What’s In a Label - and How Does it Affect Your Dream?
By David Stuckless on Tue 16 Jan 2007 |
Email This Post
You know- I have a dream. I have a dream that one day all the people with 0% hearing, 10% hearing, 20% hearing, 30% hearing, cochlear implants, hearing aids, etc., with their squeaky voices, hearing aids ringing, and through bad interpreters- will be able to join hands (wait, not join hands) and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
In the 7th grade, I wore a pair of Adidas tennis shoes. White leather with grey stripes. I had a few different laces I would wear in them. Remember- the big fat wide laces? I was about 12 years old and I grew up in the ghetto spending my summers playing basketball at the court a block or two away. One day, some kid bigger than me, (yes, most of them were) walked up to me on the playground and told me that my shoes weren’t real Adidas. I couldn’t have been prouder when I picked up my shoe and let him read the brand on the sole: Adidas, baby! It was the summer of 1986. And I couldn’t have been more proud of the label I wore that day.
Even before that though, I can remember having to walk to the school 2 blocks behind my house, only to catch a bus to go to a school 3 miles away. Then there were kids who walked to the school that I was bussed to, and they caught a bus to go to the school that I came from. I think they called it- integration? I went there because I was white, they came here because they were black. Yeah, kinda like mainstreaming; it’s still school, you just have to wake up an hour earlier than everyone else.
And now in Michigan comes Proposal 2, which passed with about 58% of the vote, took effect Dec. 22. It amended the Michigan Constitution to ban public institutions, including universities, from giving preferential treatment based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin.
Who knows, maybe someday there will be no preferential treatment based on disability. You know, no SSI/SSD. No Voc Rehab.
Labels are an important part of our lives, and here on DeafDC.com even, labels are an important way of identifying perspective and roles. But they’re a blessing and a curse. I love hanging out with my CODA pals and having that commonality, but am I insulting another person in my profession when I blow the CODA trumpet at work? I dunno…
Adam Stone wrote about his frustration re. the malfunction of his Cochlear Implant, and then he was getting brow beaten about having one. This brilliant guy- who is as Deaf as Deaf gets, some of you readers tried to discredit his deafness, or at least to qualify it, because he wore a cochlear implant. Like all the sudden Jesus came by, spit in the mud and wrote in it, then Adam could hear.
Dare I announce that a DeafDC.com blogger has great speaking skills, and sometimes, she even voices for herself? In public? Noooooooo, it can’t be, she seemed so, so… Deaf.
Deafness isn’t a state of hearing, it’s where your heart is.
This comment was made recently:
I personally view DeafDC.com’s tendency to be pro-IKJ and JF from time to time. I do not know why!
Then he continued to say-
My understanding is that the DeafDC.com people are largely coming from NTID.
Some are arguing for a new writer or two to be added to DeafDC.com’s rolls that are more culturally Deaf, you know- the infamous Deaf of Deaf. Yeah, we have Rob Rice, maybe you guys don’t think he’s Deaf enough? …and Barack Obama isn’t black enough. Anyone heard that argument lately?
We’re all part of sub-cultures that make up today’s society. But your score on your audiogram, do not make your opinions or perspectives on Deafness any less or more important than someone else’s, or you any more or less deaf than Heather Whitestone or Marlee Matlin. Different maybe, but your opinion isn’t worth more than theirs. They still have perspectives and I’m sure we could learn something from them. It’s when we embrace our differences that we can learn from each other.
It’s 11:45 p.m. on Martin Luther King’s birthday, and I’ve heard and read pieces of his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech several times throughout today.
“…one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”
He wasn’t trying to bring the black children together with their various shading. He doesn’t say the “off whites, the tans, the taupes, the light browns, the chocolates…”
Usually at this point in my ramblings my friends say- “Geez Dave, what’s your point?” So here’s my point: I think when the d/Deaf community quits the fighting within, it’ll make huge leaps and bounds forward. Not just with University Presidents, but with truly equal access- even for the Deaf guy working the line at General Motors that hasn’t had an interpreter more than 15 times in 25 years. Why does that matter to me? Because that was my dad.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. -Dr. Martin Luther King
I would suggest to you that perhaps Dr. King in his brilliance and foresight assumed we would remember what was more important for the true freedom in a minority population- solidarity within. When we seek out the similarities that connect us, not the differences that seperate us, in that search we have found our fellow man.
In closing I would like to you leave you with another brief quote:
“Only very few ones who are vocal — they talk too much.” - Ridor
© Copyrighted material. This article cannot be copied, reproduced or redistributed without the express written consent of the author. As with every blog on this website, this blog does not reflect the opinion of DeafDC.com.
