Swim Day

Had a great time at the East Fork Lewis River yesterday with my kids. This is one of the most popular swimming hole because of the many ledges and height one can jump into this large pool. This river is a fairly short drive from my house and easy to access to. There are lots of swim holes up and down this river but this one here is the best so far. Last year was at Sunset Falls which is a good place to go and has ample parking provided you get there early enough. But Sunset Falls is much further out to drive to than this swim hole we went to yesterday although parking can be challenge. These pools can be anywhere from 12 to 15 feet deep, plenty deep to jump into from 10 to 20 foot ledges. The kids here in the photo on a ledge is about 20 to 22 feet up. There's a spot to the left of the picture (unseen) where one can jump off from a 25 ledge.  If jumping into a deep pool of water isn't your thing you can ride a mini-rapid that flows into another pool downstream if you have an inner tube to ride on.



Water was refreshingly cool. It took a couple of swims to get used to the water temperature while swimming in the sunny, 85 degree weather. Ideal temperature for us would be into mid-90's but today was a good day.

Important truths.....

Just when you think you know it all out comes the truths when people tried to obscure them in so many ways but really it's about diversity and respect.

Truth #1: Dr. E.M. Gallaudet started it first several years after the Milan Conference of 1880 by agreeing that "oral teaching should be included" and believed that "the oral method as a necessity in any system that aimed to reach the highest good of the deaf." Although he does support sign language as well, the oral-aural component simply cannot be ignored coming from Dr. E.M. Gallaudet. 

Yet, technology today has changed everything in terms of how we approach language and the various communication methods that are out there. That cannot be ignored and how it impacts people with hearing loss. Even social interactions and the outcomes are much different today than it was 20 years ago simply because the internet was barely on the radar and 30 years ago the internet wasn't even around. Today we have the internet, video phone, chat features, CART, closed captioning, face to face technology such as the UbiDuo, discussion forums, blogs, vlogs, YouTube, Facebook, smart phones, and so on. The socialization aspect on how we interact with people, deaf and hearing) has certainly changed and that there are many levels of socialization nowadays.

Truth #2: ICED issued a global call to "accept and respect all languages and all forms of communication" in the education of deaf and hard of hearing people. This is a simple and straight-forward if not common sense announcement.  Although there are no mention of how its done or whether one method or approach would be satisfactory enough or the combining with other methods for a more rounder, comprehensive approach that's more suitable. No. Nothing like that. Just that people simply need to accept and respect all languages and all forms of communication when it comes to the education of deaf and hard of hearing people. Short, sweet and to the point.

Truth #3: Diversity is real. It's a natural feature to be expected from people with a variety hearing loss ranging from mild to profound who have various preferences on how to communicate. Marlee Matlin made it abundantly clear when it comes to diversity

I sign, I support deaf culture. And I support ALL CHOICES of communication, all kinds of people. If you don’t like my choices, well….

Ain't that the truth? And there are people who do not like to offer or support choices but make these demands on mandatory requirements instead.

Truth #4:  Parents of children with hearing loss hold the trump card on making a decisions regarding communication methods, language development, and eduction for their child. All we can hope is that parents will have enough information to make an informed decision. People cannot force parents to do their bidding. It's a fact of life, parents are the ones to who make these informed decisions. Not you or anybody else. The best thing people can do is to supply parents with all of the necessary information that are balanced and unbiased.

Truth #5: Be comfortable for who you are and not about what you are. If you love to talk and listen, so be it. If you love to sign and watch, so be it. Just don't become lemmings.

Dufur

A picture of a farm land pasture on the edge of Dufur, Oregon looking west toward Mt. Hood hidden behind some clouds. June 2011 on a sunny, warm day. Photo below is the same farmland but more to the east.

Day 4

Not much as I head into Day 4 of no news. I've no idea what's going on out there which is good because that's less noise and distraction. Seems like with each passing day on abstaining from news it gets easier as I shift over to other things that require my attention. No biggie.

Day 3...pictures!

Ok. No big deal. It's only day 3 and life continues to churn. I went through my picture folders I spotted a picture I took in 2008 on a hike on a trail that go to Sierra Blanca in New Mexico. It was one of those splendor that managed to catch my eye and decided it was a good spot to take a picture.  I stopped at an elevation of 10,500 feet, looked across the mountainous expanse and took a picture and below is what I got.

Here's me hiking the mountain hills at around 10,000 feet with Sierra Blanca in the foreground. It was the same day when I took a picture seen above. A lot of hiking that day in New Mexico, 2008.



Same picture as above but without me in it.





I spotted this odd setup. A tree growing through an old, upside down and obviously abandoned car. This was taken near Weed, New Mexico about 10 miles or so down the road. Thought it was neat and took a picture of it in 2007. Thought you might enjoy it.

Cochlear Implants and Nuclear War

There is this one terrible side effect from a nuclear explosion or electromagnetic bomb and that's called  "EMP" or Electro-magnetic Pulse and how such a pulse can easily destroy cochlear implants.

This pulse of energy, which produces a powerful electromagnetic field, particularly within the vicinity of the weapon burst, is called an electromagnetic pulse. EMP can also be produced from non-nuclear sources, such as electromagnetic bombs, or E-bombs.  

High-altitude nuclear detonations and electromagnetic bombs can generate EMP that has the potential to damage or destroy electronic devices over widespread areas. Electric power systems would also be at risk from surges produced by such weapons. However, the EMP from a kiloton-range surface nuclear explosion would not be expected to produce serious damage outside the radius of severe destruction from blast.

A 1.4 Megaton bomb launched about 250 miles above Kansas would destroy most of the electronics that were not protected in the entire Continental United States. During the brief return to atmospheric testing in 1962, a 1.4 megaton nuclear weapon was detonated over Johnston Island at an altitude of about 250 miles.  The effects of EMP were observed in Hawaii, 800 miles east of the detonation.  Streetlights and fuses failed on Oahu and telephone service was disrupted on the Island of Kauai.

So, basically any electronic components are at risk of failing outright from an EMP burst which includes cochlear implant, hearing aid, laptop, television, cell phone, automobiles, trains, planes, video phone, and many, many more.  What I don't get is why people even feel the need to bring up about cochlear implants (and hearing aids) in an EMP scenario? If this happens everybody is basically dead in the water where there's no communication, no food being made, no water delivered to your faucet, refrigerators no longer work, and so on. Everybody would be effected. Of course, for hearing aid users, they can put their spare hearing aids in a box that is covered and encased in metal and a couple years worth of batteries (that is in this situation hopefully the use of batteries would be judiciously used and stretched out for a period of 3 or 4 years).

There are two basic ways to protect or harden items against EMP effects. The first method is metallic shielding. Shields are made of a continuous piece of metal such as steel or copper. A metal enclosure generally does not fully shield the interior because of the small holes that are likely to exist.  Therefore, this type of shielding often contains additional elements to create the barrier. Commonly, only a fraction of a millimeter of a metal is needed to supply adequate protection.  This shield must completely surround the item to be hardened. 

