While ago when I saw radical big “D” militants were being protested for deaf rights. I was okay by it because that is the way we can preserve our own language. I believe signing ASL is very beautiful. I recall that I was sitting in city bus with my friend and we chatted for many blocks. My friend grew discomfort because he noticed that another passenger was staring completely on us. Of course, my friend asked that guy “What’s up”. Poor guy scrambled into his backpack and pulled out a note and pen. He wrote ’Sorry, I am enjoying watching and tried to understand a bit. I think it is most beautiful thing that you guys chatted with each other.’
But nowadays, our beautiful language has become black eye by those big “D” militant because they are protesting for the rights. If they are protesting to preserve ASL, I would understand and support that. Right now, they are protesting for people’s choice. It is a big turn off for me. I do not support anyone who protests against people’s choice. If they chose to wear pink shirt, so be it, if they choose to cut hair short so be it, if they choose to have CI so be it, if they choose to be oralist, so be it. It is waste of time protesting these matters. We ought to do better than that. We should have focus on developing better language along with academic to help those deaf children to have an advance literacy skills. All those protestors with a deficiency in understanding English should do better than that. That is totally embarrassment.
Karl White wrote two letters, shown at TheHolism’s blogs, it proves that Karl White has a biggest heart and offered AFA to join and he also offered them to meet in a secure room with an interpreter. But one protestor leader turned into nano-protestor crowd and said EDHI refused to allow them to enter, that is an audism (I never will include that word in my dictionary). Karl mentioned in that letter that he urged them to register for access. If they do not do so therefore they shall not be permitted to enter. It is also another totally embarrassment.
It is all about glory and fame that AFA are targeting for.
I am totally disagreed how they approach with rights compared to black movement, gay movement, women movement, and some more. I understand Black community are trying to get rid of segregation, gay community are trying to get rid of being clam up and to be left alone, and Women community to get rid of belittle and want to be treating equally. That is considering human beings. Those matters are mostly related to physical or verbal abuses.
Deafness is just medical term or condition that will never be compared with those rights as explained above. Being deafness is not human beings; it is just medical condition that limits us from hearing. It is not even close to another rights by black, gay, and women…
Even sometime we just can’t meet this category of the rights, for instance, women would be unable to work in heavy hauling jobs like for example construction. I recall that one woman demanded to work in our construction company and in end of the day, she quit because she realized that it do not suit to her. It doesn’t mean that she can’t work there; it is because of her strength that does not fit in. I would understand if women can’t vote. That is correct type of right. Often if I failed to be in this category therefore I would seek for another opportunity, no need for me to fight my own right to barge into something that will cause problem for some kind of situations.
It is very wrong for you guys to fight for the rights on people’s choice. It is just medical condition we have therefore we should accept for who we are and show our best instead of fighting for silly rights that those big “D” militants have been doing since deaf hoof coined in 2000.
Deaf and deafness is the same, you're not saying deafness is "ear and mouth", are you? Just checking. Cuz they both are the same, just used differently depending on the structure of the sentence.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they're not helping the deaf community nor are they raising awareness about ASL/Sign language in a positive way.
It's no secret that AFA sees CI as audistic. They can't embrace one technology over another. they can' choose not to have it, but they can't stop anyone from choosing it.
ahh, last sentence should have read: They can't choose not to have it...
ReplyDeleteHi Candy,
DeleteIt is thrilled to hear from you. Yes, you are right I was not certain what I am suppose to use those words like deaf or deafness, I believe they are the same. The way I see in deaf, it would mean unresponsive or indifferent like "They remained deaf to all our entreaties." I thought I would use deafness as medical term as it gives more specific of meaning. Thank you for asking, I am still learning, LOL.
I thought I left a comment here but apparently it disappeared. Guess I'll try again. You are correct about equality. Not everybody can do all the jobs that are out there so it's difficult to measure equality, just like you pointed out. And yes, our deafness WILL ALWAYS be seen as disabled by this world therefore our rally to remain disabled will never make sense to most people. So, the radical militant deaf people is waging a battle that simply can not be won, ever. They can keep their culture and language, sure but they can't expect to force every parents to agree to let their deaf children sign. That is where they crossed the line.
