Dare to comment? Observe the rules!
I'm with you there 100%, McConnell. I agree that exploring your identity and getting comfortable with yourself as a person with hearing loss is a good thing to do. However, the Deafhood gang lost all credibility with me since it's so inextricably tied to Dr. Fernandes' appointment as Gallaudet's next president. You just know they [Deafhood proponents] have an ulterior motive for pushing all this, when it isn't necessary at all for those of us who are very comfortable being deaf, Deaf, or hard of hearing. One thing that helps me understand where Paddy Ladd was coming from when he wrote the book is knowing that in the UK, oralism is much more of a dominant force, and big-D Deaf/BSL users don't get much respect or their share of the equal rights pie. That's another way I know that "Deafhood" is being misused to further the aims of a particular subgroup in the U.S.
Right. First "Gallaudet for Unity" came. And next protesters started all this "Deafhood" thing almost immediately like a shark smelling blood in the waters. Many fell in line like lemmings jumping off the cliff. But somehow I get the feeling a lot of this is a part of their guilt complex that they've carried and fell in line quickly. Many are honest about this. Many do want to change. Kudos to them. But internally many of them still carry their discriminatory attitudes and just wanted to be a part of the band without sticking out like a sore thumb.
It's better to say "Mea culpa!!" and raise your hand on the acknowledgement of your own past mistakes. I think there is such a thing as "reverse audism" that's been going on for awhile. A lot longer than most people would admit. Many don't want to admit this and a few are so apparent of this today who think they have it nicely covered.
It would've been better to raise these issues 18 years ago despite the fact that many (I do mean many) secretly and desperately wanted Dr. Harvey Corson to be the president instead of IKJ. This was because they really wanted a Deaf president to represent Gallaudet, and not a deaf president. But they got want they wanted 18 years ago and didn't want to rock the boat at the time. Perhaps that's why many of the existing Deaf faculty members who were a part of the protest 18 years ago wanted a Deaf president today? Perhaps not the sole reason but I still remain curious on this aspect.
Sounds too familiar? But, ah, that's another subject to discuss.
If they are going to hold a workshop in the very near future and call it a "Deafhood workshop" I'm gonna puke.
Let's have a workshop similar to Alcoholic Anonymous where everbody sits around and acknowledge their own mistakes that they, too, do mistreat others because they want Deaf culture to thrive above all else. And start apologizing for marginalizing others because of their attitudes. It's that what's healing is all about? It has to start somewhere. But getting on the "blame oralism" and call deaf people "deficit thinkers" ain't gonna work.
It all start by simply accept others for who and what they are and recognize the fact that we are all on the same boat when it comes to communication access and rights as people with a variety and range of hearing losses.
Which is why I presented a 1-page Deafhoodism for Dummies cover.
It shouldn't be that complex in the first place. If you accept others (and vice versa), that means you also accept yourself for who you are without having to defend yourself all the time. That's a true road to healing amongst people. No labels. No new terminologies. Simple and straightforward.
Cliff Notes anyone?
Um, have you read the book, McConnell? It might be good to read it before devoting time to comments and treatises.
AnalyzinEyes, your accusations are unfounded. Deafhood was a subject under discussion in California (statewide!) a full six months before the Gallaudet protest. It gained national attention during the protest, yes. Some individuals are misusing Deafhood, yes. But it's not being used to further selfish agendas of a subgroup. It's unfortunate that it seems "inextrictably tied to Gallaudet," because nothing could be further from the truth.
I don't have the desire to read it. I am comfortable in my position for the past 20 years where I accept deaf, Deaf and hard of hearing people for who they are and their preferred choice on how they communicate. I do not blame outside groups for my failures. My failures are my own.
Better look here -
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=ca...s&ct=clnk&
cd=15
You see, I don't put myself in the position to put any particular mode of communication up on a pedestal. FSSA is doing just that. Not very smart.
Not inextrictably tied to Gallaudet's protest? Might want to rethink that. The FSSA is using Deafhood as a part of their protest and their unity battle cry.
