Blind or Deceased? Opinions Sought Please

[sami]

I've also been following this thread with interest and have found it informative. Not offensive.

My own thought is that it is not a PM photo. Rather, that there are two children, with one of them being profoundly physically disabled and requiring assistance for the pose.

sami

[JenB]

At the very least I request that the thread  title is  now  amended  to delete the word "blind" please.

It is open to you to request a moderator to do so by using the appropriate button. Having done so the best thing then would be to remain silent on the topic until action is, or is not, taken.

[Treetotal]

Yes  definitely in my opinion.

Just think how offensive it  is   to parents or sisters  of disabled people.

Surely I cannot be the only person who has reported this thread to the moderators?

If you find it offensive...then I suggest that you read posts and contribute to posts  that don't offend your sensibilities....please remember that we are discussing ancient practice that was the norm for the period...just as "Imbecile" was a common term for the unfortunate used in census returns in the same period...but I don't remember you questioning this.
If you have nothing useful to add...then I suggest that you participate in threads that don't offend your delicate nature.
As this post has generated some interesting and intelligent responses...I will leave it up to the interested parties to determine its fate.

With respect...Carol

[Treetotal]

I've also been following this thread with interest and have found it informative. Not offensive.

My own thought is that it is not a PM photo. Rather, that there are two children, with one of them being profoundly physically disabled and requiring assistance for the pose.

sami

Thanks for your input Sami....it all adds to the overall opinion....I guess we will never know but it has proved interesting and informative.

With nearly 1000 views...I deduce from that, that the subject has been of interest to many.
 
Carol

[BumbleB]

It is offensive  to blind people.
......

No.  My mother was blind - not from birth, but through illness.  I am not in the least offended by this thread.  In fact it is very interesting.

[stevew101]

We live in a different era now, where everything has to be politically correct.

However, mosr of us are researching an era where political correctness didn't exist.  We have to look at what happened during that period

It is a fact that pictures of this type were taken and we had blind children on street corners selling matches.  They were not known by todays wording of "visually impaired".

It happened - We should not try to rewrite the past  It is for us to try and understand it

I have found this subject difficult, but also very eye opening and interesting.  If we say we shouldn't discuss it, then what comes next - Should we not discuss the World Wars for fear of upsetting relatives of lost ones.

I feel that you are quite right in posting a difficult subject Carol

[Greensleeves]

I can't see why anyone would regard this thread as offensive -  we are genealogists and family historians and we deal not only with death but also sickness, disabilities, blindness, deafness and even the sad and fortunately long-past classification of 'imbecile'.  If we are not allowed to discuss subjects such as this  - however painful they might be - we might just as well pack up and stop searching.  PM photos were popular at one time and this cannot be denied so we should be allowed to discuss them.  People now are now classified as 'visually impaired' were then called blind.  It's not the words used that are important but the spirit in which they are discussed.  In this thread I feel - and I have been following quietly - that the subjects have been dealt with with the utmost respect and understanding and in no way has anyone said anything which might be regarded as offensive.  Making such allegations is extremely hurtful and unnecessary, and inconsiderate of the feelings of the OP and other posters.

And in my opinion - for what it's worth - it's a PM photo.

[Treetotal]

It is only by researching the past and understanding the Victorian values and way of life that we can appreciate how far we have come and how privileged we are. Let's not forget the hardships, difficulties and deprivation that many of our ancestors endured and overcame. We are a product of their fortitude and resilience in the face of adversity.
I seek only to understand and learn from their experiences through a shared experience....otherwise why are we here doing what we do if not to gain a greater understanding of the lives of our ancestors.

Thanks Steve for the benefit of reasoning over a practice that belongs in the past but is useful for a greater understanding of a life lived in Victorian times.


Carol

[Treetotal]

I can't see why anyone would regard this thread as offensive -  we are genealogists and family historians and we deal not only with death but also sickness, disabilities, blindness, deafness and even the sad and fortunately long-past classification of 'imbecile'.  If we are not allowed to discuss subjects such as this  - however painful they might be - we might just as well pack up and stop searching.  PM photos were popular at one time and this cannot be denied so we should be allowed to discuss them.  People now are now classified as 'visually impaired' were then called blind.  It's not the words used that are important but the spirit in which they are discussed.  In this thread I feel - and I have been following quietly - that the subjects have been dealt with with the utmost respect and understanding and in no way has anyone said anything which might be regarded as offensive.  Making such allegations is extremely hurtful and unnecessary, and inconsiderate of the feelings of the OP and other posters.

And in my opinion - for what it's worth - it's a PM photo.

Very eloquently put GS....I couldn't agree with you more and refuse to sweep away and ignore the past purely because it is a sensitive and somewhat uncomfortable concept to deal with in the politically correct world in which we now live.

Carol