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

[T. Joseph Carter]

William, I'm not going to agree or disagree with you because I admittedly
don't know what I'm talking about in that regard.

I do want to point out, however, that your message doesn't really fit the
topic being discussed in this thread which was about whether it is right
to help this guy adjust to blindness and if that somehow qualifies as
giving comfort to the enemy.  You didn't really address that issue.

Additionally, I'm sorry, but your message is inflammatory.  Now, I
generally believe that political correctness is going to be the death of
civilization, so I'm not telling you to find a less offensive way to
express your views.  I believe you should say what you mean and mean what
you say.  I believe you're saying it in the wrong place, however.

Now I'm not one of those fancy NFB list moderators, but I think you should
take this kind of think to another, more appropriate forum.  I don't think
this list, nor likely any other NFB list, nor an at best only tangentially
related thought provoker message, is at all the right place.  If you wish
to debate that point with me, I ask you to do it off-list.


My apologies, David and Scott, if I have overstepped any boundaries,
either in my opinion or in the long explanation of it.  I feel the former
is important to the good of the list; the latter is my attempt to prevent
a flamewar about why I would attempt to do the former given that I'm not a
list moderator (and not particularly interested in the job, thanks.)


On Sun, Aug 05, 2007 at 08:09:16PM -0400, Wm. Ritchhart wrote:
> 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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