Now, let me get this straight. Are you saying that Deafhood is all about ASL and Deaf culture? The FSSA seems to allude to that:
"Deafhood concept to include not only everybody who considers themselves “people of the eye” but also includes the natural languages of Deaf people, especially American Sign Language, in every aspect of our lives as possible. With Gallaudet University being the first and only liberal studies University 'of, by, for' Deaf in the world.."
No..Gallaudet University is not exclusively for "D"eaf people. FSSA is getting themselves screwed for saying that by using Deafhood as their battle cry for unity, Deaf culture and whatnot. Gallaudet University is an institution for all deaf and hard of hearing students whether they are culturally deaf or not. FSSA's own words can be seen as "exclusionary" to those who do not consider themselves as "D"eaf.
Now, tell me Mr/Mrs. Anonymous, what is the central premise or point of Deafhood?
Statewide you say? And that was last year, too. Tell me, who were the target audiences when it first started? And what were their target audiences as of late?
In the state of California there are many deaf and hard of hearing organizations ranging from Cued speech, oral, late deafened to hard of hearing support organizations.
Did they contact them about upcoming Deafhood workshops and invite them to attend one?
Interesting that people haven't really come up with an answer to that.
Anon: yes, I'm aware that Paddy Ladd's book and the Deafhood concept were being discussed before the protest happened on May 1st this year. I'm just saying that the Deafhood Mafia latched onto the protest as an opportunity to push its goals, one of which is to put Big-D Deaf people in charge of all things related to deaf agencies, schools, etc. Like for example, if you're hearing and truly understand, accept, and love deaf people, forget about having a job in a school like the one where Baer, Eberwein, et all work. F-O-R-G-E-T it. Not going to happen. If you're oral and learned sign language later, you cannot be President of Gallaudet. And so it goes. Yes, yes, I've heard all the yadda-yadda I ever want to hear about the deaf card. Spare me. Deafhood fanatics are simply too transparent to deceive me on what their real aims are. Believe me, it's got nothing to do with unity or embracing one's positive identity as a deaf person.
Yet again, another diversion tactic by the powers that be, avoiding any constructive improvements for deaf education, leading future generations of deaf children and their families to a place of unequal access.
Of course there will be all those hearing participants, that will have yet another book to buy and add to their collection of: "My Romance With ASL".
Who's gonna write "Cochlear Implants for Dummies"?
I am shocked at several things. To be honest, I am furious. I'm trying very hard to remain civil. I apologize if I fail.
One: how can anyone claim to be knowledgeable about something when he refuses to read the book? There is more to the concept than you've addressed and more than has been put forth in the blogosphere. Your argument isn't credible for that reason. I'm not even going to go into point by point discussion with you, cuz I know you don't listen very well (witness your comments on DeafDC.com), so what's the use?
Two: AnalyzinEyes, you appear comfortable in your worldview, but it is not based on anything I've seen. I work at Fremont, I'm not elite, and I'm not deaf of deaf. I've read the book and support the concept. I know for a fact that what you're saying is based on events that have been taken out of context. I also know that the aim is NOT to put big d deaf in control. DE is talking with two former oral people about collaboration on a deafhood project, and I can give more specific examples where they are including a variety of people. The two people in the example I just gave are the kind of people who embrace everyone and would never consider furthering the aims of a group such as you describe. Furthermore, I've seen them collaborate with, support, and celebrate all kinds of people, hearing, deaf, oral, and so on.
Three: The deafhood mafia remark is offensive. The fascist one is inflammatory. I disagree with the comment about Fernandes. I have NO problem with an oral deaf person becoming president. The issue is ineffective leadership and a flawed search process.
There's more, including fallacies in both your arguments, but I'd go into a diatribe, and that would serve no purpose. I'm sorry both of you are not open to dialogue and discourse. Even if we disagree, that'd be fine. But from comments like "Spare me. I've heard all I want to hear..." and "I have no desire to read the book," you are closing yourselves off from a honest, open exchange of ideas. I don't expect everyone to jump on the deafhood bandwagon, but if we can't even talk about it without erecting walls, there's no hope for the acceptance and respect you tout, McConnell.