Reflections on Martin I Want My Life Back How to play something you’ve never heard
60 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
a blog with noble intentions. but nobody i know actually says somebody isn’t deaf enough just because of their 8th grade audiology charts or where they stood on the gally protest.
as you know, the deaf community is composed of various subgroups. i think what a handful of people here were griping about is that there’s no blogger here that represents their own subgroup’s viewpoint. a possible loose term for that particular subgroup is ‘grassroots activists’. they represent an extreme end of the spectrum.
on the other end, pure oralists, are as intolerant (hey extremists are not known for tolerance). dont nelgect to slap em with your good intentions too. :)
‘nite.
Ben, then you haven’t met my mother.
btw - about barak obama not being black enough - that was ONE quote from ONE writer, Stanley Crouch, a black conservative New York columnist. His argument is that because Barak came from Africa, and his ancestors did not experience American slavery in the 1800’s, he doesn’t qualify to lead Americans.
But that was his father’s ancestry, not his mother’s, which I understand is rooted in America for a few generations at least. So does that mean only half of Barack Obama is qualified to lead? ;)
My understanding from what I read is that Barack Obama’s mother is of a causcian background. Regardless his background, I think he is very much qualified to lead if given the opportunity.
Exactly what are Barak’s qualification to lead as president of the U.S.? Heck, he’s barely wet as a senator for only 2 years and two weeks.
that would be “qualifications”…just being nitpicky here.
My point is that because he is perceived as not black enough, it shouldn’t be a good reason to be disqualified to lead.
While it is true that Barack doesn’t have much of experience, I’ll bet on money that he’ll be a better President than our current one during his first year!
At the risk of not being an expert on history, I’m certain there have been a former politican with a short history of experience who went on to become a good President of our country.
can’t think of anyone, Katherine. How about you, McConnell?
True or not, what do you have to say about some of those with a long history of experience who went on to become a lousy President?
If there hasn’t been one with a short history of experience who became a President yet, isn’t it possible that Barack may become a good one that proves everyone wrong?
I think Barack is an impressive politican than Bush ever was in his short time before Bush became the President of our country. My gawd, this world is now upside down and thanks to President Bush. Please tell me he has the qualifications to lead our country for the last 8 years *coughs*
Nobody answered my question and that is what are Barak’s qualifications? The feel good stuff doesn’t count.
McConnell, when GW Bush first run for President, he never had an experience as a senator or whatsoever — only as a Governor of Texas whom he said he had a tough foreign policy with New Mexico!
Please.
R-
We’re not talking about Bush. It’s Obama. Nobody has yet answered my question. A pretty simple request.
Besides, it wasn’t New Mexico that Gov. Bush dealt with, it was Mexico. Y’know, New Mexico *IS* and has been a part of the United States since 1912. Nothing “foreign” about it.
And please don’t use the excuse that you were “testing” me, either.
Now, about Obama….
The comparison is still THERE. Obama can run if he wants to. Inexperienced or not, he still can run it if he wants to.
GW Bush was inexperienced. No, he did make a comment which he claimed to have a tough foreign policy on New Mexico, not Mexico.
Go figure.
R-
Hardly a comparison. A senator with barely two years experience and gunning for the United States (and practicially the world) versus a guy who was gunning for the state of Texas.
No such comparison.
Again, once more…nobody answered my questions. What are Barak’s qualifications for president?
Mcconnell: maybe you can answer this…what am I missing…why is malfoy bringing up New Mexico? I’m a bit tired, but what am I missing.
the point is? (to the ever nonstick stuckless)
Ben, I was just saying that my mother would.
You said ‘no one I know does’, and I said ‘you haven’t met my mother.’
Ben, did you go to Deaf school? Only bec. at MSSD for a while it was a big thing to know your DB. How many DB you? Myself I never looked for my audiogram… hehehe
You know I enjoyed this blog. A lot of my friends already know I’m one to not say, hey my name’s erin, I’m deaf. that’s the last thing on my mind when I’m introducing myself to a new person, particularly a hearing person.
I do have a friend who doesn’t get it at all. he knows I’ve been heavily criticized for all kinds of things I’ve said when I’ve posted blogs on this website. Sometimes I come away feeling *ouch* that hurts, but other times, I know it creates a good kind of controversy. Often times, I do feel like, well I already know I don’t fit in too well with the deaf community, but I know there are others who might feel like me & would like to know what I think. so I keep doing it.
