I find it interesting that people, particularly blind people,  would
criticize, even condemn a blind person, and a senior citizen at that,  who
is doing his best to earn a living on his own, rather than depend on the
"charity" of the local, state and federal governments, by producing products
that people are willing to buy.

And then, condemning the ACB, or any other blindness-related organization,
for not taking direct action to interfere with, and even put such a blind
person out of business, when the unemployment rate for those of us who are
blind or visually-impaired, is in the 70 to 80% range.

Whether or not we agree with the message, it is not for us to judge this
person and his efforts to, at his age, try to remain financially
independent, earning an honest living for himself and his family.

One of the first lessons I learned in business school, is that we do not
determine what business we will go into, our customers do.  We may decide to
open a store that sells nothing other than used hamburger wrappers, but it
is our customers who decide whether we will succeed, or go out of business.

This person has come up with a line of products that others are willing to
buy, because the message imprinted thereon, reflects a message his customers
wish to passively communicate to others, simply by virtue of the fact that
they are wearing them.  That such a message may not be  a message that you,
personally, wish to convey, I contend that none of us has the right to
censor those who feel they have the need, not to mention the right, to
convey that message to others, to help simplify and facilitate their own
right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, with what limited, if
any sight, they may have left with which to live.

Nobody is dictating that any or all of us must wear such products ourselves.
Indeed, if you wish to produce your own line of clothes and hats that
proclaim "I am blind, and don't need anybody's damned help to do anything,"
then you, too have that right to do so.  And if there are enough blind
customers who wish to buy your product, then you, too, will be successful.
And similarly, nobody has the moral right to criticize or condemn either you
or your customers for having such a sentiment, and buying or selling such
garments that reflect that sentiment.

Maybe I should create my own line of products that proclaims, "I may be
blind, but I still retain and demand my Constitutional Right to freedom of
speech, and to be able to earn my own living, without censorship by the
blind (in more ways than one) community."

What is that saying?  "There are none so blind, as thos who will not see."
Maybe I should produce a line of garments with that saying also.

Now who wants to take this a step further, and tell me that, as a blind
person, I don't have the right to say any or all of this?

-- George


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