Greek Fraternity Doing the Nazi Salute

Here's a group photo of 35 Greek fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute. Other people have tried to explain away their salute as doing the "Bellamy salute" which was a popular Pledge of Allegiance salute to the U.S.flag  prior to WWII.  It was Hitler, hence the German National Socialists Party, who made the salute popular and recognized around the world. This forced the United States in 1942 to change their embarrassing salute with a hand over the heart instead for their Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.  It was over 40 years since WWII when that group photo was taken with the 35 fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute at a fraternity retreat. It'd be disingenuous to say that they were doing the Bellamy salute when that salute has ceased since 1942 for obvious reasons.

This photo of the 35 fraternity brothers belonging to a recognized university doing the obvious Nazi salute is so serious and egregious, not to mention totally stupid and embarrassing, I made the decision to cover up their faces and shirts with their Greek letters....for now.

But why did they do the Nazi salute in the first place? Was it peer pressure done as a lark? Was it a secret salute much akin to a secret handshake used to greet each other while safely in the confines of their fraternity building and elsewhere away from prying or curious eyes? Did fraternity brothers ever forced pledges to do the Nazi salute during Rush Week as part of the whole hazing routine? Why even bother taking a group picture doing the Nazi salute when a picture like that would become the most incriminating kind once it got out to the public? Why even bother doing a group photo with that Nazi pose in the first place?

That's the most mind-boggling and most stupid thing of them all.

Oppressive Deaf Space?

Something I read (and watched) on YouTube by spdundas37 concerning the a-wordism at Gallaudet University and about "Deaf Space."  Now I understand this concept of "Deaf Space" especially when it revolves around hearing people on the campus of Gallaudet University and even more so while in classrooms. Although I have serious reservations about going after a group of hearing people at a table who are having a private conversation in Gallaudet University cafe dinning room who were signing and talking at the same time (SimCom). I don't know if all of the hearing people knew sign or if they were all students at Gallaudet or there were a few hearing people who didn't know sign which could probably explain the reason for this CODA SimComming. Such information was limited given by spdundas37. If it's a group of people having their own private and quiet conversations at a table and no one is complaining at that table, what right does spdundas37 have from across the room to tell them to stop using SimCom?

Moving on. Let's change the picture some. I have other questions about this "Deaf Space" concept described by spdundas37 when it comes to deaf and hard of hearing students who do regularly sign and use their voice at the same time on campus. Back in my days at Gallaudet University from 1988 to 1991 myself and many of my friends and their friends signed and talked at the same time.  Many of us signed and mouthed the words at the same time, sometimes completely or partially. Many of us simply signed with some mouth movements or none at all. Most of these conversations took place at Gallaudet University cafeteria where we all naturally segregated ourselves into our respective tables and have these conversations. Nobody objected because these were private conversations and we were all in our own very special "Deaf Space" based on our comfort level with each other and our tolerance when it came to communicating. I'm sure today this is still true that many deaf/hh students do regularly sign and talk to each other at the same time while on campus at Gallaudet University outside of the classrooms. I don't know if this would be the minority or majority of the campus population but the point is that it still continues today.

I believe spdundas37 was wrong to intrude onto a private conversation at another table by telling a group of hearing people to stop using their voice while signing.  If that CODA person actually screamed and attacked spdundas37 then that CODA person was wrong to do that but then again I wasn't there and so I don't have the full picture of what really went on. Although spdundas37 made it clear that this group of hearing people was at another table across the room using SimCom which clearly tells us that this was a group of people having a private conversation amongst themselves and to no one else. It wouldn't matter if they were hearing, deaf or hard of hearing. What matters is that they were having a private conversation and bothering nobody. If they were SimComming then what does it matter if they signed and mouthed the same exact words instead without voicing? What does it matter if you cannot hear their voices? Simply put, it was a private conversation that got interrupted because of political correctness.

Quit yer bitchin.....

dFor a person with a hearing loss going to college for the first time will come to the realization (mostly the parents' realization) that cost of college just keeps getting more expensive with each passing year. The best thing to prepare well ahead of time by researching all of the available and possible scholarships and grants that can help keep expenses down. There are some 2.7 million local, state and national college scholarships and grants worth over 19 billion dollars for free! Imagine that. There are several possible scholarships or grants a deaf or hard of hearing person can apply for.

Each of these organization or institution has the right to define the eligibility criteria in order to qualify for a scholarship or grant such as Alexander Graham Bell's which provides about 18 or so scholarships each year to qualified applicants. But what happens when deaf people find out about AGB and do not qualify?

"Life is soooooooo unfair!" (*rants* *rants* *throws self on floor and proceed to Defcon 4 temper tantrum*)

That's pretty much in a nutshell. Unbelievably so.

People need to learn to move on and keep digging when it comes to searching for free money. There are scholarships and grants available that have nothing to do with hearing loss or disability. In fact, there are tons of them! If you are a female and want to study law, there are scholarships/grants out there for that. African American? Yep. Good at sports? Sure thang! Even kids of deceased parents can tap into scholarships specifically for them. Are you a single Mom and going to college? Yep, there's a grant for that, too. Amazing. Just about almost anything you can think of there's a grant for it. And you can tally up those grants worth $300, $150, $500, $800, $100 and so on. It can add up quickly when you "nickle and dime" your grants together over time.

How about pound the pavement for a change instead of trying to find something easier that focuses directly on a person's own hearing loss? Look around. Invest your time and energy and dig up these valuable scholarship and grant resources that are worth over $19 billion dollars. How can you get that piece of the pie to help with your college expenses? Simple. You dig around for it like you would panning for gold along a creek. Be sure to give yourself at least a year's time to dig up these gold nuggets before attending college and make a note when to apply for them when the time is right.  And do not stop looking. Just because you have a good list of possible grants or scholarships doesn't mean you stop looking because not you may not get that award after you apply. It's best to keep looking and add more to your list of grants and scholarships. 

Bitchin' about AGBell's scholarship award program regarding its eligibility criteria is simply a big waste of time. AGBell has every right to define those criteria for eligibility purposes just like any other scholarships or grants you apply for.

Time to stop crying like a baby over that. Let's be an adult for a change because going to college is an investment of your time and resource. Spend it wisely.  Know where to look and get that gold nugget you were looking for.

Good luck for 2012 and beyond. You'll need it.