I’ve thought long and hard about this campaign. When I learned that Palin, a newbie barely versed with the echelons of our national capital powerhouse, was selected, my first thought was, “It’s a ploy.” I didn’t even think, “Gosh, possibly the first female vice president ever” nor “Wow, McCain’s clever.” If anything, it is…wait…I’m going to borrow all the letters that spells Palin and type this word: appalling.

It puts me to shame that my own country is capable of choosing this path of trash. I don’t care that this is an historical moment.  It is not about the gender thing.  Obama stated this when interviewed about Palin’s selection, “I think that has less to go with gender than it has to do with her ideological predispositions, which are closely aligned to theirs.” It is as if McCain just Googled her and said, “there’s my girl.”

McCain alone was a fair competition against Obama. Nonwithstanding McCain’s geriatric contributions to the presidential ticket, he had a fairly respectful following by both parties. However, when socially ultraconservative and anti-abortionist Palin was plucked out of the oil-rich land, became an overnight sensation, and was dubbed as the “Hot Governor” or “VPILF,” McCain suddenly looked pathetic. And his actions have made many lukewarm Obama supporters into zealous pro-Obamans and pro-Obawomans. And unfortunately, started a trend of white women voters switching to the McCain/Palin side (there’s no telling yet how broad or limited this trend may be).

How did this happen? You know, when a couple meets, you hope they bring the best out of each other, affirming the phrase, “My better half.”  That’s how it should be with presidential and vice presidential candidates–some kind of marriage that works. McCain and Palin. It’s like trying to wake up from a bad dream. McCain-Palin. It doesn’t exude that certain fuzziness as Obama, the change agent and Biden, the author of Violence Against Women Act (and entirely responsible for my current job, thanks).

But, it is still too soon to know how this would impact the voters, especially white women. Many of the white women voters were Hillary supporters. How many of them will be switching over to McCain/Palin ticket?  The ephemeral novelty of McCain’s selection of Palin will soon come to an end. The hard part is to gain the same kind of momentum for six more weeks.  Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln has also echoed the “Palin-will-wilt-in-the-spotlight theme.” Election 2008 is apparently the fight for white women voters. The scary thing is there’s no clue which direction they will choose.

One thing that is explicitly clear is this: Obama needs to garner support from white women voters now. According to Politico, there are over 52 million women voting in the general election.

Remember this when making a decision on who to vote that it’s not just the president that you may want now, it’s also the possible president should Obama or McCain somehow expire. Let me reiterate this: McCain’s 72. Palin as President? Good lord, I may want to hop on a plane aimed for the wolves and get as far away as possible from my country. 

I have been back to the States for a week now. Israel, a 13-day adventure, morphed into a steady line of mental snapshots hanging on a clothesline. Barely a dent in my lifetime and yet, I returned 10,000 times richer in appreciation of my border-free freedom and wide gateway of accessibility.

It has been ten years since I have been to Israel—in 1998, I spent half a year interning at The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons in Israel, also known as Machon. Here’s my self-perceived timeline what has changed in the span of a decade. Pretty incredible, I must say.

Machon:

1998: Staff of nine people. One late-deafened person was employed and was Israel’s first “deaf” social worker. During the time I was a social work intern there, there were many Deaf people involved in a variety of projects but they were not staffed. Only three staff members were fluent in Israeli Sign Language (ISL). I remember enunciating Hebrew words to earn respect from non-ISL users. MA means what. LAMA means why. It’s quite easy to pronounce, actually. Just practice your AHHHH sounds and you get respect, just like that. One of the three ISL users is a CODA. She was my translator for speaking engagements with educators and government officials explaining about programs for the deaf in the States. She founded Israel’s first informal interpreting training program (ITP) at the time I was there. Very few of the clients that used Machon’s services were university or college students. Back then, limited accessibility hindered Deaf Israelis’ attempts to enter higher education. It was also the same time that Gallaudet had an influx of Deaf Israelis studying so they could get a college degree.

2008: Staff of 18 people. Their new, bigger office is on a school property. Half of the staff is deaf. Three of them are social workers, one is a web editor, and the others are instructors and mentors. It is still a speaking environment with a mix of spoken Hebrew and ISL users. Those who are not ISL users are either taking ISL lessons or have expressed desire to learn. The executive director of Machon is my old friend, the CODA translator. She continued with the interpreting training program on the side and this program is now becoming the country’s first fully accredited ITP. She is grooming one Deaf person to be the next director of Machon. For the first time, two Deaf members joined Machon’s board. One of the two is a dear friend of mine who published Israel’s first sign language dictionary in 1992 which was a huge thing at the time. Over time, her advocacy and forward thinking has made Machon what it is today, a stronger and more viable center for advancing the lives of deaf Israelis. Over 330 deaf Israelis are now enrolled in colleges and universities. Future deaf lawyers, doctors, social workers, and writers are being educated. Hebrew is their mother language—to try to study in English is to deny the language they’re already excelled in. While many Israeli citizens (educated hearing and deaf) are naturally bilingual, with intermediate to advance level understanding of English, Hebrew is still the language of the land and of education. American colleges and universities no longer hold high interest for Israelis, deaf and hearing alike.