The second method, tailored hardening, is a more cost-effective way of hardening. In this method, only the most vulnerable elements and circuits are redesigned to be more rugged.  The more rugged elements will be able to withstand much higher currents.  This method has shown unpredictable failures in testing, though it is thought it may be useful to make existing systems less vulnerable.

At least by protecting your hearing aids that way you'd have a fighting chance and your survival would increase because of your additional ability to hear what's going on around you.  Cochlear implant wearers would be out of luck.  Those who cannot use a hearing aid would be at an obvious disadvantage unless, of course, you have hearing guide dogs.  At any rate, it wouldn't really matter because in that situation you'd be fighting for survival every step of the way.  And hearing people would already be at an advantage in this situation no matter how you look at it when it comes to surviving this incident which could last for several years.  But then you might argue about the use of a hearing guide dog. Sure, but so can a hearing person to increase his/her survivability even further. No matter how you cut it and play the Deaf political card the fact of the matter is when that EMP goes off the most disadvantaged people will be the first to go such as those need dialysis or need medication to survive and live and so on. And it goes up the ladder with the next line of disadvantaged group of people. In short, it all comes down to survival of the fittest and being deaf in this situation will certainly prove perhaps almost seemingly impossible to survive in such a manner over a length of time.

So, I wouldn't even bother bringing up the cochlear implant and EMP scenario in the effort to make these scenarios scary for current and future cochlear implant users almost to the point of implying that perhaps they shouldn't get a cochlear implant. It'd be utter nonsense to do that. If an EMP does go off, you, the non-cochlear implant and hearing aid wearers (i.e. deaf/hh people), would also be....up the creek as well.

Can it be done?

This is my 2nd day on no news with the exception of checking on the weather over the internet. Candy, another deaf blogger, said that I wouldn't last two days without any news. So far, so good. This is day two.  I've not peeked at any deaf news. I've not looked for world, national, local or political news. I've not looked at any deaf blogs or YouTube channels. My kids mostly watch cartoons so there's no danger of picking up an errant news that might come within earshot or visual range. When it's my turn to watch tv I go for movies, the History channel and A&E channel for it's American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars, for example. Anything that's not related to news. Most of the time on the news is just a lot of a bad stuff. So, it'll be interesting to see what I've missed after a year of no news, especially when you have about 3 1/2 months left til the national election,too. It's one of those "what if" situations that I'm trying to answer for myself which I won't really know until I've actually done the experiment which is what I'm doing now. And I plan to chronicle it along with my other thoughts. I know that with each passing day it'll get easier to get by on no news. Plus, I don't have to worry about reading or watching other deaf people mewling, complaining, and twisting on what I wrote which reminds me of this picture.

If it's really that bad then the answer is obvious. Don't read it. Seriously, that picture does remind me of some people who behave like that.

I guess this is one of the temporary benefit of my experiment and that is not to hear the occasional bawlings from people who don't like what I write or say. Maybe I'll get a boatload of those responses after my year-long experiment is over? Who knows? Maybe more of the a-wordism from the likes of Deaf Pundit? Oh, wait, she made her blog private now which was publicly available for 4 1/2 years since January 2007.  I can't see her blog except perhaps here. I wonder what prompted the decision to make her blog private? Perhaps Candy's own blogging had an effect on her?  I know Deaf Pundit made her blog private sometime after July 5 because that's when Candy wrote her blog piece on character assassination about Deaf Pundit's recklessness which included a link to one of Deaf Pundit's blog piece that was working that day.  Maybe her blogsite is under-going a three week renovation? Maybe she's on three-week vacation? Maybe she's ducking? I don't know. Just a rather curious observation here but I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, you turned off your comments and you're not reading other deaf blogs or vlogs, you're ducking, too!" Not at all. I've already said that doing my experiment on no news, not reading other people bawling comments is one of the benefits of this experiment.  Why must I read their comments or their blogs? Maybe I will after a year has gone by. I'm sure there will be some bloggers or vloggers out there might end up defending me while I'm incommunicado, a self-imposed one that is.

The countdown clock continues. Is it better to ignore news or pay attention to it? Come back to me in about a year and find out. Meanwhile, I'll continue to write what's on my mind. All you can do is read my blog if you wish. I tell you one thing, it's nice not to hear a bunch of bratty, spoiled kids for a change.

ADDENDUM: Well, at least I was essentially correct that the reason Deaf Pundit's is down (i.e. private only) is that there is a new website (i.e renovation).  Although I never said anything about a demise. Just wondered outloud why the shutdown as I gave out a few possibilities as to why. Now I know. I saw the linking to this blog via my Sitemeter page, so that's how I found out.

Peace or hypocrisy?

 Ok. My countdown has begun. See the countdown clock on the upper left side of my blog. Click on the link for more info on why and you'll understand, and why comments are no longer allowed for the time being.

I'll make this here simple and succinct. I'll present two videos. You decide. Here's a video of Ella just recently.



Here's mine I made back in April.



You tell me, peace or hypocrisy?

Funny thing is that she talks of "groups" ("Deafhood" vs "anti-Deafhood") while I and many others see this:

The overlapping of people with hearing loss from a wide variety of background, experiences, amount of hearing loss from mild to profound, onset of hearing loss and communication preferences. Each of us touches or overlaps with other people with hearing loss based on similarities and experiences. In some circles people experience more discrimination while others not so much but we are more or less all on the same boat.

Which is why people like Ella and many of her cohorts get it wrong time and time again. There are those of us who don't care for "deafhood" or "Deafhood" That is not the equivalent of "anti-deafhood" or "anti-Deafhood." It's like this.  We don't care for broccoli. Are we out to stamp out that vegetable? No. Are we trying to stop other people from eating it? No. It is just that we don't like the taste of broccoli and so we decline and say, "Broccoli? No thanks."  We have no need to put broccoli on a pedestal thinking it's the king of all vegetables and force people to eat it. Simply put, it's just that whenever we see or eat a broccoli it leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

We do understand that there are plenty of vegetables out there to choose from since a broccoli isn't the only vegetable around.  And so we desire not to have any association with broccoli. And for good reasons, too. Mostly it leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

We have our own opinions. There is no conflict here if we agree to disagree.

My Grand Experiment

I've given this some thought for several weeks now and decided to try this out on a self-imposed experiment of mine. I don't know if it'll work or if I have the will power to see it through but it'll be like a time capsule I'm putting myself through. Something different to try my hands on for a whole year. What is it you say? Well, it's an all news blackout for me....for a year. Practically on any news.

