What a cool video — I had never before seen a video of Helen Keller, much less one where she speaks.
Helen Keller speaks
- Post author:Erich Vieth
- Post published:May 23, 2013
- Post category:Uncategorized
- Post comments:2 Comments
Erich Vieth
Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.
I watched this video recently after reading Helen Keller’s autobiography, which I thoroughly recommend to those few of us who missed it in grade school. She worked so hard to speak in an intelligible way while she was away from home for many weeks, and upon her return she surprised her family with this newly developed skill. I get chills just thinking about what that moment was like for those present.
It is amazing to get a sense of the depth of her understanding of the world, that almost completely entered her consciousness through her fingers alone. It’s tempting, but I can’t use the word miraculous to describe it. Instead it is a mind-blowing testament to the human spirit.
Mike: Thank you for taking the time to articulate those thoughts. When I read Helen Keller’s words I have been inspired and puzzled. I just don’t get it. I don’t get how she could have some a grasp on large social issues given what would seem to be a lack of necessary access to the rest of the world. And she was exceedingly outspoken in political ways, though her views would not be appreciated by conservatives. For instance, here.