What I’m saying is, my friend doesn’t get it. Why a community that’s already so small can be so harsh? So you’re not exactly like them, he’s told me, but there’s no need for some of the stuff that’s been said. The deaf community’s already small, they need to learn to come together, and deal with everyone who might be a little different. Stop fighting and learn to deal with the differences, that’s how you’ll get ahead in this world. I agree with him. I think if the community’s able to come together despite all the differences. It’s how the other communities have come together, and come off so strong. The blacks, the hispanics, the women, etc. Can we be like them? it’ll take a long time, but i think so.
David Stuckless’s quotation: Some are arguing for a new writer or two to be added to DeafDC.com’s rolls that are more culturally Deaf, you know- the infamous Deaf of Deaf. Yeah, we have Rob Rice, maybe you guys don’t think he’s Deaf enough?
How Your Blackberry Can Get You In Big Trouble http://www.deafdc.com/blog/rob.....g-trouble/
Probably, Rob Rice does not want to contribute anymore since I have attacked his reputation. Come on, Rob knew better than that. I wonder how he heard the perfect pronounce or excellently lip-read from the flight customer. Maybe he is HH but not deaf enough…
Mookie
“Probably, Rob Rice does not want to contribute anymore since I have attacked his reputation. Come on, Rob knew better than that. I wonder how he heard the perfect pronounce or excellently lip-read from the flight customer. Maybe he is HH but not deaf enough…”
Allow me to examine your comment:
1) Rob Rice doesn’t want to blog anymore because the all-powerful and omniscient Mookie attacked his reputation? *mental note to self - don’t piss off anyone named Mookie*
Boy, you think highly of yourself.
2) Rob Rice isn’t “deaf enough”? What? Speak up?? Where do you get off deciding who is and who isn’t “deaf enough”? Wasn’t that phrase the bane of the protesters’ existence? Isn’t that a Gallaudet PR spin that people abhor? What was your point other than attacking Rob? I don’t care if you have personal issues with Rob outside of this blog but you have no right to attack a person’s identity just because it doesn’t fit your rigid ideas of “deafness”.
You missed the point of Stuckless’ blog. Congratulations. Way to perpetuate the idiotic deafie reputation.
Off the point…
Rob Rice comes from Deaf parents. I met Rob and his parents in Florida. I can assure you based on my observation Rob is Deaf. In addition, Rob is a very intelligent person and gave an excellent presentation to a large group of Deaf people at the Florida Association of the Deaf Conference. Deaf people respected Rob and attacking his Deafness is moot!
I would like to see more of Rob’s comments in this blog.
How very petty of you mook. I hope Rob ignored you.
Thanks…
Hopefully, Rob will buy you fancy drinks next time…
Sorry, the original comment in this space was reactionary and emotionally-motivated. I’ve removed it of my own accord.
The “not Deaf enough” argument is not a myth; it has been used by fine, upstanding denizens of Deaf Culture to bash others that are not Deaf enough. Clearly a simple case of one oppression replacing another.
I think a lot of hearing people have this impression that the “idiotic Deafie” reputation is well deserved since we tear each other apart over insignificant tokens or philosophical approaches.
May I ask you a question?
Are there any circumstances you can think of where moving towards the “capitol-D” end of the spectrum is a POSITIVE thing, where it might provide some actual benefits? I’m not talking about “Oh, well, it gets you into certain parties/fraternities etc.” I mean in terms of self-esteem, in terms of self-discovery, and so on?
Chris, I would absolutely encourage this self discovery, we’re all who we are and it’s important for us to know who we are. But, degrading others is never a way to the top, and that’s more what my blog was about.
Hi David:
Sure, I agree wholeheartedly. But I think that degradation happens everywhere, and much of it goes unrecognized, especially by the person being degraded.
An example: “…fell on deaf ears” is a phrase you’ll find repeated everywhere… it’s a common idiom in the English language used to depict stubbornness, unreasonableness, irrationality, etc. That deafness and these traits are equated is something very few people talk about, especially in regards to the damage such constant equation must do.
I think that the same thing kind of happens to capitol-D Deaf people. I’ve noticed it for years… if I stand up at all I’m a “militant.” If I push for equal rights, equal access, if I try to get people to stop degrading me, I’m an “extremist.”
Maybe not all capital-D Deaf people look down on others who are not culturally deaf. Perhaps not all of them militants or radicals or extremists in the sense of people who pack C-4 in backpacks and blow up subways to prove a political point. Maybe standing up for yourself is HEALTHY, but doing so disrupts the status quo, and a great many people stand to benefit from leaving the status quo exactly as it is.
