[nfbwatlk] Fwd: [Wcb-l] The secret to identifying currency

[Mike Freeman]

Lisa:

When an individual or organazation cannot marshal sound arguments to back a 
position, he/she/it often resorts to sarcasm, attempts at satyrical humor, 
name-calling, setting up and then knocking down of strawmen and other such 
sophistries. I suppose the theory goes that if one cannot rationally discuss 
an issue, one should belittle one's opponent. It also doesn't hurt if one 
throws in a dollop of mischaracterization or oversimplification of one's 
opponent's position and it also might not be a bad idea to personally attack 
one's opponent as it's always easier to call names than to rationally and 
calmly discuss ideas for doing so would tacitly admit that there might be 
two or more sides to an issue, casting into doubt one's intellectual armor 
of knowing one is right.

Regretably, such is the case in this and all too many other instances 
involving the American Council of the Blind. The best thing to do when 
confronted by such behavior is to refuse to stoop to its level. Say nothing. 
One has little more hope of persuading those who engage in such behavior of 
the soundness of one's arguments than one does of changing someone's 
deeply-held religious beliefs. Moreover, in order to hold a rational and 
dispassionate discussion, one must frame it in terms of agreed-upon facts 
and premises and this certainly is not the case in this instance. If, as 
many in ACB seem to believe, the issue of the lack of currency identifiable 
by touch is one of lack of equal access  and civil rights for the blind, 
there is little or no room for discussion, argument or compromise on the 
matter save, perhaps, for mapping a strategy to achieve the introduction of 
such currency. If, on the other hand, one believes that the issue is more 
complex, involving matching of actions to consequences, then discussion is 
not only possible but desirable. There is little room for a meting of the 
minds given these disparate points of view.

Given the foregoing, my counsel is to ignore the whole thing and simply 
continue working for the good of the blind; there's too much still to be 
done to waste one's time getting worked-up over rhetorical nonsense.

Mike Freeman, President
NFB of Washington

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Owenblue2 at aol.com>
To: <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 12:57 AM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fwd: [Wcb-l] The secret to identifying currency


Does this make sense?



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