Starting on July 25, 2011 on a Monday I will NOT allow myself access to any news information whether it's from my truck radio, television, newspapers, magazines, internet, and even through my blog comments. Any news (sans the weather on the internet) whether its politics, world news, local news, and so on. This may include accessing any deaf-related news as well only because I may inadvertently pick up some outside news along the way, however. It's the day to day news I'm attempting to avoid rather than deaf news. This experiment of mine might prove harder to discipline myself since I will miss my daily political news and editorials on my truck radio whenever I drive to work each morning and back home. Instead I'll pop in some of my music tapes. No FM stations for music because news can filter in that way. If I'm in a store and I come across a magazine rack or newspaper dispenser I'll force to avert my eyes and avoid reading anything where news might filter back to me.  Having said that I'll will also disable comments on my blog for a whole year because some people might try and sneak in some tidbit of news hoping to bait me. I will limit myself from accessing Facebook and YouTube as well because, well, again, news can filter in that way as well. I'll limit myself to certain websites that do not carry any news. Good bye Drudge Report and all that.

Now, I bet there are some Deaf people cheering at this blog news of mine thinking that I won't blog much on anything related to deafness. Be forewarned, I do have a lot to say and will contribute to my blog on a variety of topics, deaf or not. Who knows. This goal of mine may last only a day if I catch myself watching, reading, or listening to any news but I'll try and remind myself not to do that. Bad boy! Bad boy! This experiment may last only a week. A month. Or if I'm lucky a whole year. But I reserve the right to come out of "retirement" which would be a bonafide "threat" to some Deaf people. Ha ha...seriously. They're just that cranky and whine so much you could actually hear them! Ok. Rather a facetious if not hyperbolic response.  

If you look to the left of my blog near the top you can see my countdown clock. On Monday it'll be 365 days til July 25, 2012 when I come out of my self-imposed news ban. The clock says "Seattle" because it was set at Pacific Coast Time and Seattle was the city I selected that I'm not very far away from. This experiment of mine is kind of like this one guy who went below into a cave for a whole year as part of a science experiment and after awhile lost all track of time and any news on the outside world. Only this time for me I want to try and lose track of any sense of news on whats happening "out there."  And when I "re-emerge" back into the world of nuttiness I'll see what I missed and the things I've learned while I was "away."

Starting tomorrow I'll turn off the comments. If you have anything to say, say it now and say your peace. And I'll see you guys in about a year from now. I'll continue to write and blog, and still meet my friends in person. But I'm sure some Deaf people will get angry on what I will say but so what. They can never be happy. We already know that. But the beauty is that they can't respond in my blog and I wont read or watch their responses elsewhere. Tough guano on their part.

See ya in about a year?

Parental rights and their deaf child

Joseph Pietro Riolo (JPR) made some very salient points and asked the important questions when it came to parental rights and their deaf children as seen in Patti's blog. I'll use some of Joseph's points and comments in my blog by highlighting them. What it really boils down to is that parents do have the right to decide on how to raise their deaf child in terms of mode and mean of communication and language acquisition.

First, let's talk about the article “And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: An Examination of the Cochlear Implant From a Jewish Bioethical Perspective” by Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh whose last paragraph makes a conceding point.

“A consolidation of these views leads only to the idea that from a Jewish perspective we ought not to impose opinions on the people who must make a decision vis a vis the cochlear implant, namely, the parents or legal guardian(s) of deaf children. The responsibility of Jews with respect to the cochlear implant is only to make sure that individuals considering this medical procedure have access to all of the relevant information from the medical community, the Deaf community, and from within Jewish tradition. Once this is done, others should step back and respect the divine image within those individuals, and allow them the space and freedom to reach their own conclusions and make their own decisions.”

JPR makes this comment regarding the article in the last paragraph and I agree with his assessment, too.

This paragraph actually supports the decision to put cochlear implant in a deaf child if his or her parents decide to do so. Also, it supports the decision not to put cochlear implant in a deaf child. In other words, there is nothing wrong with putting or not putting cochlear implant in a deaf child.

Certainly, nothing wrong with putting or not putting cochlear implant in a deaf child. Parental rights are ensured here in allowing them to make the necessary and informed decision for their deaf children.

Next, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Article 26(3) it states:

“Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” 

I agree with JPR's assessment that this

"strongly suggests that the parents of a deaf child can choose the pure oralism for the deaf child." 

There is nothing in the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights document that states that this parental right would be overridden by the right of a deaf child to be culturally deaf. In fact, there is no mechanism to enforce the right of a deaf child to be culturally Deaf over parents' rights, and there shouldn't be a mechanism to ensure that due to numerous inherent problems as JPR explained why.

How a person is supposed to do when he or she sees that the right of a deaf child to be culturally Deaf is violated? Is he or she supposed to report the violation to police? Is he supposed to report the violation to Child Protection Service (or similar agency)? Is she supposed to report the violation to National Association of the Deaf, Deaf Bilingual Coalition or similar organization that will send a legal team to defend the right of the deaf child? Is he supposed to report the violation to any organization that focuses on human rights? After the violation is reported, how is the right supposed to be enforced? Does this mean that the parents are to be ordered by court or governmental agency to respect, maintain and support the right of the deaf child to be culturally Deaf? What will happen if the parents still refuse to do that?

Indeed. Lots of problems once that Pandora Box is opened.

But let's look at the "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." In that document it states that no obligation is required of the parents to use sign language with their deaf children. In other words if parents choose pure oralism without using a signed language approach for their deaf child, the parents do not violate anything in that document supported by the United Nation. Although the document does require governments to accept and recognize the use of sign languages as seen in Article 21(b) and (e):

(b) Accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages, Braille, augmentative and alternative communication, and all other accessible means,modes and formats of communication of their choice by persons with disabilities in official interactions;

(e) Recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages.

Also in Article 24(3)(c) it states:

“Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children,who are blind, deaf or deaf/blind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development."

Note the underlined bold in the above which could mean to include CART services, FM loop, sign language (ASL, PSE, SEE, what have you), speaking and listening, and so on. There are a variety of ways that can meet those assurances.

In Article 30(4) it points out for people with disabilities on the

“recognition and support of their specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign languages and deaf culture”

As far as I can tell there is nothing in the document (Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) forbidding the parent’s right to choose pure oralism, ASL, SEE,PSE, SE, SimCom, contact language, manual alphabet, cued speech and such. Just as well there is nothing in the  document that showed any support of governments to actively suppress the use of sign language through laws, governmental actions and so forth, either.

In fact, JPR pointed out an all too apparent of an obligation and concluded that

"a government has the obligation to deliver education in the modes and means that agree with pure oralism. What the governments cannot do is that they cannot suppress or exclude any modes, means or languages when the parents of children with disabilities want them or ask for them."

And that's the bottom line when it comes to governmental intervention, which is already limited for a reason, on language and mode of communication and that such a decision is still within the parents' rights.

