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From: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: why blink?
Message-ID: <19205@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 6 May 91 16:27:38 GMT
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[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

To: cmfaltz@phoenix.princeton.edu (Christine Marie Faltz)
 CM>         I am relatively new to this news group, and I may be
 CM>         reopening an issue without knowing it, but I would
 CM>  appreciate responses. I am ot happy with the names "blinklink"
 CM>  or "blinktalk" since I have, along with most of my blind
 CM>  friends (and enemies!) always viewed "blink" as a pejorative
 CM>  term, analogous to "nigger" for African-Americans or "kike"
 CM>  for Jews.  Such terms offend me to a great extent.
 CM>         The names of the cmoputer nets are not the real
 CM>  problem; I can accept it, with a little trouble.  But I have
 CM>  been noticing that many of the blind members of the conference
 CM>  use the word "blink" interchangeably with "blind people,"
 CM>  "blind person/man/woman/child".  I find this offensive,
 CM>  insulting,--and, if anyone does, orhas, argued that it is a
 CM>  "bonding" word,--I feel it is infantile.  We share enough
 CM>  negativity; let's respect each other enough to beproud of what
 CM>  we are--people who justhappen to be blind.  There is no reason
 CM>  to hide behind a cute, colloquial term that offends many
 CM>  people.  I am a blind person--a capable, independent,
 CM>  attractive, intelligent blind person.  I am not a "blink" any
 CM>  more than I am a broad.

Christine,  Yes, this has come up before and you are in the
minority.  I agree with you 100 percent and you have articulated it
much better than I did a couple years ago when I first brought it
up.  We are however in the minority and this is one I don't see
changing unfortunately.  Many people will say that you lack a sense
of humor, and you are over sensative.  They have also said in the
past that it is okay because it is just between us "blinks."  Well,
this thing goes out all over the world and is the image we want to
portray?

... David Andrews

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