Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Henry Kasten) (05/03/91)
Index Number: 15295
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi Mika,
I read your msg to Glen N. regarding people asking for help. What
are you? some kind of retard? Don't you know that it is a
personal affront on your independence when (god forbid) someone
should ask if you need help? It is not too late for you! you are
only 18, there is still time for you to learn the official rules of
blindom. Foremost in your mind you must always remember that all
sighted people consider you an idiot. Idiots are fun to harass.
Sighted people will go out of there way just to make you feel even
stupider about yourself than you already do. If you can graciously
accept these harassing questions and offers then your self image,
self assurance and self esteem are way too high! Either your not
blind or must be a liar or have something wrong with you.
Hopefully, you just have something wrong with you. Like me )I too
am a socially blind retard. I have been working diligently at
trying to be a better blind person. I listen to at least 1 hour of
Don Rickles every day, I chant "I am a rock, I am an island" at
best 30 or 40 times a day and I spend a good part of the day
thinking of snappy comebacks for all situations, imagined or
otherwise. It is starting to work, just this morning someone
getting off the elevator told me the nest stop was mine. As soon
as the door was shut I said, "Gee, thanks. I might have ridden the
elevator all day without your help!". Pretty good, for a novice.
With more practice, I might get up enough gall to say it to a
person rather than a wall. You see, their is hope for you too.
Just get your head on straight and practice, practice, practice.
Good luck, HK
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!130!10!Henry.Kasten
Internet: Henry.Kasten@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.orgcmfaltz@phoenix.princeton.edu (Christine Marie Faltz) (05/04/91)
Index Number: 15346 Oh, boy, here we go folks! I knew who this article was from before I looked. I have found that in general, sarcasm is a person's last resort with the hope of having the last, indellible word on the subject. Oh, well, your rock/island status should be able to assuage the wound. I do not believe that any of us believes that all sighted people are out to harass us--most of them are well-intentioned. There are, however, irrational people--sighted and blind--who need to be dealt with in strong fashion. That is true of white people when it comes to prejudice against any given minority group, gays and lesbians when it comes to dealing with straight folks, I could go on, but I won't. We are, for the most part, too busy trying to convince the clueless segment of the sighted population that we are capable of gainful employment; we don't have time to 'listen to Don Rickles' or think of snappy comebacks. Sometimes, those comebacks are necessary; most of the time, they are not. By the way, must you use a word like 'retard' to make your sophomoric, beating-a-dead-horse point? Many mentally limited people do not need all that much help. Perhaps next time, when you wish to drive your opinion home when it has already been clearly stated, you can use a word which does not perpetuate certain misconceptions about others. After all, there are few 'retards' who can politely educate the public about their situations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Poor is the person | Christine Faltz | | whose permission | 33 Prospect Ave. | | depends upon the | Princeton, NJ 08540 | | perceptions of others. | "Who is John Galt?" | -------------------------------------------------------------------------