Some people might see choosing oralism over ASL as "punishment" or acts of "genocide" but according to the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" it says nothing of the sort.  JPR elaborated: 

Again, if the parents of a deaf child decide to exercise their right to put cochlear implant in the child and to use the pure oralism when raising the child, they do not violate anything in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The only thing in the document that seems to be related to the topic on hand is the term “mental harm” as in “Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;” (Article II(b)). Although the enumeration of groups does not include linguistic groups (“In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, …” (Article II)), I will assume that the enumeration is broad enough to include the linguistic groups that include Deaf culture.

It may be possible that some people will attempt to argue that depriving a deaf child of ASL is equivalent to “mental harm” on the child. However, the child is usually not a member of Deaf culture if the parents are hearing or are of the Hearing culture. Just because a child is deaf does not mean that he or she is automatically a member of the Deaf culture. In this interpretation, the parents do not violate anything in the convention if they decide to raise their deaf child in a Hearing culture without using sign language.

Two points here as seen in the above underlined bold words. First, there is no intent, systematic or otherwise, to rid or destroy the use of ASL or sign language. Second point is that a deaf child born into hearing parents is not automatically a member of the deaf culture. And that brings up an important consideration about raising a deaf child in a hearing culture without using sign language because doing so does not violate any of the articles or documents I provided in this blog thus far. 

Below JPR explains and clarifies his position which mirrors much like mine in a lot of ways.

1) It is always my personal position that any deaf child – actually, any child – should have the freedom to sign (not just ASL or any natural signed languages but also SimCom, Cued Speech, Signed English and contact languages). But, I would never want to impose my position on any parents. I would write a true story about a deaf child being punished for signing at home; I would write an opinion article criticizing some parents who do not allow their children to sign; I would make a film that tells about a deaf child who run away from draconian parents who do not let him or her to sign; I would search for grants to research on deaf children who are not allowed by their parents to sign; if I were a professional, I would confront the parents and inform them that they are going too far in not allowing their deaf children to sign; and so on.

But, I would never want to create a new right for a deaf child to be culturally Deaf. When we create a new right for a deaf child, we are eroding the parental right. This will give a precedent for the majority (read: Hearing culture) to create another new right for a deaf child to have the access to spoken language through cochlear implant and doing so erodes parental right further more. If the parents of a deaf child refuses to put cochlear implant in the child, the majority will say, “See, any deaf child has the right of access to spoken language and therefore, your child must have cochlear implant. Never mind your parental right to decide how to raise your deaf child. After all, you want bilingualism. Giving cochlear implant to your deaf child will help bilingualism. Your child will have both ASL and the spoken English language. More power to bilingualism!” The deaf child is taken away from their parents for surgery at an undisclosed hospital.

I may go too far in describing the above scenario but it can happen. It is not hard to predict that cochlear implant technology is getting better and better and the success rate is increasing steadily. Before, the success rate was around 1/3 (33%). Now, it is around 1/2 (50%). Maybe, by the year of 2015, the rate may go up to 2/3 (66%). Maybe, by the year of 2020, the rate may go up to 3/4 (75%). It is very tempting for the majority to override the parental right and go directly to the deaf children and have them receive cochlear implant in spite of the objections from their parents.

Creating a new right for deaf child may be cool now but it could give a new precedent for the majority later on.

In other words, be careful on what you ask for.

In my own clarification, I'd be wary of allowing the idea that government be given the consideration to force parents with deaf/hh children on issues regarding sign language, cochlear implant, oral/aural routes and educational upbringing.  Removing parental rights is not the answer. The parents have the right to make an informed decision regarding their deaf/hh child when it comes to mode of communication, the means, language development, and educational upbringing. All we can do is provide all the necessary information for parents and provide them them the necessary resources and support so they can make an informed decision. Just as Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh said in the very beginning of my blog on parents making an informed decision:

Once this is done, others should step back and respect the divine image within those individuals, and allow them the space and freedom to reach their own conclusions and make their own decisions.

And so there you have it.

Defacing The Volta Bureau in D.C. and more

I've seen some recent pictures of those protesting against AGBell and the symposium today in Washington D.C. where pictures of AGBell's signs at the Volta Bureau in D.C. were defaced with adhesive tapes and placards covering them up though no permanent damage.

Just to make myself clear, I'm not against protesting per se but as long as it is done peacefully and leaving alone private properties by not defacing them and that a protest does not interrupt the normal course of business as an unintended consequence. It's worse when the intended consequence is to interrupt the normal course of a business. Protesting can be a tricky thing and sometimes the lines are blurred.

In Washington D.C. there are laws regarding graffiti and defacing private properties. In this case, the use of adhesive tapes and placards to alter signs at the Volta Bureau and such an action could be considered as defacing and even be called as "graffiti" (note my emphasis in the bold underline)

"(4) "Graffiti" means an inscription, writing, drawing, marking, or design that is painted, sprayed, etched, scratched, or otherwise placed on structures, buildings, dwellings, statues, monuments, fences, vehicles, or other similar materials that are on public or private property without the consent of the owner, manager, or agent in charge of the property, and the graffiti is visible from a public right-of-way.


"(5) "Graffiti material" means any aerosol can, bottle, spray device or other [*1614] mechanism designed to dispense paint or a similar substance under pressure, indelible marker, paint stick, adhesive label, and engraving device capable of leaving a visible mark on a natural or man-made surface.

The Volta Bureau is a private property. Also, graffiti doesn't mean it has to be permanent per se. You can see they used adhesives (tape) and with posters that were used to cover up the signs. The question is, do they intend to leave such markings behind ?

From D.C. criminal defense lawyers.

DC Graffiti/Defacement Laws & Penalties
The offense of graffiti is pretty self explanatory. But this doesn’t just apply to spray painting on walls or marking up a fence. You could face this charge for keying a car or smearing mud over the property of another.

According to the law, this offense applies when writing, drawing figures, cutting, chipping, covering, painting, or marking on public property or the private property of another without their permission.

Generally this offense carries up to 180 days in jail and $1,000 in fines. You will also likely be required to perform community service and pay restitution if convicted of defacement or graffiti. - Ref: DC Code 22-3312.01

Also, I've gotten reports of noise being made at near or inside the Omni Hotel in D.C. where the AGBell symposium is being held. This reminds me about D.C.'s local ordinance on creating noise during a protest. A few years back there was a protest at another hotel in D.C. where the problem of noise nuisance was raised. 

An effort was undertaken in 2008 to toughen the District’s unusually liberal noise laws but the city’s labor organizations orchestrated, with the help of D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), an amendment limiting it to residential areas. “A noise shall not be considered a noise disturbance if it is made during noncommercial public speaking during the daytime and does not exceed 80 decibels inside the nearest occupied residence in districts zoned R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-3 or R-4” is the relevant passage cited by the city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. That means no recourse for Ms. Iwamoto, who lives in a commercially zoned neighborhood one block away from the Madison — or for the many other residents whom city officials have successfully lured to mixed-use developments aimed at enlivening the downtown.


