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.

A politically incestuous relationship?

The fourth of July has come and gone and having experienced one of Seattle's best fireworks on the lake shore near the Gas Works. I now have a few post-fourth of July thoughts to share with you. For me, the fourth of July is a special day when our nation fought for our independence and freedom from tyranny.

By now you probably have noticed what's going on in the deaf and hard of hearing blogosphere and how it has become a bit of a spectator sport of sorts nowadays. More personal in nature of those undergoing apoplectic fits over each little hiccup of a disagreement or a view that goes against their line of thinking.

People watching from the sidelines would probably be thinking that there seem to be a politically incestuous relationship being developed between certain Deaf people and certain Deaf organizations, all intertwined into one pulsating mass of indecency. A relationship seemingly born out of their desire to show their orgasmic feelings over a lot of things lately by moaning and groaning together. Things like the AB2072 bill controversy. Or climax over the idea finding that there are actually Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing people who don't care about this "deafhood" notion. Or get upset when someone donates $656 dollars (in Monopoly money) and then ask a selfish question about where "OUR money is going?" Some may see it as a rather selfish, egotistical and galling to use the word "our" as if the money, had it been real, deservedly belong only to certain Deaf organizations instead. An attitude that would classically highlight it as a politically incestuous behavior among certain Deaf elites and certain Deaf organizations thinking everything belongs to them under their roof and not of others. At least that's what it appears to many people watching from the sidelines. I can't blame them if they see or think that way.

And the latest mindless travesty has been about going after people who were once anonymous bloggers. A pointless excercise that comes with hyperbolic commentaries and false accusations. Whatever the reason, the mindless, personal attacks continue. If a blogger or vlogger cannot debate effectively, the answer seems to be is to make these personal attacks against bloggers they do not agree with along with pitchforks and torches which reminds me of a certain scene in a Frankenstein movie. Not a pretty scene to watch a frothing mob in action. A rather indecent mob scene I'd say.