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National Federation of the Blind tell judge to STFU over money
 U.S. District Judge James Robertson was wrong when he ruled that U.S. paper currency discriminates against blind people. Discrimination occurs when someone is barred from enjoying benefits, goods or services. African-Americans experienced discrimination when they were barred from eating at lunch counters or forced to sit at the back of public buses. Blind people are not barred from spending money. When we hand merchants our money, they take it and provide us with what we have paid for. People with whom we transact business provide us with correct change, and we then fold or organize the money so that we can identify it in the future. We transact business in this way successfully every day. The cost to society in changing machines that accept currency, such as vending machines and ATMs, will be much greater than the small convenience afforded to the blind by being able to identify money by touch. Changes that make paper money more easily identifiable might be desirable to everyone who handles money. But the money should not be changed solely on account of the blind. We do not need such a dramatic change to accommodate us. Changing the currency only for the sake of the blind implies that we can't look out for our own best interests and are generally helpless and incompetent. If society believes we walk around not knowing how much money is in our pockets, it might also believe that we are not competent to work and do business with others. Such beliefs would make our goal of full integration into society virtually impossible. The blind are a minority. Though it is crucial that minorities have a voice in society, it is also the responsibility of every minority to use that voice wisely and not to cry discrimination when no discrimination has occurred. The blind of America will fight discrimination wherever we find it, but we will not do so by falsely portraying ourselves as victims and engaging in frivolous litigation. Marc Maurer is president of the 50,000-member National Federation of the Blind. (The Treasury Department declined to provide an opposing view to this editorial.) AMEN!! Thank you!! Posted by: DarthVader 2006-12-14 |
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