Labor officials argue that protest is the only method available to workers to fight for their rights against adversaries with greater resources. But the demonstrations of the Madison workers were not aimed at getting a message across; they were intended to create a nuisance that would cost the hotel business. No other city, according to the advocacy group Noise Free America, allows unlimited amplification in the name of free speech. Indeed, courts have upheld limitations on amplification to safeguard public health and safety. No one is suggesting that anyone’s voice be stifled, only that it not be artificially — and noxiously — augmented.

I agree. It's one thing to protest with a show of solidarity and support, and another thing when protesters deface private properties and artificially create loud noises that can interrupt services and/or businesses. Businesses do have the right to protect their customers and businesses from such interruptions. Such an example would be to make so much noise at the hotel that CART services couldn't be provided adequately for those attending at AGBell's Listening and Spoken Language Symposium (and that the police had to intervene to stop the noise interruption).

Even Sean Gerlis said this about Deaf protesters defacing/desecrating a private property:

On behalf of Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Prez of NAD & myself, we NAD do not condone this behavior....to desecrate AGB's building.

Glad to hear that the protest went without much of a hitch and was for the large part peacefully done despite a few obnoxious moments and the arrival of several police cars to the scene of the protest outside of the hotel building where the symposium was held, and that protesters were told to leave the hotel.

ADDENDUM: Sorry to say this but no where did I say the taping incident damaged the AGBell plaque signage on the front of its building. No where did I say that police complained. Although I seriously doubt the people inside of The Volta Bureau building were aware of the defacing that took place taking only minutes to do and removed. Just a matter of the fact that defacing did occur and I made it clear from the beginning of this blog that no permanent damage was done in the first place. Sorry Patti, your screaming and hyperventilating isn't helping all this. NAD made it clear that they supported the protest in principle but not the covering up the AGBell signs and such. We know which group is the more mature ones.

Beards

Here's mine with a full black and white beard.

My full black and white beard matched well with my split black and white western shirt. Normally I have a van Dyke or goatee type facial hair but many times I do allow myself to grow a full beard.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have a picture of you with your best facial hair, a mustache or whatever, send it to me and I'll put it up here. May the best beard (or mustache or whatever) wins!

Facial Hair Types

Controlling the message...

Here's what DonG said in his YouTube comment:

Expanded close up:

 

First off, let me make this obvious to everybody. DonG makes the claim in his YouTube video comment saying that there is no background noises being heard because he said:

"...sound settings automatically turned off because I don't need sound to make my vlogs!" 

I never heard of a laptop that can turn off sound automatically but certainly it can manually be turned off.  But that doesn't matter. What we have here is that DonG is either lying or he doesn't really know that the microphone is actually turned on and assumed it was turned off when he made his video. I think it's the latter. The sound of a dish washing machine can obviously be heard with its washing sound in the background immediately once DonG shows up in his video after the intro. The washing machine sound continues throughout the whole video with an occassional sound of gurgling water from it. If that doesn't convince you perhaps this will:

At the 0:23 seconds mark he signs the word "pick" and you can hear his hand slap against his other hand.

At the 0:58 seconds mark he signs "whole" and you can hear his right hand slapping against his left hand.

At the 1:42 mark you can hear him slap his hands doing the sign for "negative."

At the 1:51 mark you can hear him slap his right hand into his left hand for the sign "identity."

Beyond the 2 minute mark you can hear him smack his lips on occassion.

At the 2:58 mark you can actually hear the washing machine go through a different washing cycle as it actually gets louder. The washing continues throughout the rest of the video.

At the 3:18 mark you can hear him when he signs "defective" (i.e. "negative" sign) against his hands.

So, what does this all mean? Well, the microphone was indeed turned on and DonG had no clue. Ask anyone who can hear.

As for the "control" response by DonG in YouTube? I'd say that Tayler Mayer is the master of that control in Deafread. Not DonG or anybody else. Besides, Tayler made it clear that Deafread wasn't meant to be a "deaf-centric" aggregator site. He made it clear in his website:

"One central reason for developing DeafRead is that Jared and I wanted to empower the deaf community; we wanted to allow everyone a voice, a place where people could speak out."

When he says "everyone" he means everyone and not just for culturally deaf people only but deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, pre-lingual, post-lingual, CODA, AGBell supporters, Tracy Clinic supporters, AVT supporters, parents of deaf/hh children, hearing people with an interest in deafness, cochlear implant users, hearing aid users, ASL supporters, SEE supporters, Bi-Bi supporters, oral/aural supporters and so on and so forth for those people to have a voice. This includes those who are against such supports. Not a monopoly but a voice for anyone who wants to be heard. What DonG is advocating is really about monopoly and censorship control which Deafread is not about.

What is censorship?

Censorship -- the control of the information and ideas circulated within a society -- has been a hallmark of dictatorships throughout history. In the 20th Century, censorship was achieved through the examination of books, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other forms of communication for the purpose of altering or suppressing ideas found to be objectionable or offensive. The rationales for censorship have varied, with some censors targeting material deemed to be indecent or obscene; heretical or blasphemous; or seditious or treasonous.

What is monopoly?

"exclusive possession or control"

In other words, I think this is a matter of some people who are afraid to allow the competition of ideas, arguments or commentaries and thus feel the only way to "win" is by force against Tayler's own conceptual idea of what Deafread is supposed to be all about by leaving or stopping/encouraging those from using Deafread. But one thing for sure, people will get to see less competition of ideas in Deafread's own aggregator site and those particular voices will become even more louder in Deafread.

What a bargain.

Culling....

Whoooo-ey! Love a sunny, misty morning knowing the day will be a warm day. You know when you have an edge on things once you get the weeds under control by making the condition undesirable for them to live among the green grasses. A little squirt of the weed killer stuff here and there will surely and gradually ensure more room for other grasses to come in and grow behind them. I had to yank and pull a few stubborn weeds, too. And that means more people will be able to appreciate a greener lawn. Less competition for grass and allow it to grow healthy and green. I tell ya, yellow dandelions aren't that pretty but some people think so.

Gnarly weeds, not good.

A green grassy and luscious lawn, very cool and inviting.

Kind of how I feel now seeing less weeds out there meaning more for me to enjoy and many others to come in and discuss what's on our mind when it comes to blogging. Less weeds mean less competition and chance to grow and thrive. And more things to share online, too.  One squirt or one weed pull at a time, and before you know it those pesky weeds are gone. You know, adios! Vaya con dios! Goodbye weeds. And all that stuff. That's what many deaf students had to learn when it came to gardening inside a greenhouse at Oregon School for the Deaf.

