The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, May 7, 2004. Letters are limited to 300 words or less. All submissions must include the author’s name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors.
Regarding recent events
Fellow Members:
It troubles me to see so much discord among the higher-ups in this organization. I am unaware of the cause, but I am not concerned.
I had a family member who worked for a nice small company in a supervisory capacity. Because of disagreement between the family members who owned the company, within about two years the company went under. Each family member thought others might have had a little more power than they did. This proved fatal for this company.
I had another friend who was highly respected by many. He said that when he was on the board of a particular organization, when they couldn’t all agree on a particular course of action, they would all go and think about it some more. Then they would meet and the decision which was made was the right one. This friend told me that every time over several years when there was not a unanimous vote on an issue, that was because they did not have the right answer yet. But when more thought was given and the right answer appeared, the vote was unanimous.
Over the years we have had difficult decisions to make. Sometimes maybe we don’t all agree. Sometimes, however, I’m not sure that the right decision has been thought of.
There is nothing wrong with discussing a thing until the right answer appears, but please keep harmony as the number-one goal. Remember, we all want the same thing for the blind.
— Blair R. Gleisberg, St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Editor:
I recently received my April-May “Braille Forum” via e-mail, and I noticed immediately that the magazine is no longer a monthly. I did not wonder why; I already knew. Since last summer’s national convention in Pittsburgh, Christopher Gray and the organization have gone out of their way to give Penny Reeder an extremely difficult time. It all started after the 2002 convention, when Chris and several others printed some articles asserting that the board of publications was usurping power unconstitutionally. I could sort of see things coming.
Penny had a site on the Internet, braille-free-press.org. (Editor’s Note: This site has been taken down.) I spent some 12 hours on the ACB-L list recently, and saw people telling Penny that she was showing disrespect for ACB history by using that name. I was able to show a pre-law student from Boston that the name came into existence in 1959; that in the magazine of that title, dissidents wrote articles and speeches, etc., demonstrating the dictatorial nature of Jacobus tenBroek’s presidency. I never heard back from the student, but I did hear from Donna Seliger, who suggested that I read “People of Vision.” I told Donna that because I am writing a book, I don’t have time.
Threatening such a lawsuit is not a smart thing at all for the American Council of the Blind to do with its limited financial resources. How do you who are active in the ACB like the organization’s squandering your money like this?
Of course, it may be that Chris Gray and the rest of his administration make $100,000 a year. If that is the case, I suggest that the rest of you in the organization just leave them to fight things out.
Many of you in the Council are figuratively raking my friend Penny Reeder over hot coals, and I don’t appreciate that. As long as you do this, I have no interest in the American organized blind whatsoever. I left NFB for several reasons: 98 percent of its members don’t think for themselves; its membership has been inflated at 50,000 for 25 or 30 years, when it is nearer 20,000; the NFB force-feeds its philosophy; the NFB has stolen from ACB affiliates; the NFB attacks the ACB (and the ACB does the same to the NFB); and the NFB idolizes its officers. Neither organization is willing to work with the other. If they would do so, the American organized blind would be the most powerful force the American blindness field has ever seen. My ceasing activity in both will defeat the purpose for the blind’s organizing in 1940; but since the ACB and NFB fight between themselves and with each other now, what is the point in staying?
— Jeff Frye, Overland Park, Kan.
Humpty Dumpty, The Wall, and ACB
Dear Editor and ACB members,
It was my privilege to represent the Mississippi Council of the Blind at the mid-year meeting in Birmingham. I hope many of you will attend the national convention in July. Please try to stay until the close of business on July 9th and participate in the business of our organization.
Attending the mid-year meeting confirmed to me that this convention could be one of ACB’s most important ever. If we do not attend and take part — like Humpty-Dumpty sitting on that wall — many critical internal issues will be addressed only by those taking part.
Right now, ACB is a house divided, and if it falls, all those wall sitters fall too, and we cannot put Humpty-Dumpty together again as it was before. We cannot let ACB fall. We won’t have to if the ACB board and all of us remember that a house divided cannot stand. Everyone must understand that it really doesn’t matter who is at fault; casting blame will not fix the problem. The board must take steps to regain the confidence of the membership and the membership must work with its elected board to confirm that we still have a strong, united organization.
— Becky Floyd, President, Mississippi Council of the Blind, Madison, Miss.