system: You are Karl Smith, a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Nfb Blind News message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to All about "Re: updated unemployment figures for the19:54:3901/06/97".

They wrote:
>
>
>
>Fellow FEderationists and friends,
>
>For some time I too have wondered if there has been an increase or  a
>decrease in unemployment among the blind.  I suggested to Mr. Stephans
>that if he were to rejoin us that he could approach President Maurer and
>Lorraine rovig about doing some research in to this question.  I am sure
>that others in our organizzation are wondering the same question.  Is
>there anyone on these list who might know something about this question?
>
>Take care and have a good day.
>
>Yours truly,
>
>Peter Donahue
>
>
>----------
>Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 14:18:46 -0600
>From: Geoff Stephens <bhawk@IBM.NET>
>Reply-To: Access to GUI via Speech <GUISPEAK@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>
>To: GUISPEAK@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU
>Subject: Re: happy new year
>
>Bitching is a fine art...takes years to master.  Besides aren't 70% of blind
>people unemployed these days or has it gone down some?  I know that 70% was
>a figure NFB propagated a  while back.
>
>In fact I'm being serious when I ask if maybe some additional research has
>been done to determine whether the unemployment figure really is still at
>approximately 70%?
>
>At 11:41 AM 1/4/97 -0700, you wrote:
>>Do you people really have so little with whitch to occupy yourselves?
>>you could take up string or tin foil collecting.  I see you've mastered
>>bitching, it's time to move on.
>>
>>
>>At 06:57 PM 1/3/97 -0600, you wrote:
>>>Unless I'm threatening the government I feel I can make accusations or
>>>my beliefs 24 hours a day on any subject of many which might arouse my
>>>interest.  If you want to discuss federation business then discuss it on
>>>your "chapter mailing list" and keep your salutations out of this one and
>>>your attitude as well.
>>>
>>>I was not the person who made these, apparently, unacceptable statements
>>>about the federation but then I don't subscribe to this list to hear about
>>>this either.  Maybe you should give us membership in your federation list
>>>we can all have a hugo debate about the merits of independence and how
>>>we hate people who don't believe everything our blessed "federation" has
>>>done to promote the qquality of blind people.
>>>
>>>Or, better yet, maybe if the federation would stop spending its time in
>>>these mmail discussion lists and get out and actually **do** something you
>>>wouldn't be bother my mailbox with this trivial salutation form-letter
>>>anyway.
>>>
>>>Oh, by the way, this is being written by someone who really will probably
>>>join NFB at some time in the future and has been a member in the past.
>>>don't worry--during my time in NFB in the past and most probably my
>>>membership in the future, I will still not stand for a lot of the
>>>bull which prevails among your members.
>>>
>>>Also, I do not apologize if I have offended anyone.  What children we all
>>>must be if we think when we state an opinion it will not offend someone.
>>>
>>>I might be an atheist and all that noneense about God which dominated
>>>cyberspace for the last month might be really offensive to me.  That
>>>mean I had to say so.  But then, I could have said so and wouldn't that
>>>been my right?
>>>
>>>                                Geoff Stephens
>>>email:  bhawk@ibm.net
>>>
>>_____________________________
>>
>>Karl Smith
>>Adaptive Technology Consultant
>>CSA Adaptive Products and Services
>>4304 South El Camino St.
>>Taylorsville, Utah 84119
>>
>>Phone:     801-967-5655
>>Fax:       801-969-4357
>>Toll Free: 800-335-4995
>>E-mail:    KSMITH@UTAH-INTER.NET
>>
>>        "One man with courage makes a majority."
>>                - Andrew Jackson
>>
>>
>                                Geoff Stephens
>email:  bhawk@ibm.net
>
>
>

Write your reply.

assistant: From: ksmith@utah-inter.net (Karl Smith)
Subject: Re: updated unemployment figures for the blind
Hi Pete,
Actually, the unemployment figures used by the NFB over the past few years
were not our numbers.  The 70% unemployment rate was determined by the
Social Security Administration and was published by them.
At 02:45 PM 1/4/97 -0600, you wrote:
aybe
state
so
uch
rap
ut
separatist
doesn't
have
_____________________________
Karl Smith
Adaptive Technology Consultant
CSA Adaptive Products and Services
4304 South El Camino St.
Taylorsville, Utah 84119
Phone:     801-967-5655
Fax:       801-969-4357
Toll Free: 800-335-4995
E-mail:    KSMITH@UTAH-INTER.NET
	"One man with courage makes a majority."
		- Andrew Jackson