The six-week program will end Friday, but the work won’t end there. Students started fall crops in seed blocks, two-inch-square soil pats filled with nutrient-rich compost, soil and cocoa. The seedlings will be kept safe in a donated greenhouse that the students put together late last week. The larger garden will be blanketed by a cover-crop come fall.

Master Gardeners volunteer at the garden and guide students in everything they need to know about gardening.

“Everybody supports,” Blake said. Donations have ranged from money to supplies to time helping weed or plant.

The harvest is handed over to Food Share, where it is distributed to hungry families and food banks in Marion and Polk counties.

Food Share is associated with 20 gardens in the Salem-Keizer area. These gardens produce over 20 acres of fruits and vegetables.

And the students get paid while learning the arts of gardening. Pretty cool. Speaking of gardening. I just got back from The Dalles, Oregon from my aunt's massive cherry farm that grow the delicious Rainier and Black cherries. My daughters and I managed to pick two buckets full of cherries. I estimate we gathered about 35 lbs worth of cherries in about 30 to 40 minutes. Checking at my nearby grocery store they were selling Rainier cherries at $5 bucks a pound and the black cherries at $2 a pound. I have about an equal amount of both kinds of cherries which turned out to be an equivalent $120 dollars worth of cherries. All bagged (12 large ziplock bags) and refrigerated right now. Will give some of the bags away to friends and relatives. Cold and delicious! And, my aunt also gave me a nice tour of her large and spacious greenhouse showing me her vegetables she's growing.

Maligned for hate sake

What is really odd is how one person makes the claim that by "pushing" (e.g. making it personal by calling Gina "GAS" as in YouTube's "GAS in the flesh" subject line instead of calling by her proper name) against Gina would ensure that "unity" will somehow magically occur in the Deaf community. It is certainly surreal to suggest that "unity" would work by outing people by harassing them, making online threats or expose their physical or online identities. It wouldn't make any sense to say that "pushing" will work for the sake of "unity." Rather, I see all this "pushing" as an excise in grudge mongering and a bit of hate in the process. Nothing more. All it was is that ASLeslie found a video of Gina in Fookembug's YouTube channel that was 2 years old and decided to parade it around and expose Gina's physical identity. That was the goal.  Even knowing after the fact that her employer was contacted in the effort to out Gina's identity and hoping to harm her employment. It was nothing more than an example of a bit of hate mongering by making it personal towards an individual he or she doesn't like. To say it any other way would be disingenuous and dishonest.

I've read Gina's blogs and saw no indication of her putting down the Deaf community or even ASL given the fact that she was born deaf and into a culturally deaf family. She is in fact a part of the Deaf community. I see her as having strong opinions on a variety of subjects or issues that can evoke strong feelings among many Deaf people (e.g. the AB2072 bill). Many confuse having a strong opinion on a particular Deaf-related topic as "putting down the Deaf community" whenever Gina opines or notes the discrepancies based on her observations as a culturally deaf person. Many Deaf people have agreed with her, many didn't.

The same goes for ASL.

I saw nothing of the sort from Gina of her "putting down ASL." In fact, even DonG admitted that he does tend to sign in English word order ("PSE") and not in the ASL sense which was Gina's point all along in one of her blog and nothing about putting ASL down. Instead she gave examples of why ASL is not ASL whenever people make the claim of signing in ASL. DonG is a perfect example of signing in English word order. So is my signing. And many others who in the same boat as we are. That's not putting down ASL or labeling but about making observations about ASL and those who sign.

For a person to make online claims without showing any examples of what Gina said or wrote does not strengthen an argument but rather it weakens a claim considerably. It makes the person look even more petty. And people will see that as nothing but hot air. All in all I say it's pretty odd and strange for those who say that by "pushing" others in order for them to "come clean" by twisting and lying will ensure "unity" in a Deaf community. I'm sure it won't. And it certainly won't help in the deaf and hard of hearing community either by any stretch of the imagination.

Multiple disabilities in a down economy

If you think just being deaf and trying to find work in a down economy imagine for deaf individuals with multiple disabilities like Marty Wheeler of Kalispell, Montana. In addition to him being deaf he was born with cerebral palsy where he must use a cane to help him walk and if you think that's bad his glaucoma is severe enough to have him classified as legally blind. But the one thing I think sets him apart from others is his drive and determination to be independent as possible.

“I’m good with details,” Wheeler said. “I’ve got a good eye for it.”

Doney said he has the additional challenge of reading the handwriting and drawings of many different appraisers, including some who no longer work at the Department of Revenue.

“It’s fun for me,” Wheeler said. “It’s a good challenge.”

Doney found her concerns about communication were unfounded since Wheeler possesses a high level of lip reading and UbiDuo skills. She said he seems to understand even before they finish speaking.

He also doesn’t get frustrated or bogged down in spite of the complexity of some of the work.

“Marty is probably the most patient person I’ve ever seen,” Doney said.

New technology such as email and social media have made a huge difference for Wheeler and other people with disabilities.

Roberts said that Facebook has helped Wheeler with office socializing. She said he and his co-workers can interact online and by email as well as in person.

“Through these things, he can create the interoffice relationships that hearing people take for granted,” Roberts said.

The biggest boon among people with hearing loss is the improvement in technology in both the communication and social aspect. Not only that but the increased level of independence with the help of technology whether it's the use of the internet, emails, face to face communication, video phone, CART, hearing aids, cochlear implants, relay operators and so on. Marty has a triple whammy to deal with but does so with ease.  He is keen on taking advantage of every possible technological innovations to help him communicate rather than rely on a sign language interpreter all the time. Proving his communication independence will only serve him better for his future.

New retirement home for deaf and hard of hearing seniors

Here's something you don't see everyday. A new retirement home in Arizona with all the bells and whistles for deaf and hard of hearing seniors, including a sign friendly staff.

Residents of a new complex made for seniors with hearing impairments were able to move into their new housing July 15, amongst family members, moving trucks and helpers who came to see the opening of the first complex of its kind in Arizona.

Apache ASL Trails, located near the corner of Apache Boulevard and Price Road, is a new development that contains 75 one and two bedroom apartments.

The complex was designed for senior citizens, with impaired hearing, and allows for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard-of-hearing individuals to live an independent lifestyle with design features and services to help them communicate with others.

Design features of the complex include flashing light signalers for the phones and doorbells, a videophone equipped lobby, and videophone hookups in every department.

The development also has space for future retail shops and a medical facility.

Residents will also be able to access specialized services that are going to be provided through the Valley Center of the Deaf.

And the best thing about it is that it's relatively cheap between $500 to $900 a month, including utilities. The Apache ASL Trails for deaf senior citizens is the 14th living complex across the United States specifically designed toward seniors with hearing loss.

Identity - an extreme cartoon thought

Your deaf/hh identity is not my deaf/hh identity.