That’s another possible reason why the political efforts of capital-D Deaf “militants” is portrayed as exactly that–militancy–not because it actually IS, but because colonizers and oppressors need that adjective (militant) to keep you from joining forces with them.
Nothing is more effective than shame, right?
The example of ‘fell on deaf ears’… I wouldn’t be offended by that. And I consider myself to be culturally deaf. I understand that we need to own the word ‘deaf’. And I think for the most part, we do. But until someone invents another word for ‘not listening’ ‘not hearing’ we’re stuck with the word deaf being used in idioms like that.
I don’t view it comparable to the word ‘gay’, whereas the gay community originally owned it, then homophobes took it and used it as a degrading word.
I also think that we have to face the reality of that the majority of labels can be used positively or negatively.
As for challenging the status quo, I’m all for it. I’m studying social work, and a big part of social work is challenging the status quo.
I’ve learned that the most effective way to create change is to use the system against itself. Use their rules against themselves.
When I’m discriminated against, and it happens pretty often here in Michigan… The gist of what I tell people is: ‘I am afforded those rights under this and that law. You said this. I said this. This happened. And you denied me this. You do realize that by denying me whatever, I will now have to file a complaint.’
And if the other person loses their temper, all the better for me. Because it exhibits their lack of self-control. Now mind you, I’m not against expressing anger. I express it all the time, but I *try to* express it with restraint. And I think that’s where the deaf community has failed in that regard. It IS ok to be angry. But it is NOT ok to be angry without any restraint. Saying ‘Hey, I’m not physically violent’ is not legitimate in my eyes. You can completely lose it without becoming physically violent.
~ Deaf Pundit
Hi Deaf Pundit:
Would you mind scrolling to the bottom? Too hard to reply in these narrow boxes. I’m actually getting claustrophobic…
anybody gets slapped around for being “hearie” “high yella” “uncle tom” “deafie” “uppity” “waspy”
while I’m throwing labels around it’d be nice if we are a collective like the Borg..
OMG! That quote by Ridor kills me! LOL, I wonder if he even gets it!
Ahh, labels. I am deaf, profoundly deaf, ASL using, non-speaking. That is my label.
At first, my employer was reluctant to hire me because of this. Now they love me because of this. It attracts students to the ASL program. They all want the deaf teacher (LABEL!). My students, when they begin my class (ASL), they only see the label. By the end of the year, it’s “Ms. Roberts”, and no longer “the deaf teacher”. Which is a sign of progress (but not something to go into right now) (but um, would they want to join my class in the first palce if it wasn’t for the label? hmmm. Of course, they then want to come back because I’m a good teacher ;) )
If it was not for that label, I would not have attended Gallaudet or MSSD and been where I am today. If my label had been any different (such as “oral”), would I still be here today? Perhaps not, because I would have been able to squeak by socially in hearie school and maybe be nearly satisifed, if not somewhat in denial about my about what little social opportunities I had. I would’ve gone to a hearing college, latched on to the first guy who paid attention to me and eventually ended up divorced with four kids.
But since I couldn’t speak well enough, I got fed up at a young age and bolted for the exit as soon as I could. It sucked, but in retrospect, maybe it was a blessing in disguise. All this happened because I’m an non-speaking deaf person (until I realized it wasn’t feasible, I rejected the deaf world and didn’t want to be associated with Deaf Culture)
It is strange how a label can be simulateously very limiting and yet freeing. I would’ve not had the opportunities I had if I did not accept the limitations of my label (what do you think we are doing when we apply for SSI to use for college?). Accepting that I am an non-speaking deaf person limited my opportunites at my home state, but forced me to seek better opportunities away from where I grew up. I got to live in Washington DC and New York City while most of my relatives are still in the midwest!
I have no problem with using the “affirmative action back door”, or being otherwise sneaky. Heck, I only got my current job because of the timing (they couldn’t find anyone else in the middle of the year, and also because thankfully, the other hearie ASL teachers were so keen on having me there and advocated for me), but now they love me and want me to stay. Because I was employed by my school, another school tried to headhunt me for their ASL program and I was luckily able to direct them to another very deserving deafie who now has that job.
But if I wasn’t deaf I wouldn’t ahve learned ASL and I wouldn’t be currently employed where I am, nearby one of the greatest cities in the world. :)
I guess what I am trying to say is that how we label ourselves and others have a significant impact on the path our lives take and the way others perceive us. It’s up to YOU how you choose to use it. Instead of fighting my “label”, I embraced it and turned it into a gold mine for me (as in the sense for job opportunities, travel, and adventure).
