Deaf Over Anything (D.O.A.)?

Here’s to the New Year, 2008, where I look forward rather than to look back and see where this year will bring us. Of course, lesson learned doesn’t mean we should forget what we learned but chalk it up as a life lesson that’ll never stop until you stop breathing one day, dead on arrival, and then the maggots start to feed on your putrid, decaying lifeless flesh.

Ok. Let’s save that one for Halloween.

By now ya’ll probably have me figured out on why I write what I write. Some of you might be astute enough to go past the words and see the message I’m trying to convey. Bravo for you! While others seriously believe I’m out to get the Deaf community or the people. Hardly. But sometimes it’s like watching a bunch of kids at a play ground run around mindlessly as they jump, slide, swing and scuttle their way around with the occasional shoving and subsequent crying by a few kids who felt they were bullied and run back to their Mommies in protest while Daddies roll their eyes and sighs. Of course, don’t take that literally just figuratively speaking. Just because I dare to question and ask these things don’t mean that I’m out to “get them.” If it weren’t for me to raise some of these “taboo” questions, they might have not been raised at all.

But I do see some people succumb to this “group think” attitude that being “Deaf” is everything and over anything. And damn the rationality, too. Of course, many others do show their independent and critical thinking side when it comes to various deaf-related issues, whatever they may be, and still be proud of their Deaf culture or community. But to discuss deafness or cultural issues that may seem to border on blasphemy will simply earn a scorn, a “Harrumph!,” howls of calls that you must join the Deaf culture or get out, or try and use guilt about you not trying to be a part of the Deaf community when you have no interest. Or so goes their line of reasoning/thinking.

Here’s the secret, folks if you haven’t figured it out. I’m already a part of the community in one way or another whether it’s the Deaf or deaf community. Secondly, there is no “joining” in. It’s just is. Unless, of course, people are trying to tell me that there is this secret book with blacklisted names of those who are forbidden to be a part of that community just because they don’t see themselves as a “Deaf person.” Something like earning a scarlet letter “A” in this case but really it’s all about hypocrisy. Al least it seems so. Yet, I made my list of clarifications last year quite clear where I basically said, in a nutshell, that I prefer English and use my ability to hear (i.e. hoh) over the use of ASL and being Deaf. Some people just find that hard to believe and some just basically condemn me for saying that. Yet, I'm comfortable and happy with who I am despite people who try and use guilt on me (or others like me) in some reverse-psychology attempt on conversion. I'm not alone on this and many do share my thoughts and feelings about this whole thing. Though that doesn’t mean I won’t associate with those who describe themselves as a Deaf person by communicating with them using ASL. The same goes with those who use SEE will I communicate with them. Or those who prefer to talk whether they’re hearing, hard of hearing or deaf. I just see the use of the capital letter “D” as problematic that is consistent with a cultural bunker house mentality. It’s an “either/or” type of thing, and never a "we" thing.

There'll always be divisions as long as they keep holding up the "D"eaf label on a pedestal while ignoring the rest of the deaf population knowing full well they'll never be a part of or even want to “join” into one. The problem began when the first definition of the word "Deaf” was proposed a few decades ago or so by a prominent Deaf scholar to signify a Deaf culture that use ASL. But the irony we’re seeing nowadays is that people are trying to use the "D" to mean all deaf/hh people. But for those looking in from the outside it looks more like a club for them to *try* and join. Yet some people just don't want to admit that it’s more like a club than anything else since there are certain hoops (i.e. beliefs, requirements, etc) one must jump through in order to “join.” No wonder this “unity” thing won’t work and that divisions will continue. In my mind to me, "Deaf over anything" simply means D.O.A. Maggots will simply feast on that dead flesh instead when its usefulness is gone.