Each of us has an identity that we can relate to each other but just because you have a particular viewpoint doesn't mean all must have that viewpoint. While one viewpoint can be considered extreme, others may not see it as so. And so the story goes.

I much rather see that each individual succeed on his or her own terms using the preferred approaches when it comes to communication and language choices. Even if it means using a variety of technologies to help improve our face to face communication with hearing people. Each of us interact differently based on our upbringings, amount of hearing loss, our experience with people, our comfort zones, our personality, our educational background, our preferences, our preferred use of a technology and so on. Just because you have one view of things at the pulpit doesn't mean all others must follow or agree with your viewpoint. Some of us actually do have a mind of our own.

Opinions vs Hate

Fans and followers of my blog, simply put, there are those who make the opinions and then there are those who try and shut them up rather than to agree to disagree. There are some people who cannot tell the difference between hating a blogging (i.e. acting jealously towards someone) and opinion (have not personal feelings towards the person but commenting on the subject matter). Why, when challenged of their sensibilities by those who dare to ask the hard questions, do many get angry and nasty instead of offering alternative arguments? If you look at some of JJ Puorro's responses you can tell he does a good job of simply disagreeing and stating his arguments rather than resort to the petty tactics of attacking a blogger for attack sake like so many are inclined to do. But once a fling or name calling is done in an otherwise good argument whether responding in a comment box or writing in a blog does the argument quickly become worthless. The argument loses out. It immediately becomes clear the focus is really about a vendetta-like mission whose obsessiveness becomes apparent through a series of veiled and not so veiled personal attacks in the effort to shut some people up.

Not a very smart thing to do.

In the world of blogging, it is impossible to please anyone. This is increasingly apparent in the Deaf blogosphere. Even if you become the nicest person in the world and say all the kind kudos and warm praises will you still find people who will take the time and effort to show their disdain and hate towards you. Simply because they don't like what they're hearing or seeing. And they'll use those reasons as a justification to hate you as a blogger and make their mission to target you specifically based on hate instead of simply agreeing to disagree.

For me as a hh/deaf blogger, I don't need to worry about other people's feelings towards me. People will either like what I have written or they don't. No point in worrying, afraid of stepping on somebody's toes. I'd rather remain true to myself in expressing on what I want to say and not be afraid to ask the hard questions however unpopular it may be. Not everything is a bed of roses. But I will continue to write as I wish as a hh/deaf blogger. I still have lots to contribute in the coming days, months and even years. No one is being forced to read my blogs. Yet some readers keep coming back and bray even more which begs the question. Why keep returning if you know this blog may upset you? Why continue with the petty act and charade? Why act like 7 year old kids thinking you own the playground and if you don't have it your way you then proceed to a DEFCON 4 temper tantrum by throwing yourself on the ground writhing like a slug covered with salt? And I'm the adult watching the kiddies and this farce outside of the playground.

Opinions vs Hate.

Which one are you? Attack the argument or attack the person?

Which is better? UbiDuo, a laptop or a tablet for face to face communication?

Watch this funny yet instrumental video and decide which technology is better for easy to use face to face communication between deaf and hearing people.

Passing thru......

My quick thoughts on several things.

I noticed (that goes without saying) that some culturally deaf people continue to have this obsessiveness toward anything with the name "AG Bell" attached. There's a sense morbid enjoyment over his obituary, too. Yet many are planning to protest at the Omni Hotel in Washington D.C. this July 21 - 23 where AG Bell will host the Listening and Spoken Language Symposium. My advice? Bring lots of bullhorns and make lots of noise. Noise can certainly get people's attention.

A friend of mine told me about the Green Lantern movie. He watched it and said it wasn't really that good. I shrugged even though I don't really care for those kinds of movies and don't have the need to watch them, either. I later learned about the Green Lantern pledge. I shrugged. My friend then showed me about a few YouTube videos of adults Green Lantern fans reciting the Green Lantern pledge hoping to win the Green Lantern video contest (a winner already announced after I did a quick Google search). I think it has to do something with promising to eat their oatmeal cereal every morning and drink their milk. How quaint. Now, kids I understand who like to emulate and act out their favorite super heros but to see grown adults act out their fantasy on being the Green Lantern? Isn't that a bit regressive? If you want to be a real hero then better to be a fire fighter, EMT, a search and rescue person, or be those who serve in the Armed Forces than to dream of a fictional character that will never come true. No matter how many Green Lantern rings you have.

To infinity and beyond!

Will deaf and hard of hearing people migrate away from Facebook? Nah. Maybe some culturally deaf people but then again many do prefer reading since it's faster to type and read what's said at a glance, and it's quicker to post, too. FB remain to be wildly popular among friends, relatives and family members and a good place to see what's happening in their worlds.

Deaf Jeff is sure one weird fellow. He likes to do all this cryptic messaging, song and dance type routine in his blog, regarding certain individuals as the target. Which is fine and dandy since that is how he expresses himself, including his two YouTube videos for "hearing people only" that have him speaking with his voice but no captioning or transcript. Irony is all I can think of here if not hypocrisy which is kind of like the Tim Riker thing, too. But each blogger to him/herself. Just like how I prefer to do my own sort of thing in my own blog and vlog on how I want to express myself. But, of course, I get the usual wailing from those who don't like what I have to say or opine. You can't please everybody. I understand that already. 

I've come to the conclusion that tossing about the a-wordism around which is nothing but a crutch word to use when one is unable to make any real or valid arguments and must resort to such a word against other deaf and hard of hearing people they don't like. That's pretty much the bottom line. And that is pretty much in the same format as playing the race card but the irony goes further when it's aimed at another person with the same skin color. The same goes for deaf against deaf. Something like what Deaf Pundit has done. A seemingly cogent argument gets blown out of the water once the a-wordism is tossed about. I'd say it's better to be proud and be the better person than to hold such eternal grudges.

And, oh, what do you think of Marlee Matlin's new 7-Up poster?

Marlee Matlin's New 7-Up Poster Ad

Very nice. And cool graphics, too. Feel the love, man! Feel the love!

Be proud!

Drink 7-Up!

Be proud....

There's a difference between being proud of who you are versus being proud of what you are when the latter focuses on what's missing about yourself versus the very being that makes you...you. Just like the whorls on your finger tips, each one is unique, so is each person. But being proud of who you are focuses on the whole you regardless of whether you have a hearing loss, vision loss, stuttering condition, loss of the legs or a paraplegic, a missing appendage or any number of conditions that may limit one's life. Acknowledging your condition is part and parcel of your whole being but it doesn't define you completely. Limitation doesn't define your successes. It's who you are that defines your successes. It's your drive, determination and faith in yourself. One can succeed despite his hearing loss.

Now, to say "despite" does not necessarily mean to hate one's hearing loss but rather that a person is undeterred by his or her deafness whether one wears a cochlear implant, hearing aid or none at all. That's how I see it. I see it as something that's progressively positive which is dependent on a lot of things. Just so happens deafness is merely a part of life's challenge.

