This, is a response, to the attached email from the president of the NFB-NC who received, as did many others, my criticism of NCDMV, their inspections program and their well-known attitude towards citizens of North Carolina WHO, because of a monopoly and government regulation, citizens have no choice but to deal with them. This involved two inspections of my vehicle, almost new – only 7000 miles, 2 1/2 months apart !
Mr. Gary Ray,
Thank you for responding to my letter, I write many letters to many government agencies, politicians, but in this age of “political-correctness”, most do not reply, just as most businesses do not reply because, in doing so, they acknowledge receipt and involvement. I have a filing cabinet filled with letters to agencies for the disabled. Particularly, Americans With Disabilities Act, FTC, FCC, SEC, VA, (seeking help for fellow veterans) baptist leaders, (encouraging involvement in moral-spiritual causes) politicians of every stripe, editors such as the editor of The News & Observer, the chairman of the BVA said to me one time by phone, “if there has ever been a person who should be on Oprah, it is you... a man, though blind, traveled the world, from zero became a multimillionaire, from zero, though blind, self-sufficient at home and still in business.
As I pointed out to you, most of my life, (and we only have one to live) has been spent in blackness, totally blind, 100% disabled, service connected, medical officer, veteran of the Korean War era .
My driver once told me about the big sign inside the VA hospital, Durham. “Our veterans come first” Most veterans do not believe this, certainly not those that have dealt with VA Facilities OR organizations such as yours, who are supposed to have compassion for the blind and disabled. Even the Blind Veterans Association BVA cares for nothing except membership dues. One time, one person from your group has come to my door (Rebecca Koziah. I had called about a radio that reads the newspaper). Even though there have been many news articles about me, some, an entire page, my world travels as a blind man, NCJC Young Man of the Year, one of the five most fascinating men, other accomplishments, as a blind person, she said, she had never heard of me, and even though I gave her a first edition of Thomas Braille’s book, I had to get information about the blind in this area from my Senator. I knew Judge Cathey, (blind judge form Asheville), my friends, governors Sanford and Moore told me I should be appointed to a board but, as was the case with New Hanover County Manager, Powell (who came to my house and told me that I would not be appointed to a county board because of my blindness) I was never appointed to anything because I am a rabid Republican.
I know about political appointments, democrats. Early on, I was president of the Young Democrats but, as Senator Helms and I discussed, the democrats left us. Even so, my ability should not have been compromised because of my blindness or politics. I know about government jobs, my two brothers, sister, their wives and husband are all retired state employees... not insignificant employees. I knew Jocephus Daniels, editor of The News and Observer, lived next door to Henry Belk, blind editor of the News Argus. I know about baptists and evangelicals, I know about hypocrisy. You, of all people, like other organizations promoting the blind, should take some pride in the facts of my productive life... easily found on my Facebook page-blogs. (This will be sent out as another blog, I hope you do not mind. I have an email list that goes around the world, everyone should know the attitude of bureaucrats towards the disenfranchised)
Long ago, full uniform, Washington, DC, Mr. Stancil official with the VA said to me, “Dr., you have done your part, you will never have anything to worry about”. Now, would I not have been a fool to have believed him... the VA , who has never so much as given me a white cane, a talking watch, I buy my own. The greatest fear of a blind person living alone, a break-in or fire. For years, I put cement blocks to my doors. At Duke hospital, surgery, a nurse spat on me and told me how much she despised veterans. Twice, one year, my telephone wires, cut, outside my house. May I gently, humbly, ask you and the others paid nice salaries, when will organizations interested in the blind, (AFB, NFB, ADA, VA, BVA, etc.) religious denominations and groups who proclaim compassion, actually get down to business, get into the fight, show interest in those who need help, show some interest in those who have lived productive lives, with disability. This old, retired, beaten but robust, crusader of the cross, has often felt very lonely. You can check at UNC-CH, Mt. Olive College, baptist denominations (SBC, FWB) and learn my gifts for the disabled. It is time for all of us to cease just “going through the motions.” I cannot speak for those who are deaf, mentally incapacitated, wheel chairs, but blindness is a very lonely-desperate existence. I refuse to play the victim card (the best men I ever knew, died in war), God has been too good to me, but I resent the pretensions (pastors, doctors, bureaucrats, of those paid to care)... empathy.
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