I always feel badly for those who “fight” who they are and try not to be “deaf”. What kind of opportunities are they missing, I think. What kind of struggles are they having that are not really necessary if they would embrace ASL or at least some type of manual communication? If they were not so afraid of what they would be labeled as, they would find room to grow inside that label, isntead of struggling to fit inside another role.
How many nights do they spend in a room full of hearing adults, nodding along, and pretending to understand more than 30% of the conversation and secretly wishing they were at home watching Battlestar Galactica?
All because they are so afraid of what other people will think and label them.
As an aside, of course, people do have a right to choose how to define themselves, and I’m not saying that ALL oral deafies feel this way, but I’ve met some who do, and so have you, and you know it!
:)
Sorry for the long winded response.
No need to apologize…it was beautifully written, and I totally agree with you.
Well said.
Thanks.
Wow Wildstarryskies! GREAT post! And just so you know I too am a rabid Battlestar Galactica fan (-:
Yes, I empathize 100% with what you are saying. I grew up in mainstream programs and did not transfer to the Wisconsin School for the Deaf until I was fourteen (which is when I learned to sign). I have a deaf brother who never went to a deaf residential institution, who does not sign to this day (he’s my older brother by almost ten years), has implants (I don’t) etc. I don’t think he even knows that deafness IS perceived by many to be a cultural identity.
Now this isn’t to say we hate each other’s guts–quite the contrary. He’s a good man and I love him. And what’s more when he got his implant he was around 40 or so, and he only did it because he wanted to be able to communicate with his young hearing daughter. If not for her I honestly think he wouldn’t have cared one way or the other.
Now do I disagree with some of his choices (to not learn to sign, to see deafness as a medical rather than cultural/linguistic condition)? Yes. But do I think he’s a sh*tbag or something because he speaks, has an implant, etc? Of course not.
On the other hand, do I think he’s somewhat colonized in his mind? …Yes. And I think that he suffers for that. But I could be wrong. I wonder what would happen if we ever sat down to communicate about these issues? I don’t know. Right now our relationship is basically limited to “Yo Chris, you’re home! Hey wanna go four-wheeling down by the woods?” Maybe he would end up changing some of his perspectives. Maybe I would end up further changing some of mine.
Yep, Battlestar Galactica. even in a room with signers, I sometimes wish I was watching it ;). That’s why I’m getting Tivo. No more regrets…
:)
don’t forget - 2nd half of the season (battlestar) picks up this sunday the 21srt..
Ooh cool. I wish I hadn’tmissed the first half. Damn. But since I have Tivo, I’ll just tivo the second part while I catch up on the first. When does the DVD for that come out, I wonder.
Well said wildstarryskies. :) I agree with what you said.
thanks
Hi Deaf Pundit (#76558 above):
We’re largely in agreement on the expression of anger. But I do challenge you to closely watch the recent developments in Oregon, for example. Now the situation is escalating to the local community picketing the school. Why do you suppose things have gone that far? If anyone in charge cared about “appropriate” expressions of anger, they would have been listening to the community from the beginning. But they don’t care about appropriate expressions of anger, nor do they seem to care about the community, and that’s why things erupt. Show me a single so-called “inappropriate” expression of anger out there in the community, from Brendan’s incident to the recent protest at Gallaudet, and I’ll show you a System that has been simultaneously ignoring and oppressing deaf individuals for decades.
All do respect, but what do people THINK is gonna happen, sooner or later? I’m truly surprised we haven’t had our own version of the Columbine High School shootings yet.
I don’t know anything about the Oregon situation, so I can’t really comment on that. If someone can point me to information on that, I’m more than happy to read up on it.
As for the Gallaudet protests, I think the HMB report covers it pretty well. The students did not have the right to get into the faces of DPS officers. They were aggressive. That’s not peaceful resistance.
With the steward and Brendan, the only thing Brendan did that I would term inappropriate was him calling the steward an *******. The steward WAS an *******, but I bet you a million dollars that the steward WANTED Brendan to act that way.
People like that steward don’t want to deal with deaf people. So the best way to deal revenge to jerks like that steward is to MAKE them deal with us. Be nice and sweet… so they have absolutely no legitimate reason to toss us out on our asses. And when they do toss us out on our asses, we can turn around and sue the heck out of them and take every dime away from them.
I agree with you that the system has been ignoring and oppressing us a lot. Definitely. There’s no question about that. But I’m afraid that people don’t realize that protesting is really a last resort. You protest only when EVERY and SINGLE avenue of complaining has failed. That includes filing suit in court.