My honest and open exchanges have been just that for the past 20 years. We are all in the same boat when it comes to communication access issues and certain legal rights owed to us as people with hearing loss.
My object has never been to assign blame towards any groups whether they are oralists, cued speech users, SEE, ASL, speech and listening or what have you's as a cause for a person's own perceived or real "failures." Instead, I see these various modes of communication as "tools" one can use. There are many tools where one can fit well depending on the person's hearing loss and type from mild/moderate to profoundly deaf. And to assist these "tools" technology has increasingly become our friend when it comes to leveling the playing fields. Someday, communication will not be an issue because there would be no gap at all. Technology will change it. Technology has enhanced it. Technology has since provided a better range of choices to choose from and will only get better with time.
But there is one all important tool. It is called "acceptance." Acceptance is also a part of everybody's discovery process when it comes to trying to find your own identity as a person with a hearing loss as well as others. When you learn to accept others, you learn more about yourself. You accept a deaf/hh person regardless of the person's background or mode of communication preference. It doesn't matter. I have said this repeatedly here in my blogs. And I have repeatedly said so in DeafDC. And I have repeatedly said so in Gallynet-L and elsewhere in other forums. This isn't a hard concept. I have not deviated once. Not in all those years.
What I have said all along is about a simple, common sense approach. It's called acceptance. No politics. No favoritism. No elitism. No games. No taking center stage. No playing the victim card. We're all in the same boat when it comes to many communication issues at different levels and scale. We've all felt we were discriminated at one time or another and not respected by various groups whether hearing or deaf. There is nothing new about all this. NOTHING! These things exist. I learned to recognized these things well before I set foot on the campus of Gallaudet University in 1988. Gallaudet only helped open my eyes to different type of discriminatory practices that went on in there, and that's not just from hearing people only.
I am very comfortable with my philsophy. Just because one has a hearing loss doesn't mean he or she will find his or her deaf culture. It's not that simple. Most do not care for deaf culture. Culturally deaf people ARE in the minority within a minority group of people with hearing loss. I don't intend to exclude the larger group for the sake of deaf culture. That's not my goal. My goal is to hopefully see that communication gap gets shortened. Technology is the key that will help the deaf/hh community. The Deaf community is simply a subset of the deaf/hh community. No reason to ignore a larger group. We're all in this together.
Now, there is a reason why I post these blogs of mine. Some require reading between the lines. Some are direct. But all serve a purpose to inform others as well as provide an outlet for my opinions. You will need to learn to read carefully next time on what I'm trying to say. But if you have paid ANY attention to my blogs you will also notice that I do blog about successful deaf and hard of hearing people. I have blogged about a successful deaf person who use Cued Speech but does not use ASL, a Deaf person, a hard of hearing person, a Deaf and blind person, a person with cochlear implant who is deaf but not Deaf, a late-deafened person and so on. Be careful of who you accuse of not having an honest and open exchange of ideas. I have done just that...and more. My philosopy is but simple and direct. And I ascribe to a very simple principle called The K.I.S.S. principle. It means "Keep it simple stupid!"
As for deafhood, tell me, what do you believe is the central premise?
Agast, perhaps it is you who have erected these walls because you feel threatened by my opinions and stance? I can't tell if this is the case since I do not read minds. But you are not the first to come up and accuse me of these things and say, in so many words, that I'm not worth having discussions with. I do not feel threatened by this. I am secure in who I am and where I am going with this.
