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!
2 comments:
I've praised Marlee Matlin and her supporters from Starkey Hearing Foundation for providing some hearing aids in Africa. I thought it's great that Africa and underprivileged countries need to get some more health aids from many celebrities.
Someday, in the future, there will be a billionaire coming up with the cochlear implantation mission for Africa and other countries. It's part of the medical organization and community.
For instance, Microsoft's Bill Gates and his wife who have spent millions of dollars on vaccinations for the poor people in africa and other countries.
There is another example in the medical organization, Operation Smile. It was sponsored by the singer, Jessica Simpson. Look it up in the google.
There is one thing in my mind all along: it was started by an actress, Grace Kelly who heavily advocated many causes for the underprivileged countries. Sadly, no one recognized this mission until Princess Diana came up with this same kind of idea.
If not for Princess Diana, nothing would've recognized the world's causes and missions.
As for Marlee Matlin's mission for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, I don't see it is awdism after all. Ella and her supporters did not get it.
I'm honored, Mike! Thank you for re-posting my comment as a separate post. I can't wait to see what sort of intelligent dialogue it generates. ;)
after re-reading it, I was struck by another irony: if Deafhood supporters truly walked their walk, by welcoming all D/d/hh people using all languages, modes of communication, amplification, speaking, listening, oralism, etc., then the Foundation *might* have been the beneficiary of Marlee Matlin's $1M. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?
When you think back on the years of Marlee-bashing for using her voice and all her other colonialized, dysconscious awdist behaviors, I wonder whether DH supporters still think they acted in a respectful, accepting, welcoming way with her.
Instead, Marlee is used as yet another example of a successful oral deaf praised by the oppressive Hearing World that dismisses equally gifted and deserving deaf-mutes who use ASL only. (I'm not using "deaf-mute" as a pejorative here - Ella has made a vlog about how we should return to using this term.)
just for the record, I think it's fine for the Deafhood Foundation to promote ASL, just as it's equally fine for AGBell to promote listening and speaking. One doesn't cancel out the other. Both can coexist. Heck, deaf people can sign ASL and speak English (not simultaneously, of course. that's sim-com, not ASL). we can have it all: have a CI, Deaf Community, use ASL, speak English, enjoy music, and work in a vocation we love.
like your immortal coffee cup says, "so what exactly is your problem???"
Another Anonymous
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