I’ll give you an example of what I mean. I live in Michigan, so I’ll use an example from Michigan. This will reveal who I am to those who live in Michigan or have been following Deaf politics closely in Michigan… :P
But anyway, in 2001, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a trial was held to see whether two deaf children could be implanted with cochlear implants without the consent of the biological deaf mother. The children were removed from the biological mother’s custody, and the foster parents wanted to implant the children. The foster parents did NOT have permanent custody.
Now, it was absolutely a travesty that this even went to trial. This would not have happened if the parents were hearing. So I with several others organized a protest. It was very clear to me, and my fellow organizers, that the legal system had failed at this point. And it would only work when the world was literally watching the judge and the judical system. And as a result, our ‘call to arms’ outcry gained international deaf and hearing media attention.
What did I and the others do? We focused on the facts and only the facts. We did not degrade anyone. We’re better than that. We did not criticize the judge nor the prosecutors personally. We only criticized the system and pointed out its flaws. We appealed to the masses and our basic message said: “If you were in our shoes, would you want this to happen to you? If not, then why are you allowing this to happen to us? What makes you better than us?”
As a result of the media attention and protest, a top-notch attorney filed an amicus brief (a friend of court brief), which forced the judge’s hand. She had to rule in favor of the biological mother.
And to be quite honest, I’m also surprised our version of Columbine didn’t happen either. I thought it would have at Gallaudet at the recent protests. I guess the question is, are we just going to sit back and say, “hey, it’s ok to vomit rage in any way we want.”
Or are we going to be proactive and start learning the system so we can fight back in a way that society will understand and respect to effect long-lasting changes?
~ Deaf Pundit
Too late to edit my comment. A correction in my previous post… It was in 2002, not 2001. My bad.
You are absolutely right we do have to work with the system.
But you did overlook the fact that the students, the protesters DID work with the system before things erupted. Votes of non confidence, letters, lawful protesting… they marched and marched and marched.
Yet… nobody took them seriously. While they were freezing out in the cold, seriously disraught and upset with the way the protests had been suppressed, I. King Jordan decided to have a party. A party, where they paid god knows what for fancy chairs with gold trim and had cavair. There, they caroused while the protesters waited outside, waiting for their answer. They had hoped against hope all day that their mere five minutes with the board had actually set something in motion.
When they asked for their answer, which they had a right to, they were shooed!
It is NO wonder things happened the way they did. When you push people down long enough, and do not listen when they politely and respectfully ask to air their grievances and be taken seriously…
I regret some of the things that happened, too, but the responsiblity is not the protesters’ alone. I. King Jordan, Jane Fernandes and the Board was absolutely negilient of their duties to the Gallaudet community and their inaction/dismissal of their grievances only contributed to the escalation.
Deaf Pundit:
I had to say this. What you did for these 2 deaf children along with the organizers are commendable and noble. Only if we had more people like that, god knows how many wrongs would have been corrected the entire time that has been affecting the Deaf community over the years.
What you described on how to make it effective, I have to agree with you. Not many people know how to do this and I wish enough of them would seek assistance on how to go about it in order to make it successful.
Pundit, where in Michigan you from?
The west side of MI.
Exactly. With apologies to David for getting so far off the point of labels (but shoot if it doesn’t happen here it’s going to happen up above by Shane’s article on the HMB report…) my own beliefs fall somewhere between Deaf Pundit’s and Wildstarryskies. The System WANTS you to resort to legal action in many cases. Then they can stretch the case out and possibly even settle out of court… and you can be sure that the settlement will include your silence on the situation. So either way way you lose… by the time a ruling is made, the action is over (the administrator who was fired unjustly–as happened in Oregon–has taken another job by now and wouldn’t go back to the place that fired her if you literally put a gun to her head… even though she’d now LEGALLY able to do so). The administrator whom you want fired just stays on and on while the case stretches out and then simply retires if it looks like it’s going to go against him/her. It costs thousands upon thousands of dollars to move into the legal arena. And they KNOW this. They DEPEND on this. Protests spring up because PROTESTERS know that they know this.
I think that what we’re seeing all over now is the community’s collective running out of patience with the game as colonizers mean for us to play it. And what I’m saying is that, if we have to choose between a protest that shuts down a campus and Columbine High #2, which would you pick? (I’m not asking this to YOU Deaf Pundit, since I think we’re in agreement on quite a bit… I just mean it as a general question).