Aghast, I hear what you're saying. I know what you WANT me to believe. You say that you work at Fremont, are not elite, and not deaf of deaf. Great. I believe that "you" (and perhaps David E.) are sincere and filled with good wishes. Unfortunately, I don't believe that others promoting Deafhood are equally pure and honest in their motives. Deafhood is a good concept, certainly. It doesn't mean we all have to be perfect angels. I'm offering the observation that many people espousing Deafhood these days are using it to oppress others. Thus, the use of "Mafia." Witness the aggressive threats against CM Baldwin that caused her to resign. As for your feeling OK about any oral late-signing deaf becoming president of Gallaudet, just not JKF, I'm sorry ... the cat got out of the bag long ago. "Not deaf enough" was used against JKF by the protestors *first* and everybody knows it. Trying to cover it up with denials isn't working. Nobody is fooled, trust me.
Regarding to your comments from above:
"It shouldn't be that complex in the first place. If you accept others (and vice versa), that means you also accept yourself for who you are without having to defend yourself all the time. That's a true road to healing amongst people. No labels. No new terminologies. Simple and straightforward."
If you think accepting each other is a true road to healing amongst people, why didn't the hearing people and oral deaf people do the same thing to us? Sadly, I still do meet hearing people and oral deaf people who do not accept Deaf people and do not accept Deaf people to use ASL as their primary language. Do us a favor, McConnel; why don't you share your above acceptance concept with those "anti-Deaf" hearing and oral deaf people. I thank you in advance for doing us a favor. Oh by the way, you will need a label or a terminology to be able to explain to them with a precise definition.
Lastly, your another comment from the above:
""If they are going to hold a workshop in the very near future and call it a "Deafhood workshop" I'm gonna puke.""
Please do yourself a favor. Make sure that your puke stays in your throat so you will not need to worry about seeing the another "Deafhood workshop" in the future. There definitely will be a lot of Deafhood workshops in the future.
Thank you...
Please note that I said "If you accept others (and vice versa).." I included "vice versa." It goes all around. But the key is that you make the first step by accepting others for who they are and their communication preferrances. This isn't about right or wrong. That would be getting into the politics of deafness and blame game seeing who got victimized the most.
Oh, sure, lots of workshop for mostly Deaf people. As long as they play the victim card about oralism and such, it'll appeal mostly to the Deaf crowd. Since oralism fits quite well for people with mild to moderate/severe hearing loss with today's technology. Even people with mild to moderate hearing do go through a process about their identity but it will most likely NOT lead to a Deaf identity. These people will not follow "Deafhoodism." The puke comment was directed at the word "Deafhood" and not necessarily the meaning behind it. Just more label and pc stuff.
Here's a test for you, what is the central premise of "deafhood"?
Now,
mcconnell... what is your problem? i dont see if there is anything wrong with deafhood, i grew up oral, i finally learned ASL in my mid 20's, never attended to any deaf related activities or events... but after reading the book, my fortunate personalities that helped me with abiltiy of "understanding" and and now i felt very related to the book and other readers. and i dont understand epeople like you being so begative and pester. you sounds like a bickering grandma. enough honestly... i saw you at NAD sleeping during Tribute to ASL night... you are nothing but a disrespectful runt with a lack of personalities and intelligence.
Deafhood rocks, it helped me so much understanding myself better. and it inevitably helped others too. so shut up, allright KooKoo? ugh.
and also, for ANALyzingEyes and KooKoo Krap, people who are negative and bickers about deafhood and whine all the time about elites n etc... you are angry cuz you are not one of them? so you felt obliged to destroy them? the funny thing is that those people actually dont label themselves as elitists, only people who are jealous labeled them. stupid.
Mr/Mrs/Ms "Uhh?"
Yes, I did see the opening ceremony. It was nice but meeting up with friends and staying up late into the wee hours finally caught up with me. So, sue me. At least I attended the opening ceremony while many, many others didn't even bother to go. Maybe you should talk to them instead and ask them why they didn't bother to go? Why they didn't bother to see the ASL tribute? At least I took pictures of the event.
I'm glad you found that "deafhood" rocks you. However, you need to understand that there are people who do have different perspectives and experiences who will question this "deafhood" concept. I am not alone in presenting these questions to the public. "Deafhood" right now is but a Deaf status quo that has been riding on the coattails of the protest's momentum by mostly Deaf people. There is this Deaf politics that I, and many others, have questions about.
