Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Jamal Mazrui) (12/29/90)
Index Number: 12616
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi Lee! Thanks for your support and, more importantly, for raising
questions that I think blind people deserve answers to. I can answer
them to some extent. The NFB President is paid not by the NFB per se,
but by an organization which NFB national leaders control, the American
Brotherhood for the Blind. Though I doubt it is written in print,
Ihave heard Dr. Jernigan and James Gashel (NFB Director of Governmental
Affairs) say in small groups that the NFB President is in fact paid to
serve as President by the Brotherhood, even though on paper Dr.
Jernigan was being paid to be Executive Director of the Brotherhood
and now Marc Maurer is being paid to be General Council of the
Brotherhood. With regard to other NFB officers being paid, Peggy
Pinder, the Second Vice President, gets substantial money each year to
fight Federation airline cases in court and also to manage the
Federations internal accounting operations. Other Federation officers
receive significant money--though not necessarily a "salary"--for doing
various kinds of NFB work, payments coming variously out of the NFB
treasury, Jecobus tenBroec Memorial Fund Corporation, and American
Brotherhood for the Blind. I have held the view for some time that it
is legitimate to pay for good work by some officers, but that this
should be done above board.
--Jamal--
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460.0!Jamal.Mazrui
Internet: Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.orgDavid.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews) (01/03/91)
Index Number: 12624
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
LM> I'd like to hear some of those responsible for
LM> Jamal's expulsion defend their decision but that's probably not
LM> possible since the national officers are most likely boycotting
LM> computers and modems until every single computer in the country
LM> is made accessible to the blind at government expense. I'm
LM> being facetious
Maybe your were, but it is cheap shots like that that help perpetuate the notion
that we are a bunch of unreasonable bad people.
LM> but seriously, I have a few questions maybe
LM> someone can answer. First, is being a national officer of the
LM> NFB a full-time job? If so, what does it pay? If in fact the
LM> top people in the NFB are full-time employees, does their
LM> income come from the local and state chapters? I'm not saying
LM> they don't deserve to be payed, but if they are in fact payed
LM> well, and yet seventy percent of the blind people in this
LM> country are unemployed, then I wonder if the structure of the
LM> NFB is perhaps akin to certain highly visible religious
LM> organizations we've all grown to know and love over the past
LM> few years.
For your information, all the NFB national officers and board members serve as
volunteers, as do all our members. Many of them devote great amounts of time to
the organization, but at their own expense.
Davied Andrews
... Your Sound Alternative
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews
Internet: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgAnn.Parsons@f207.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Parsons) (01/04/91)
Index Number: 12645
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi Lee,
Yes, I think you are right. Just a quick word here about sitting on airplanes.
I do not want to sit in an exit aisle. The reason for this is that I am
totally blind. I am not equipped physically to aid other passengers to exit
the airplane effeciently and safely, should the need arise. I do not want to
be responsible for somebldy's death if my inability to see makes it slower or
more difficult for people to exit a crashed plane. For god's sake people,
THINK!!!!!! I know what my limitations are. I don't pretend that I can do all
things.
Sorry, soap box mode off. See you on-line.
Ann P.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!207!Ann.Parsons
Internet: Ann.Parsons@f207.n260.z1.fidonet.orgJeff.Salzberg@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Salzberg) (01/04/91)
Index Number: 12654
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
AP> The reason for this is that I am totally blind. I am not
AP> equipped physically to aid other passengers to exit the
AP> airplane effeciently and safely, should the need arise. I do
AP> not want to be responsible for somebldy's death if my inability
AP> to see makes it slower or more difficult for people to exit a
AP> crashed plane.
But, Ann, you have a RIGHT to be responsible for someone's death. Are
you ashamed of being blind? After all, we have our PRIORITIES...
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Jeff.Salzberg
Internet: Jeff.Salzberg@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgAl.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman) (01/11/91)
Index Number: 12877
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi Anne:
I know I shouldn't do this but...
Maybe I am just an ignorant fool, but I rather expect that I
can function in one of the plane accidents as well as just about anyone.
Its not like we have to answer questions from the other passengers,
as "Can you count my fingers?"
No, I'm not some physical specimen or an unbeliveable talent
at mobility, but hey, I can lift and throw a warm body as well as
the next idiot, and I am pretty sure I can hit a hole, like the door,
pretty well through the total panic that would be occuring.
Ok, OK, I have said my little bit, and I agree with your sentiment
as well, I don't suppose I'd want to sit in some place like that if
I felt uncomfortable with my own abilities in that area.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing anyone of anything. Its
sort of a point of view. I can understand the sighted passengers
feelings, since most of them are in the thought pattern of "Ok, those
poor blind people..." I don't suppose they do want a blind person
there.
I am at a massive dichotomy on this point. I think I should
be able to sit there, but then I am not so awfully sure its worth
any effort on my part to make some fool let me! There are probablly
much more worthwhile things I can rant and rave about. Besides, ranting
and raving on this issue won't really change the public perceptions
of visual impairments, other than probablly making the average guy
say, "Look at the blind fool babbling about the airplanes!"
Talk to ya later!
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!143.0!Al.Hoffman
Internet: Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org