I think some deaf people are naive whenever they talk in terms of the a-wordism. They don't realize what they are saying or doing to other deaf/hh people. I feel many do toss that word around recklessly just so they can feel better about themselves. A way to somehow legitimize themselves as being the "better group." A de facto group that must be mimicked and worshiped. All that reminds me of a purity test for people with hearing loss must meet or be forever branded just because they can hear better, have a particular communication preference or have alternative viewpoints. It's really sad whenever people behave like that.

All that brings me to this.

I say it's better to accept a person for who he/she is rather than to judge him/her for what he/she is when it comes to deafness. You see, I accept a deaf/hh person if she is comfortable with her speaking skill even if she doesn't know sign language. I accept a deaf/hh person even if he believes that SEE is the better sign language for him and other people, even for kids. I accept a deaf/hh person who prefers ASL and doesn't feel the need to speak. I accept a deaf/hh person who opines that hearing loss is life-limiting. And the same goes conversely when others say it isn't life-limiting.  I accept a deaf/hh person who believes that deaf babies need to have a cochlear implant or not at all. There are many valid points they all present but there is no need to use the a-wordism against other deaf and hard of hearing people. I may disagree but that is as far I'd go. I present my own viewpoints and opinions.

I think those who recklessly toss the a-wordism around against other deaf/hh people because they didn't like their viewpoints or opinions have some kind of self-esteem issues. I think many are constantly trying to legitimize themselves as a group and so they must resort to using the a-wordism...... alot. If not that perhaps a certain ego or jealousy may be a factor for behaving that way. Or perhaps they are unable to argue on merits alone and must resort to ad homenim by appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason. Whatever the manifestation as a reason for the justification on using the a-wordism against other deaf/hh people, it's all part and parcel of the whole legitimization process by de-legitimizing others. An attempt to legitimize one group as "de facto" while all others are irrelevant. Rather reckless, I'd say.

You see, I'm the better person because I have no need to accuse or go after other deaf/hh people by using the a-wordism out of spite. Intellectually and emotionally it does not make any sense. It has simply become an emotional crutch. An attempt to prop up and legitimize themselves at the expense of others.  A deep-seated need to whip out that a-wordism because doing so makes them feel better. And that, my friends, is a poor excuse and a serious problem by those who must deal with their own self-esteem and personal issues.

Am I proud to be deaf? No, that's the wrong tack because saying that focuses on what's missing or lacking. Instead, I'm proud of who I am. I'm just a guy who happens to have a hearing loss who wears a hearing aid. A guy who is fluent in speaking the English language and sign language. A guy who can hear. A guy who loves playing ragtime piano. A guy who succeeded in a lot of things in life irrespective of hearing loss. A guy who is a confident person who wishes to express himself in a different way.  A guy who understands that in life things can change for the worse or better. I know where I stand. I'm proud of who I am. And that is something that people will never take away from me no matter how many a-wordism is used against me. It's irrelevant and has no merits. It has simply become a crutch word in the name of the "legitimization" game.

Speaking effortlessly

In a previous blog I brought up about listening and speaking by kids with cochlear implants where in videos (see here and here) I was simply amazed at the children and teens' voices and the effortless ability to speak. I could actually hear their full inflection, pitch and intonation of their accented (Australian) voices as opposed to hearing American kids with cochlear implants (they do just as well, btw). These weren't kids who struggled to speak but did so rather fluidly. Granted, the ability to speak effortlessly requires training and practice in the very beginning for a child with hearing loss whether with a hearing aid, cochlear implant or not (e.g. with very mild hearing loss). That part we know.

However, some people persist into thinking that just because a person born with a hearing loss would end up unable to speak effortlessly. And that such speaking cannot become 2nd nature or natural for him or her. I think this thinking is simply a misplaced perception thinking the impossible. To speak effortlessly is to speak without thinking where words simply flows forth fluidly. It can become natural for a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to speak, and over time be able to speak fluidly and effortlessly. Granted, I'm not speaking that this is true in ALL cases but there are indeed deaf/hh people out there who can and do speak effortlessly. I'm making the acknowledgement that it's the early exposure on talking and making the practice on the proper enunciation during the early years on speech development. No one ever got on a bike as a child for the first time and rode it flawlessly.

The captioned video below is Vint Cerf speaking effortlessly. He was born with sensorineural hearing loss and wears a hearing aid. He is known as the "Father of the Internet." As you can tell, he speaks effortlessly. His words are enunciated clearly. And speaks fluidly like any other hearing person.

Walk the walk?

I'm promoting this anonymous comment for my blog here. That comment was made in Death of Deafread. Why am I putting it here? Because I liked what he/she wrote and makes a few succinct points about "awdism" and such.

I could also state the situation in the other direction. Deaf/hh people who prefer speaking and listening (regardless of whether they are also fluent in ASL, and have a Deaf wife and Deaf friends) are considered to be hearing wanna-be's. Deafhood supporters call them colonized and dysconscious awdists who have been brainwashed by AG Bell and OOOO (Oral Only No Other Option). Cochlear implant manufacturers, surgeons, hearing aid manufacturers, audiologists, speech teachers, oral schools, etc., are all elements of a massive anti-deaf machine bent on eliminating deafness, Deaf people, and ASL. and lining their pockets with money in the process. I'm not making this up. These are Ella's exact words. According to her, there is no middle ground: One is either Deafhood, or one is an awdist.

it isn't mudslinging to point out these public statements by Ella. I watch all her vlogs. I haven't taken any of her statements out of context. they may not be on the Deafhood web site, but they are on ASL Ella's YouTube channel.

it isn't awdism to point out what Ella and other Deafhood supporters have said about Marlee Matlin and her support of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. it isn't awdism to point out facts about Gallaudet University. I *get* that Deaf people are protective of our cultural institutions. Yet, by saying rapes have happened at Gallaudet, that it means Deaf people are bad, Gallaudet is bad, and I disrespect Deaf people by saying so, simply... isn't... logical.

Deafhood supporters feel that their cultural values, way of life, and very being have been and are under attack by so-called technological and medical advances. And so, they react in emotional rather than logical ways, such as Jeffrey did here. I understand where he's coming from. Yet, they don't seem to realize that Deaf Culture and ASL have survived the horrors of Milan 1880, oralism, and the use of hearing aids.

I liked what the first Anonymous @6:01 pm said about "We cannot help any older generation of deaf who suffered ... and still hating and blaming AGB their language problem because they have some persecution complex issues to deal with."

That's exactly what's going on. That's why folks like Ella, Jeffrey, DonG, et al, deserve our compassion rather than our scorn. Like you said Mike, they talk the talk but don't walk the walk. If they are examples of Deafhood, I don't want any part of it.

Another Anonymous

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Happy Fourth of July!