So, to me, it's better to learn to accept people for who they are and the mode of communication they prefer to use, and, at the same time, not play the victim card because many people with mild to even moderate/severe hearing loss do not see themselves as being "victims" or that they are being oppressed by hearing people.. It is unlikely they will somehow, magically so, become that Deaf person someday. Their self-identities and discovery processes do have a different outcome than people who have greater hearing loss.
Either you have not read all of my blogs (DEAFHOODism Part I and II) or that you do not understand the points I am trying to make here. Nothing in my blogging indicated that I want to destroy Deaf people. Your emotion is getting the best of you. Also, I have said numerous times that oppression and elitism exist at all levels within deaf and hard of hearing communities by certain groups of people who do not know any better.
If you need clarifications on what I wrote, all you need to do is ask rather than attack. Also, I suggest you re-read my blogs carefully, and also it wouldn't hurt to read my comments where I have clarified further on what I've been saying. Do this before you respond the next time because I know you are reading this whole thing incorrectly and wrongly. I have my own unique style of writing. This reflects my personality. Sometimes you need to read between the lines on what I am trying to say.
McConnell,
I'm not going to address your comments or questions to me. I'm only responding to note with interest that you chose to say I'm from San Francisco. Where did you get that? I know I'm not from SF. My IP address doesn't show I'm in SF. I wasn't in SF when I posted my comment. Just found that interesting. I also found it threatening that you chose to post a city, as if you were trying to scare me into thinking you have some idea who I am. I did not appreciate that.
Mr/Mrs/Ms Anon,
No. It wasn't like that. I apologize for saying that. That multi-tasking is going to get me into trouble someday!
I have since removed the city remark.
Again, my apologies. But I do ask that what is the central premise of "deafhood"?
mr/mrs/ms anon,
i am really curious to read your answer to mcconnell's question which is "what is the central premise of 'deafhood'?"
please answer that and not dodge it anymore! i am curious!
McConnell, that was decent of you. Thank you very much for apologizing. 
I appreciate that.
Now on to your question... You always encourage people to do their research. It's a great approach to everything in life. I have done my research on the concept, including reading the book. You have clearly done _some_, but I would like to take this opportunity to gently, politely encourage you to complete your research and answer your question for yourself instead of seeking answers from others.
Hi McConnell. Can't quite remember if you said you did go to all the Deafhood workshops at NAD in Palm Springs? Joey Baer finally put Part I of the Deafhood workshop on his vlog, condensed from 90 to 13 minutes. The gist of it is that oralism is a form of colonialism, and that deaf schools, clubs, individuals, etc. bonded as a mechanism of resistance. However, Anon, what about those deaf people with mild to moderate hearing loss who are oral because they WANT to be, not because they are oppressed?
Hi - a first time poster on anything on a blog and I ask in advance to forgive my poor English grammar. Cultural psychology interests me and I hope to contribute a relevant response to the question on the central premise of Deafhood.
After skimming Paddy's book on Deafhood, I've came to a conclusion that he has discovered a new theory about the deaf culture and wished to construct it as a framework. I'd like to offer a summary of the book: the author sees that we function in a sense where a culture of collectivism may function. And that this is a result of the oppression we experience from the majority culture. Therefore, my understanding is that the concept of deafhood argues that deaf individuals construct the self in a way that is different from the individualism's self construction.
There are cultural frameworks for different ethnic minorities in the US. But as of now Deafhood is probably the closest complete framework you can find for the group of deaf people in the Western culture.
Simply to develop a framework is a pretty good argument I think... it can help counselors to have ideas of how to help deaf individuals construct better self, etc. As I've mentioned earlier, psychology interests me and that includes theories or ideas that will promote the improvement of our quality of life.
Well-put, js.
However, there is this nagging problem dealing with people whose hearing loss is in the mild to moderate-severe range. I'm sure they fit nicely in the Deaf world.
Commenting by HaloScan