ReplyDeleteHi Brother Barry,
DeleteYes, I found your message at my email but not here, strange, I will just post here on your first message:-
(nodding, nodding, nodding). You said it all. Good blog. People have many different funny ideas on what their rights are even if they can't use it. Like you said, women wanted equality in the work force but they know that there are some jobs they can't do just like some jobs that men can't do. Equality is a funny thing. What's equal to others may not be equal to me therefore is there really such thing as equality? You made good points here.
Thanks Barry, I learned something new today, it is called equality, it is perfect to describe many things. Exactly, sometime we could not do that others can. It is not right for them to force into something that others cant. They absolute crossed the line for sure a way beyond that line.
Do you think there is any way that we can stop those ignorance people. Maybe asking legislative and put new law to ban those kind of protesting for people's choice.
I hear you. :-) Big turnoff from ADA, that's for sure.
ReplyDelete~ Renée J.
Thanks Renée for stopping by here, it means lot to me. It is good to hear from you again.
DeleteIt works on the basis any publicity is better than none for your cause. We are just people who cannot hear. When this is used against us it is discrimination, any discrimination just is, you don't have to be deaf or educated with orals to experience it, everyone gets it at some point. By 'personalising' discrimination you suggest it ONLY happens to you, this shows a very narrow view of discrimination. I just ignore the term audism it is irrelevant in the UK anyway, so obviously this term seems localised to the USA,where its proponents seem quite hysterical over it. Audism is not even a term used in our Disability act. The UK, we use one term it saves a lot of print effort !
ReplyDeleteAwesome, I was not sure where you come from, Untied Kingdom, No wonder because I notice that you do have unique in writing maybe it is related to dialect. What you had wrote that attract me so much and admire how you put literacy together. I am myself from British Columbia, Canada, I guess we come from commonwealth. I believe in USA it is a key to our solution. I am glad that there are so many people out there who agreed with ours. Those ignorance people need to go and stay in their own corner. The more we push to those people, they shall fell over the cliff and stay in abyss forever. I envy you that audism is not even exist in UK, in Canada, some people welcome that word. I do not believe those scholars like Oxford or Websters dictionary will permit that word in our dictionary. I believe those scholars are laughing their heads off with that silly word.
DeleteI'm envious of the American deaf set up the way they can use their voice, not so happy with the various negatives of deafhood and audism etc. It seems to divide people so much and I think it lost focus very soon after the Gallaudet debacles, which is to my mind another great idea ruined by extremists. As for the terminologies, they will enter the dictionary at some point, as the dictionary acknowledges words via 'colloquialism' that is, if a term/word is used often enough and wide enough then it becomes an acceptable word, however that is ALL a dictionary does, it does not legitimise the meaning in as much as it becomes a term in LAW. if we all used the word 'deafmybacksideism' in due course that would enter the dictionary.
ReplyDeleteHi MM,
DeleteThanks for your additional. Yes, It is sometime necessary to have things balance, like bad and good, that is where we can develop ourselves into better situation. I had done researched on how those major dictionaries like Oxford, Webster. It was very tough than I thought. Since we have two words, Discrimination and oppression, that cover everything. I believe oppression is being used very often by those communities like black, gay and women. Audism sounds more of sympathetic word. I believe some of those deafhood leader did tried and established that word in those dictionaries, it is seem to that it has not gone in yet. I recall that we were quarrel over that word in some 3 or 4 years ago. It was too vague to our eyes, it do not have a specific meaning. It is like that words may be definite by their own meanings as if it has scattered many definite. I saw that it was already established in people's dictionary like Mermaid (I think) but those type of dictionaries was not being approved by the scholars. You are right, it has to be usage more than many times therefore it will consider being establish, I thought 'colloguailism' is more of cool one than it is in audism, LOL.
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ReplyDeleteI did a blog a few years ago, in which I said I was staggered by the outbreak of 'isms' emanating from the US of A. At that time I recorded about 40 ! all connected in some way with being deaf in a particular way. Near most came from Paddy Ladd's deafhood book, the strange thing about it all, is American deaf saw this book as an 'academic' thing and went on to make it some bible and deaf course. I had the book given me ! and after 6 pages it was clear an 'academic' rant at everyone who didn't sign or went to a deaf school basically, it's 'deafinition' of who WAS deaf was virtual discrimination and libel in print, but 'culture saved it from a court case. Pity we are more obsessed with words and terms than with deaf people.
ReplyDelete