Another thing to keep in mind… I can’t remember the name of the author (though I will find out) but there are two general categories of people who resist… those who do not have the skills to identify who/what is causing their anger, and thus turn their reaction in upon themselves (such as a deaf teenager who commits suicide), and those who DO have those skills. As such skills develop, the ability to identify the true aggressor, the true oppressor, increase. So if we ever do have our own version of Columbine High School, ask yourselves what we’re going to see? A situation in which a kid walks in and guns down all the other kids who wouldn’t accept him because he’s either “too Deaf” or “not deaf enough,” or a situation in which a kid walks in and guns down all of the corrupt employees of that school? (Wow maybe this post DOES have something to do with labels after all…). Never fear, mainstream media will tear him apart in seconds, and by extension you, because the general public will equate anything he does with anything you do. But just between us… keep track of who he aims at. Every time a deaf kid kills himself over the stress of all this sh*t that’s happening all over the US in Deaf Ed, pause one moment and imagine another world where his explosion of anger and despair went in another direction. Ask yourselves why his rage DIDN’T explode in another direction?
By no means do I advocate violence. On the other hand, what’s violence? I’ve seen a hell of a lot of it–for real, up close. Have you? Taking over a building… is that really “violence” as opposed to, say, beating someone’s head in with a baseball bat? I’ve seen other listservs accuse people such as Ricky Taylor of being a “terrorist” because he (and others) printed the names, phone numbers, and addresses of several BOT members. I’m sorry but that’s not terrorism (not that act in and of itself… what people said on the phone when they called is another matter). Terrorism in our world is when you fly a plane into a skyscraper.
That being said I guess that this post is entirely about labels. Terrorism and violence are labels too. So ask yourselves who is playing on whose emotions, here? And if you let people use labels in this way, if you let them do the defining for you instead of defining things for yourselves, what kind of world are you allowing them to create?
Pretty soon we’re going to hit the point where neither legal action nor active protests get the job done.
What then?
Yes, what is violence? What should we perceive as violent? It amazed me how people said that the protesters were “violent”. Huh? Nobody was hurt, or killed. Sure, the protest that day at the art center was emotionally abusive, yes, and I condemn what happened that day. But equating them with terrorists and saying they are violent?
Pfft.
I’ll tell you what violence is. Bombs. Guns. Knives. Planes flying in buildings. Nutty people who kill doctors who perform abortions. Slaughtering a whole family in Iraq. Raping Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Beating up a woman because she did not wear her hijab. Blowing up a building. THAT is violence.
We’re talking about protesters that took over a school building, who did not react peacefully or wisely when they were invaded by DPS officers who could not even communicate with them. It’s not murder and mayhem!
Exactly. Emotional violence is real too, and a lot of people, protesters included, were quick to condemn some of the actions that occurred that day at the Arts Building (such as when someone threw juice on IKJ).
But what’s emotional violence? Another label. Is it only emotional violence when a protester does something, but never emotional violence when done by the person/people/System he’s protesting?
It’s not murder and mayhem, obviously. But there are degrees of violence. I personally did not, and do not equate the protestors with being terrorists.
What I disagree with is the claim that the protestors were peaceful. They were not. And my impression was that if the protestors did not get what they wanted, the campus would have gone up in flames. If my impression of that is not accurate, then I have to ask why did the FSSA make an announcement right before the BoT’s meeting regarding JKF, that if the BoT did not terminate JKF, they could not promise riots wouldn’t happen?
Now, I’m not on the campus. I do not have access to all of the documentation there. But I have been following this entire thing since the beginning. And I don’t think people really sent in letters of complaints. There was a huge debate about the Laurent Clerc Letter. After many of us dismissing the letter because it was anonymous and so forth, Chris Kaftan basically said that people were too afraid to come forward because they didn’t want to lose their jobs. So for that reason alone, I don’t believe that very many faculty filed complaints over wrongdoings.
So while the faculty may have held non-confidence votes, I do not believe that complaints were filed on a large scale by the faculty or students.
I was a student at Gallaudet, and most complaints I witnessed that were done by students were all verbal, except for one. Nobody wanted to put anything in writing.
The only complaint I saw that wasn’t verbal was where a gay student had slurs written all over his dorm door. The student then went to the RA and DPS to complain, and he was blown off. The RA told him to remove it with nail polish or HE would be fined for it. So the gay student took photographs of the door and wrote a letter to Buff and Blue.
It ended up very embarrassing for Gallaudet because that happened around the same time Eric Plunkett was murdered. So naturally, the Washington Post picked up that tidbit of information and splashed it in their newspaper. Needless to say, SOMETHING was done after that!
