[nfb-talk] A few of my own observations

[John Heim]

Well, the debate seems to have come around full circle.   This is good 
though because philosophy is still my #1 priority.

I just cannot buy this "change victim" line of reasoning. People in wheel 
chairs don't seem like "change victims" when they demanded and got curb 
cuts, wheel chair ramps, accessible bathrooms, and disabled parking spaces. 
The AARP doesn't seem like a group of victims. They seem pretty successful. 
On the other hand, the United States is the only country in the world with 
money that blind people can't differentiate.

Can you please explain to me exactly what a "change victim" is? Can you 
explain to me exactly why I should not demand that the world be remade to my 
liking? Say I sued the Treasury Department for accessible money and won. 
What bad thing would happen to me?  All of a sudden i might start demanding 
still more accomodations? Like how people in wheelchairs demanded curb cuts 
and then wheelchair ramps, and then accessible bathrooms, and then disabled 
parking spaces? Huh... I'm just not getting what the drawback is here.

These are not intended to be rhetorical questions.  I have yet to see anyone 
really explain what advantages there is to the "don't be a change victim" 
approach. Because I sure don't feel like a victim when I demand that the 
Treasury Department, part of my own government, not use my own tax dollars 
to print money that I can't differentiate.  on the contrary, I think we 
should be saying, "I am VI, hear me roar!"

A few years ago, I got a different job at the UW and I had to start crossing 
a very busy street each morning. Well, the light gave me only about 15 
seconds to cross. And often, because cars run the red, I couldn't be sure I 
had the green until I had 10 - 12 secondss to cross.  By that time, cars 
going my way but turning were in the intersection and I'd have to wait for 
them. It wouldn't do any good to wait for the next cycle because it would 
just happen again.  And believe me, the oncoming cars didn't wait for me to 
finish crossing before coming on when the light changed back. More than once 
I stood huddled between lanes while cars zoomed past.

So I called the city and asked to have audible signals installed. The city 
planner balked saying people complained about the noise. This was obviously 
absurd since it's a very busy intersection right in the middle of the 
University of Wisconsin campus.  After trying to reason with him with a few 
more calls and emails , I finally said, "you're going to put audible signals 
on that corner or i'm going to call the local TV station and you can explain 
to them why my safety is less important than your imaginary complainers." 
The signals were installed the next week.

At what part of that process should I have felt like a victim?

Because I have to say, I felt like anything but a victim when those signals 
were installed. Although, if I had it to do over again, I'd have started 
wacking oncoming cars with my cane when I was pinned between lanes.  Would I 
have pissed people off? You bet I would have and I'd have been damn proud of 
it.

as for what I personally am doing... Well, I'm hoping to plant the seed of 
doubt in the minds of some percentage of the people on this list. I don't 
expect to  convince everyone. I'm not sure I can convince anyone. But, I'm a 
believer (for lack of a better  word) in Mohandas K. Gandhi's idea of 
satchygraha. Roughly translated it means "power of truth". The idea is that 
the truth itself has power.

From: "Jim Marks" <blind.grizzly at gmail.com>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] A few of my own observations


No, John, we're not all on the same side.  Countless agendas, means, ends,
and individuals exist, and we are not pulling in the same direction.  And
you know what?  It's OK to have all that diversity.  More than that, it's
necessary to have all that diversity.

I choose to be a Federationist because I believe the problem blind people
face is more in the way we think about what it means to be blind rather than
in blindness itself.  I know it's an NFB cliché to say and believe this, but
it really works for me.  The attitude gives me more zest for life than if I
were to sit around and wait for others and the world to change for me.  I
want to be an agent of change, not a change victim.

I've been watching your input on this list for a while, and I think you have
some pretty good energy and obviously a fair bit of gray matter between your
ears.  However, The rhetoric about getting along and such is pretty useless.
No matter how well you shout and fuss, you still won't get a veto.  And
people like me are moving ahead with others of a like mind.  You are welcome
to join us, but you're going to have to earn respect the old fashioned way.
Shooting your mouth off on a listserv won't do it, my friend.  So how about
joining up with us and making a real difference for ourselves and the people
who come after us?


-------
Jim Marks
blind.grizzly at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces+blind.grizzly=gmail.com at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfb-talk-bounces+blind.grizzly=gmail.com at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
John G. Heim
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 12:09 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] A few of my own observations

I've defended the NFB on the ACB list just as I'm defending the ACB on this
list. I had an extended conversation (part of it via private email) with the
president of the ACB urging him to try to work with the NFB. I have to say
that the criticism of the NFB that I've seen on the ACB list  is a lot more
substantial than what I've seen here. Usually, when someone on the ACB list
criticizes the NFB, it's about something specific. The smug,
superior,attitude I've seen from members of this list toward the ACB
irritates and alarms me. I think it's counter productive and a little bit
shameful. The ACB is a fine organization and it's leaders are intelligent
and hard working. Most of the members are no different than anyone on this
list. We are all in this together. We are all on the same side.


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