[bksvol-discuss] Re: stories have powerful effects

  • From: "Estelnalissi" <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 21:35:10 -0500

Dear Everyone,

First, it's me, not Cindy who originally mentioned feeding dogs forbidden 
treats. 

Second, I don't feel that I, my pets, or the guide dog who was the most 
miraculous pressence in my  life, have to be poster persons or poster dogs for 
perfect behavior or example setting. I don't think we need to legislate story 
telling and this list should be a sheltered enough place to tell casual, 
humorous or cautionary tales about dogs, cats kids or whatever. I do, however, 
understand, for the first time why some lists don't allow threads about child 
raising. It's because people feel so strongly about it that discussions about 
it can quickly get heated out of proportion.

That's what's happened here. Many of us care so deeply about dogs, each in our 
own way, that we react strongly to issues concerning them. The original intent 
was to make light comments about real dogs in real life and not to smear any 
particular group or breed of dog or owner.

I take responsibility for starting this dog strand, and will be more careful 
about wandering off topic. I know none of us meant to ruffle any feathers or 
fur, and we'll all be happy to get back to the fun of sharing books. 

Always With Love,

Lissi
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Julie Morales 
  To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 9:14 PM
  Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: stories have powerful effects


  Maybe, for us, it's more like sneering at the owners, but for a sighted 
person who doesn't know blind people and doesn't know anything about guide 
dogs...well, that leaves a bad image in their minds about the dogs. It is their 
owners, a lot of times, for sure, but we know that. We're familiar with the 
training of guide dogs, and we're familiar with how the handlers are supposed 
to handle their dogs, but a sighted person may not be, and that's the scenario 
that worries most of us. We hit enough brick walls on our own without having to 
worry about a well-intentioned funny anecdote and what kind of effect that 
might have on someone. Take care.
  Julie Morales
  To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives 
today. -- Unknown
  mercy421@xxxxxxxxxxx
  Windows/MSN Messenger (but not email):
  mercy0421@xxxxxxxxxxx
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Gary Petraccaro 
    To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 7:05 PM
    Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: stories have powerful effects


    I think it's more a question of sneering at the owners.

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: E. 
      To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
      Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 6:34 PM
      Subject: [bksvol-discuss] stories have powerful effects


      Cindy I assume you mean pass along the story of the guide dog who was so 
      disruptive because her person did not choose to control her.  Pass it 
along 
      if you must.  I do notice that people tend to pass along stories of how 
      badly a dog, particularly a guide dog behaves with a lot of glee.  I 
think 
      it is one thing to pass along stories among ourselves.  I do get 
concerned 
      when sighted people gleefully pass along stories about how badly a guide 
      dog behaves, how poorly a guide dog is dealt with by his or her person 
and 
      how a guide dog failed and did something wrong like run a light, run 
their 
      person into something or whatever.  Then sighted folks can use those 
      stories to be hesitant about renting to those of us with dogs, or letting 
      us into restaurants and so on.  It may be illegal but all of us with dogs 
      have had issues of access at one time or another.

      I know it is far from your intention to do this but be careful with 
      stoires.  They can have powerful results many unintentional.  I am sorry 
if 
      this sounds harsh but I have had a number of instances when sighted 
people 
      just had to come up to me and tell me about bad behavior or guide dogs or 
      their people.

      I am therefore overly cautious about stories of incidents particularly 
      involving food.

      By the way, I have been with Seeing Eye dogs for over thirty years and do 
      know those stoires from my own experience.  But I would be careful 
telling 
      them to restaurant owners or hotel operators or landlords, or cabbies, 
bus 
      drivers and so forth.  We still have barriers to access some of them 
fueled 
      by lack of knowledge.

      E.  

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