What goes through your mind when you see this picture?

What are your thoughts and feelings when you see this picture below? It's an old bumper sticker I have that's around over 35 years old. I scanned it last year for my laptop. I have two of these stickers in my storage box along with one button with the same phrase on it. You can see a picture of that button on the left side of my blog.

Now, is that phrase true today? Can deaf children, which could mean children with mild to profound hearing loss, learn how to talk? Was that phrase true 40 years ago as well? Or should deaf children be best not to be taught on learning how to speak early in their life such as 40 years ago? 30 years ago? 10 years ago? Today???

Look at Deaf Jeff's (aka The Terlinguan blogger) recent video of him talking (although there is no captioning which I'm sure has raised a lot of eyebrows but I give him mega kudos on talking though) about ABC's recent show on discrimination against deaf people, ironically so. He also used his voice in an earlier video back in November 2010 for his hearing family and that's fine as well.  Jeff is an example of that oral success. Just like mine, Tim Riker's, and many others.

Looking back what would have been the consequences of not getting that early opportunity on learning how to speak? Now, remember, it says that deaf children can learn to talk and it says nothing about the inclusion of signing nor does the phrase presume to say (especially today) that signing shouldn't be included, either. Regardless, what are you thinking when you read that bumper sticker?