your particular point on this article?  I must admit I missed it.


Franklin, Sir Sandler, the world famous Guide Dog, Cocoa and Yummyumm the cat cleaning crew 
*Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.*

 franklin at franklinjohnson.net


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chip Hailey 
  To: missouri-l at moblind.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:29 PM
  Subject: [Missouri-l] Remembering back


  How many of you remember when the following article came out?
  This is just an exert taken from?
  Future Reflections July- Sept 1985, Vol. 4 No. 3
  BLINDNESS: THE PATTERN OF FREEDOM
  An Address Delivered By KENNETH JERNIGAN
  President, National Federation of the Blind
  At the Banquet of the Annual Convention
  Louisville, Kentucky, July 4, 1985

  When we consider public education (the second of the four essential components in
  our pattern of freedom), we are reminded again that none of the four stands alone.
  They overlap and interweave to form a composite. What the blind believe about themselves,
  they teach to the public; and what the public believes conditions the blind. Not
  only individuals but also organizations may have negative impact and mistaken attitudes.
  The American Council of the Blind is a prime example.
  Its state affiliate, the Missouri Council of the Blind, plans to hold its 1985 convention
  in St. Joseph. Carolyn Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer of the local chapter of the
  Missouri Council of the Blind, talked to the SL. Joseph News-Press about the matter
  last fall. In an article appearing October 28, 1984, she says: "We have a commitment
  from Boy Scouts who are working on merit badges to serve as volunteer guides when
  needed by a delegate. Free transportation from both bus stations to the hotel has
  been arranged. And, since there is no day or night for the blind, the hotel is even
  providing for food service in case someone decides it's breakfast time at 2 in the
  morning."
  If we did not know the philosophy of the American Council of the Blind, we might
  be astonished. As it is, we accept this statement as standard procedure--simply another
  obstacle to overcome on our road to freedom. In an article captioned "Blind But Not
  Dumb" which appeared in the St. Joseph Newsl£ess.of November 20, 1984, Beryl Gordon
  (our local NFB president) tried to mitigate the damage. He said:
  "Often I am asked, 'Why can't organizations of and for the blind get together? They
  are all working toward the same thing, aren't they?'
  "This is a very hard question to answer in one short sentence, and until you see
  something in the newspaper such as I have recently read you don't even try.
  "A member of the Missouri Council of the Blind was quoted as saying that since there
  is no day or night for the blind, the hotel where they will be holding their 1985
  convention will be providing food service in case one of them would decide it was
  breakfast time at 2:00 ajn.
  "Can you just imagine what life would be like for the blind if all of us believed
  something this ignorant? Can you imagine what potential employers might think when
  reading something this degrading about blind persons' intelligence?
  "It's no wonder we can't find jobs. It is no wonder public facilities do not want
  us to come in. It is no wonder others have the attitude that we need to be taken
  care of."
  In case you think Ms. Anderson was misquoted by the reporter, listen to her answer
  in the News-Press of November 29, 1984. She says: "As usual, the National Federation
  of the Blind misinterprets and twists things for their own purposes. We believe the
  NFB confronts everything with rudeness, abruptness and single-mindedness. Such negative
  re actions make it more difficult for those of us trying to work in a positive way.
  We try to deal with local buisnesses, officials and the public without considering
  them to be our enemies. Focusing our efforts on the good and the positive and remembering
  with gratitude the help we get from the sighted in our community, we have improved
  our outlook. We try to keep a sense of humor and look at life's inconveniences with
  some amount of laughter. Perhaps the NFB should try this and not be critical of other
  people and their efforts."
  Whatever else may be said, Carolyn Anderson and Beryl Gordon are not working for
  the same thing. In one sense, of course, she is right: We could laugh at ourselves,
  be grateful for whatever we get, and accept the stereotype--but the price is too
  high. Such conduct translates into exclusion from employment, custodial treatment,
  and second class status; and it also blights the spirit and shrivels the soul--for
  whatever we live and believe, that we surely become.
  And we are not just dealing with generalities. It is not simply a matter of being
  nice or saving feelings. To the extent that we fail to find a way to educate the
  public, lack the courage to provide that education even in the face of hostility,
  or are unable to understand our true potential, we and all other blind people suffer.
  I recently received a letter from the sighted mother of an adopted blind child expressing
  appreciation for our literature and encouragement: "My daughter Shelly," she said,
  "is now eleven years old. She is fully integrated in a local school and has learned
  to read and write Braille.
  "Six years ago, when we adopted her, she was a 'potential unknown,' high-risk adoption
  case. We took her out of a small institution, where she had lived all of her life.
  She had spent most of her time confined to a large hospital sized crib, with no stimulation
  and little human contact. She was in diapers and ate only pureed baby food, which
  had to be fed to her. In the past six years this same child has become bilingual,
  is in her third year of piano lessons, skates, swims, rides a double bike, reads
  and writes, and is no longer a 'potential unknown' but rather a child of great potential."
  So writes this sighted mother, and her words give us perspective. It is not pleasant
  to disagree with others and take public stands, but sometimes the alternative is
  worse. We do not regard our neighbors as enemies, but this does not mean that we
  are willing to submit to diapers and pureed baby food. It does not mean that we are
  willing to accept slavery--even if the slavery is gently offered, kindly meant, and
  well intentioned. As John Dewey said: "Liberty is not just an idea, an abstract principle.
  It is power, effective power to do specific things." And as Benjamin Franklin said:
  "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve
  neither liberty nor safety." We want no strife or confrontation, but we are not willing
  to give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety. We have learned
  the power of collective action, and we will do what we have to do. We are simply
  no longer willing to be second-class citizens.
  The need for public education is everywhere apparent. The fact is typi fied by an
  article appearing in the Omaha World-Herald of December 5, 1984. Headlined "Donations
  Pay for Glasses for Needy During the Year," the article says: "Detecting and solving
  vision problems are important in the proper development of children, said Dr. Matilda
  Mclntire, director of community pediatrics at Creighton University. That is why the
  cooperative effort of The World-Herald Good Fellows and Creighton is valuable to
  the community, she said. 'We feel very strongly that a child cannot learn if he cannot
  see."1
  To which we reply, thousands of us grew up as blind children and have achieved a
  moderate degree of literacy and success. If Dr. Mclntire is right, I wonder how we
  did it.
  Early this year I received a letter from one P. F. Membrey, who described himself
  as the director of GAPEX, a product consulting and export firm from London, England.
  He said, concerning a new Braille-Writer which he wished to sell: "Following its
  recent introduction to the United Kingdom market, GAPEX have been appointed sole
  distribution agents for this unique product. Accordingly, we are now able to supply
  the BRAILLEWRITER to those institutions or individuals who work with or have care
  of blind or partially sighted people."
  Mr. Membrey, Carolyn Anderson, and Dr. Stromer would probably say we are nitpicking,
  but people usually say what they mean even if they do not mean to say what they say.
  The orientation which (whether inadvertently or not) leads to talk of selling a product
  to "institutions or individuals who have care of blind or partially sighted people"
  is destructive and damaging. We must observe it, reject it, and attack it-not only
  for public enlightenment but for our own self-respect. As Harold Laski said: "We
  acquiesce in the loss of freedom every time we are silent in the face of injustice."
  We want no strife or confrontation, but we are simply no longer willing to be secondclass
  citizens.



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