[nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 124 - Blindness or Treason

[Laura Eaves]

Hi WMR -- you speak as if you have a knowledge of the Quran -- while you can 
on the one hand say "by their fruits ye shall know them" about so-called 
Muslim terrorists, your words are still in my view inflamatory as there are 
many more muslims in the world than Christians, and the are not all lunatic 
radicals.  Also, there are some "fruity" so-called Christians as well, and 
Christianity is most definitely a religion of peace.  I have been reading 
the Quran as a matter of curiosity to see the sources of the problems and 
have discovered the following: Sura 2:256, "there is no compulsion in 
religion..." -- now that is peaceful. There are verses calling for kindless 
and honesty and such things every religion recommends or commands, but there 
are also inflamatory verses, or verses that can be interpreted that way.  As 
a friend of mine said who is also researching the Quran, there are also many 
English translations of the QQuran which are translated differently on many 
key verses, all seeming to promote various political views.  My vfriend is 
comparing with the original Arabic, which he is learning. It is interesting 
as far as muslim behavior however, that by and large, muslims are more in 
the news using their scripture to justify violence.

I have not been following this thread but will go back and read the original 
thought provoker and see if there is anything else I can add. I have been 
too busy to read all the ridiculous volume of mail I get but am interested 
in this subject and glad I dropped in to read a post...

Peace!
--le


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wm. Ritchhart" <william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 124 - Blindness or Treason


I suggest that first you take some time to actually learn about islam,
(not capitalized deliberately), then rework this one and resubmit it.  I
made it a point to learn about islam, long before 9/11.  From your
Thought Provoker, I think you are buying into the fallacy that islam is
a beautiful and peaceful religion.  No true moslem, (also not
capitalized deliberately),  would be so kind to your blind person.  If
you doubt, I suggest you research how the terrorist animals we have
captured act toward the guards that our government has put in place to
contain them.

What the Government, and media would like the American population to
believe about islam is not what any person who takes the time to read
their koran, (again deliberately not capitalized), and actually learn
about islam would learn.  Our terrorist enemies interpret the koran more
accurately than the media.  They speak the true tenets of the religion
more truthfully than the current administration.

It is not the peaceful and beautiful religion that is claimed by those
in power.  Waging war on any who do not believe as the koran directs is
a fundamental order of islam.  Convert or kill!  It is a direct and
specific order to the so-called faithful

I think you need to research this one more intensively and send it out
again.  Your moslem is more like to use the blind guy as a human shield
for his escape and then cut his throat.  After all, your competent blind
guy is an infidel.  Since the infidel cannot be converted to islam, he
must be killed.

Just because the average American has not figured out that we are at
war, it does not mean that all of us are running around with our minds
and eyes closed.  Some of us realize it.  Some of us believe that we
should strike at the threat, wherever it exists.

William Ritchhart


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 4:35 PM
To: nfbtalk
Subject: [nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 124 - Blindness or Treason

NFBtalk members
RE:  Blindness or Treason

The newest THOUGHT PROVOKER is what I call a "what if" type of scenario;
not
a classic blindness issue type. Here we have a blind guy being asked to
teach a newly blinded guy alternative techniques, blindness skills and
he is
possibly going to get into trouble for doing too good of a job in doing
it.
If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall that I collect
responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and
learn
from and that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info  If you wish to
receive
THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-
newmanrl at cox.net


THOUGHT PROVOKER 124
Blindness or Treason

I am waiting to be judged. Some say I aided and abetted an enemy of our
country, a terrorist. I say I just helped a newly blinded guy adjust to
his
blindness. It all started...

"That's one of those new state quarters, can you tell?" Said the man,
who
had brought his tray up and handed money to the cafeteria's cashier.

Kevin, blind and manager of all food service within the federal prison,
lightly fingered the coin. "Nebraska."

"You amaze me."

"Bob, dealing with blindness is skills, confidence, and determination."
Patiently answered Kevin.

"Hey, hear we've got that blind terrorist com'in in? Released him from
the
hospital." Rejoined Bob. "Bet he's not a super blind guy like you."

Kevin knew Bob referred to the recent discovery of a terrorist cell.
Its
violent resistance resulting in three of the member's deaths and the
blinding of the remaining survivor. "Going from being sighted to being
blind
takes some getting used to." Assured Kevin.

A couple of weeks later, Kevin was disassembling a coffee machine when
footsteps approached. "Kevin, I'm Dr. Anderson." said the man. "I'm the
team
leader working with the surviving cell member who was blinded. The staff
here tells me you have consulted with them on visually challenged
inmates?"

"I have." Answered Kevin, wondering if this was going where he thought
it
might.

"We believe if we can get Abdul to be more independent, it would help
our
program. He is struggling with basic life skills, orientation to his
surroundings, eating, general self-care types of things. Would you be
open
to work with us on this?"

Kevin's first visit with Abdul was in a small room; two guards were
present.
"I have not seen the blind caring for themselves in my country." said
Abdul.
He had a Middle Eastern accent but his English was good. "And working .
there are very few of the blind who work alongside the sighted. It is
not
expected of them. We care for our young and elders and the handicapped,
as
the Koran instructs."

"Yes, I believe that is the general rule for your culture. Dealing with
a
disability is like so many other human conditions; what people think
about
it and do about it tends to be culture-specific, the actions having come
about for various reasons. But here we are and I understand that you and
the
staff wish for you to become more independent. If we agree to work
together,
know that I will be coming from the belief that if you have good
blindness
skills, have confidence in yourself, and if you are determined, then
blindness will not stop you from accomplishing what is important to
you."

"Show me."

"Let us start with the cane. Stand up, please." Putting the long white
shaft
into the other man's hands, Kevin said, "This is a travel tool. Let me
show
you how to work it."

They met twice a week. Cane travel was a priority, starting with
traveling
within the building, later going out onto the extensive prison property
where there were sidewalks, street crossings and the like; two guards
were
with them at all times.

In every visit, Kevin mixed in travel with independent living skills,
like
eating, grooming, and more. He told Abdul, "I will help you the most by
teaching you how to think like a blind person has to think. Then you
will be
able to figure out things on your own."

Braille was taught. Abdul learned fast with a goal of being again able
to
read the Koran, and was writing in contracted Braille in less then a
month
and a half.

During their visits, they talked about their lives. Abdul once asked,
"What
is it like to live in your community?"

Another time Kevin asked, "Tell me of your culture. What do you want?
What
can you give?"

Three and a half months after starting to work with Abdul, Kevin heard
three
men coming down the hall to where he worked in a storeroom, preparing
for
the dinner hour.

The lead man spoke. "Kevin, Dr. Anderson here. We need to talk. Have you
seen Abdul today?" Seeing Kevin's startled look, Anderson said, "He has
been
missing since after breakfast."

The note that Abdul had Brailled for Kevin yesterday, now made sense.
"Thank
you Kevin. It was good of you to work with me. I learned that blindness
does
not change a person; it is the new challenges that change him. Thanks to
you
I again have good skills. I am confident again. Now I must go and do
what is
important to me. May Allah be with you."


Robert Leslie Newman
E-Mail- newmanrl at cox.net
Web Site- thoughtprovoker.info


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