This is a discussion that has come up over and over again during my
more than 52 years as a totally blind man, and during my more than 41
years of work in the "Blindness Field".
The answer is very straight forward. We are what we believe we are.
There was a time in my life when I truly believed that I was inferior
to most other people. I was sighted at the time. There were years in
my life when I saw myself as a gangling underweight wimp, with no
attraction to women.
There was a time in my life when I believed that I did not have the
ability to think for myself, that I only reflected the opinions of
others.
None of those beliefs had anything to do with whether I was blind,
sighted, or a visually impaired person. I discovered that I held the
keys to my identity. I began a campaign, which has turned out to be a
life-long endeavor, to create a new me. Today, as I creep up on my
eighty first birthday, please no cards!, I look back over an amazing
change in my life. In my humble opinion, each of us has the power to
become a positive person.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/27/16, joe harcz Comcast <joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ok, now I've got better things to do but this is without merit as I think
most of us, including me and Carl, are also advitiously blind.
I hate wheying in on these red herrings of your Frank. But, this is simply
not the case.
----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Ventura
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2016 11:23 AM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump and
Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
Does that apply to me as well? Or is it OK to shout me down, since as
someone whom is adventiciously blind I am considered only 3/5ths human by
some people here. I have seen Roger regarded in the same light.
Frank
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice Dampman
Humel
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2016 11:18 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump and
Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
It's called freedom of speech, and anybody can jump into any discussion,
interesting that you use the more pugilistic "ring",
On Mar 27, 2016, at 7:38 AM, Frank Ventura
<frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A point that was only meant to attack the three of us, for her examples
were false as it was actually her that did the pidgeon holing with labeling
me a party loyalist. Does she have my entire voting record from the past
three decades as evidence? If not than her assertation is false. As far as
my characterization of her as an older, white, suburban woman on social
security; that is accurate and came from her own descriptions of herself
over theyears. But there really wasn't any reason for you to jump in the
ring unless you were to do the very sanme baiting you accused me of.
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice Dampman
Humel
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2016 7:32 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump and
Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
I'm not wrong. Miriam described a situation using the time-tested tool
of giving examples. You tried to get her to characterize, label, pigeonhole,
whatever you want to call it, the three people she used as examples to
describe the situation and to make her point.
On Mar 27, 2016, at 7:28 AM, Frank Ventura
<frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well you are wrong, I never mentioned anything about Ted, Roger et al;
that was her. There was no need to throw that line into the water.
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice Dampman
Humel
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2016 7:25 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump and
Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
Actually, I think it was you who were trying to bait her with the
worms you mentioned.
On Mar 27, 2016, at 7:07 AM, Frank Ventura
<frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, I am fully aware that Miriam was trying to bait me on when she
started the stuff about Roger, Ted and I. Actually that was my point with
mentioning the can of worms.
Frank
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice Dampman
Humel
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2016 7:02 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump
and Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
and what are worms used for? bait.
stating that x, y, and z have different political views is actually
called stating the obvious.
On Mar 26, 2016, at 11:05 PM, Frank Ventura
<frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Miriam, no no no that is what I meant. When you say something like
x y and z have different political views then you have already opened that
can of worms and they are crawling out.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam Vieni
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2016 10:08 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump
and Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
No because that's precisely the kind of discussion my post was
objecting to.
The purpose of this list, as I understand it, is not to comment on
other list members political viewpoints, religious viewpoints, lifestyles,
or behavior. The purpose of the list is to discuss issues.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Frank
Ventura
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2016 9:33 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Discussions on the list, was Trump
and Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
Miriam, in your email below you said that Ted, Roger and I have
three different political points of view. Just for my own edification can
you describe each one. No challenge or digging up dirt here just natural
curiosity.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam
Vieni
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2016 4:08 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Discussions on the list, was Trump and
Clinton's Big Night Poses Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His
Youthful Supporters
First of all, if, like Alice, everyone can easily find the
articles they wish to read, the ones that are not usually from mainstream
sources, then there's no reason for any of us to post to this list anymore.
When I post, it's because I'd like to share material that I think is
interesting. Often, the articles have contradictory opinions or information.
Ssecond: Discussing opinions, disagreeing, bringing up counter
arguments is what we're all about. But is upsetting and objectionable, are
personal attacks. And apparently, when people are responsible for making
them, they deny the responsibility. I tend to get into a lot of difficulty
on this list because I'm very articulate about my feelings and opinions and
I suppose, when I state them, it may sound as if I think I'm stating the
truth as passed down from God to me, to be communicated to everyone else.
But that isn't what I mean to do. I just mean to say what I think and feel
because this has been the only venue where I could safely do that without
disrupting personal relationships with people in my life. But after my
interchange with Frank, I began thinking about how people have described me
when they have disagreed with what I've said. They haven't just disagreed.
They have used words to describe the kind of person they think I am and the
kind of beliefs or attitudes they think I have. Ted left the list, telling
us that we were all, and this included everyone from Dick to Frank,
including Charlie, Joe, Penny, me, and Roger, all Marxists. I think he used
a word like unredeemable or some such thing. So I'm an unredeemable marxist.
On the other hand, Roger has said I'm a Liberal which, from his point of
view is an insult, that I'm therefore, an enemy of the working class, I
suppose. Last night, Frank said that because I'm an older white person who
is financially secure because I receive social security benefits which no
one will take away, I'm willing to sacrifice the financial welfare of
everyone else by allowing the Republicans to win the Presidential election.
Well, he wasn't quite as concise as that, but that was the meaning of what
he said. My point is that these three people, who have very different
political points of view from each other, but who, at one time or another
disagreed with something I said, chose to put me in a political category and
ascribe political beliefs and motives to me, none of which were accurate,
but all of which were meant as an insulting rebuttal in place of clear
arguments based on facts or the posting of articles that might have made
their points. So here on this tiny email list of blind people who consider
themselves to be politically progressive and fair minded, we have difficulty
dealing with differences of opinion in a kind, humane, rational manner. No
wonder we have candidates like Trump and a government, regardless of which
party is in power, that is constantly at war, trying to dominate the rest of
the world. We cannot even keep the peace on Blind Democracy.
Miriam
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alice
Dampman Humel
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2016 2:57 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Trump and Clinton's Big Night Poses
Hard Questions For Sanders Campaign and His Youthful Supporters
That's not entirely true at all. He has outlined plans for almost
everything he has proposed.
Google, go to Sanders's website, check news reports from places
like Mother Jones, Truthout, USUncut, Common Dreams, interviews on those
Sunday morning TV shows, which I never get to listen to, CNN, ditto, since I
don't get it, Democracy Now, The Young Turks, Bill Moyers, Addicting Info,
Liberal America, Occupy Democrats, Join the Coffee Party, The Other 98
Percent, American News X, Occupy Wall Street, to get you started, haha.so
you see, I've been busy, and I have to say to no one in particular, that I
have not missed the squabbling and sniping that goes on on this list and
that we seem incapable of solving, nor have I encountered such in other
discussion groups I've been participating in.
And, like Joe, if it continues, I'm going back into hiding.yeah, I
know, who cares? Just saying.
And Marsha, I know this is coming as part of a reply to you, but
it of course has nothing to do with you or anything you ever have said. OK?
.
On Mar 26, 2016, at 10:47 AM, Martian.Lady
<martian.lady@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
HI
Unlike Hilary Bernie does not say what he will do.
he says he will do his best to accomplish his goals.
Marsha