And I believe that if complaints WERE filed on a large scale, that would have MASSIVELY helped the protestors’ cause. Because the protestors could have simply held up these letters to the media and say, ‘See here? We filed complaints, and NOTHING was done. And we’re fed up with nothing being done. That’s why we’re protesting!’
And Chris’ right to an extent. Many of those jerks expect us to give up because it can become a costly and lengthy process. But that’s exactly why we have to learn the system so well. Because that way, we can support each other through the process, and if enough people do it, the ******** will finally get a clue and stop it eventually!
~ Deaf Pundit
Hi Deaf Pundit:
We agree on much. One thing I want to add, however, is that while there are indeed degrees of violence–emotional violence too–there are corresponding degrees of denial in the victims that violence is occurring, and/or a corresponding ability to recognize it.
Had the ability been there, within the community on a widespread basis, the protest would never have occurred, because the problems that caused it would never have occurred.
sorry I mean corresponding INability. Can’t edit this for some reason.
I’m going to take a different viewpoint on this. My label is Hearing of Hearing..”not even related to deaf”- NERDA- as some would say. I am an Interpreter.
Dave- you said “I love hanging out with my CODA friends and having that commonality but am I insulting another person in my profession when I blow the CODA trumpet at work? I dunno…”
The interesting thing is that until a year and a half ago, I didn’t think of myself as any different because I WASN’T a CODA. Maybe I was just naive…I dunno. I came into the Deaf Community almost 10 years ago and yes, I felt the inferiority of being a newbie, but I truly believe who you are and how people respond to you is all in response to your attitude. That was drilled into me during my ITP and it’s something I embraced with the support of the people I learned from. Yep, I was behind the 8 ball because ASL is not my native language. However, I wanted to learn all I could about the language and culture, so I immersed myself in both. I think over the last 10 years I have become, not an advocate, but an Ally to the community.
I socialized and worked with a variety of people (some CODA’s, some not) but we were all equals and we learned from one another. We’ve had wonderful discussions about how to better ourselves as Interpreters and Ally’s in the Deaf community. A year and a half ago, I moved to a different state. Everywhere I turned I was asked if I were a CODA. In my 5 years as a professional interpreter, I had NEVER been asked that question as much as I did when I moved. I found myself almost apologizing because I’m not. I have worked hard to get to where I’m at, but when someone tells me I can’t use a certain sign because 1) I’m not deaf and 2) I’m not a CODA, I take exception to that. As an Interpreter, it shouldn’t matter what my native language is, I am here to facilitate communication and I shouldn’t be limited to the signs I use because of my native language. If I’m using it appropriately, there should be no limitations.
I’m not trying to take anything away from CODA’s. You have a unique experience that can be beneficial to everyone, Deaf and hearing alike. However, there are bad apples in every bunch and there have been instances when I’ve come upon a CODA who has used that trump card to get them what they want. And they’ve gotten it. Not based on skill or certification (and I know certification isn’t the end all/be all) but solely because they had deaf parents.
I have sinced moved again. I still occasionally find myself telling people I’m not a CODA in an apologetic way. There are times I feel as if I have to work that much harder to prove myself to everyone: my co-workers, those I interpret for, those I meet out at a bar or at a social event. I am aware that there is a part of the community, a part of the commraderie among co-workers, that I am excluded from and made to feel inferior because I did not acquire sign language until my late teenage years. I was not born into this life- does that make me less of an interpreter? Less of a member of the community? Sometimes people make me feel that way.
All of this to say, the labels and attitudes aren’t limited only to deaf/hard of hearing/late deafened. It extends to interpreters as well. We, as interpreters are a wide variety of people from a plethora of backgrounds. Each of us have our own stories to tell about how we have come to be a part of this diverse community. Yes, I’m a NERDA who has worked very hard, made plenty of sacrifices, and had some amazing mentors from all walks of life during the past decade. I continue to develop as a person and an interpreter because I respect my profession and I take pride in what I do. All of that- has made me the Interpreter I am today.
What I am wondering about is why ou feel the need to “almost apologize” when people ask you if you are a CODA. Isn’t just “no, thanks for the compliment” sufficient?
I’m just wondering where that emotion came from?
:)
It’s taken some introspection over the last few months, and I’ve come to this conclusion:
The “almost apologize” came about from the reactions I got when I initially answered the question a year and a half ago. Over time, I came to expect that reaction from the way the question was asked, hence the tone of my reply.
Now I tell them I’m not with pride… like I said, I am who I am and maybe it’ll open some eyes to the fact that not all good interpreters have to be CODA’s. :)