Interpreters:

1998: No certified interpreters. Most of the working interpreters were CODAs or rare cases of hearing individuals who discovered the wonders of ISL by accident. For any lecture or class, there’d be only one interpreter. As I mentioned earlier, the ITP was still in infancy. Organizations or students had to pay out of their own pockets to cover interpreting costs, if there were such a thing. And often, deaf students worked through college without interpreters, resorting to the band-aid of understanding classmates, carbon-copy notetakers, and front row seats.

2008: The ITP has ballooned into a recognized academic and professional program with promising employment opportunities nationwide. A certifying board is being created. There is a larger pool of interpreters which go beyond the CODA realm. Because there are no interpreting service agencies (blooming entrepreneurs, take note of this!), college deaf students are still responsible for finding their own interpreters. Fortunately, the Israeli government offers limited financial support to cover these expenses. This explains the rise in admitting more deaf students into higher education institutions.

Deaf Culture:

1998: Wide array of shows and events by Deaf clubs and organizations.

2008: A brand new theater/restaurant/café has opened where Deaf-Blind actors perform a series of plays throughout the year, deaf servers wait on their customers, and the restaurant hosts “dining in the dark” experiences with blind waiters. It’s a classy place in bustling Yaffo, the old part of Tel Aviv. The neighborhood provides an artsy and hip vibe for people with different abilities. Young generation of Deaf Israelis participate in Deaf-related sports and events. A Deaf museum in a suburb south of Tel Aviv recently opened, for hearing people to experience for a moment what it is like to be deaf. Hearing people have the opportunity to walk down a path of sensory reversal.

Deaf Clubs:

1998: My first exposure to Israeli Deaf culture was at the Helen Keller Deaf Club (HKDC) in Tel Aviv, perhaps the largest club in Israel. There, I witnessed many Deaf shows, storytelling sessions, and social gatherings. I also met regularly with the late president, Chaim Apter, who was a prominent figure in both the World Organization of Jewish Deaf and the Israeli Deaf community. HKDC also has the world’s only memorial site listing all the names of Deaf Holocaust victims. There were also clubs in Jerusalem, Be’er-Sheva, Haifa, and a few other cities. Deaf clubs were a significant part of my six-month experience—they were environments in where ISL flourished and advocacy in Jewish Deaf causes was loud and proud.

2008: Number of attendances to the deaf clubs has declined tremendously due to technology and changes in social habits. Younger generations now resort to MSN and the Internet to stay in touch. This is strikingly similar to the drop in attendance at Deaf clubs in America.

Communication/Technology:

1998: Fax was the only way to communicate across distances. No one had TTYs. Computers were still too expensive at the time for many Israelis to own.

2008: Almost all Deaf Israelis I knew ten years ago now own computers, cell phones, and fax machines. Cell phones are equipped with videoconferencing capabilities which allow Deaf Israelis make videophone calls wherever they are. It was an odd sight to see someone signing to a cell phone, akin to a hearing person talking into thin air with a Bluetooth hand-free device. MSN is a secondary religion. It is used with great fervor and devotion that’d make our yellow-figure friend pale. There is a lot of use of ooVoo (www.oovoo.com, but it is not yet Mac-compatible) or Skype technology to stay in touch with their friends around the world. SMS or text messaging remains a viable part of communication for deaf and hearing Israelis alike. This technology levels the playing field for everyone.

Employment:

1998: Simply put, the job prospects for Deaf Israelis at this time weren’t very promising. Many with strong abilities and leadership skills often stayed within the Deaf education field such as teaching or with Deaf organizations. Other Deaf Israelis entered menial types of employment such as post office work, janitor-like duties, and so on.

2008: More diverse employment opportunities. There are more deaf social workers, researchers, writers, artists, activists and business people. However, I cannot say if there are any deaf Israeli lawyers, doctors, or scientists yet. The promising increase of deaf Israelis in colleges and universities hopefully will bear highly qualified Deaf professionals in due time.

Deafhood:

1998: Being Israeli Deaf came with its pride and heritage. A.B. Yehoshua, an Israeli author, once said, “It is impossible to be fully Jewish outside the land of Israel.” I can say it is the same for Deaf Israelis. Their pride in being Jewish and being part of Israel landscape resonated powerfully. On the other hand, Deaf families were viewed with sorrow and regret as if they were afflicted with a never-ending series of genetic screw-ups. This was quite a shock for me, coming from a country where fifth-generation Deaf families are like a mystic and envious world to me.

2008: Very similar as it was ten years ago. However, the perception of self-identity has changed. There is pride in being Deaf and being part of the Israeli Deaf resurgence. I met a brilliant gentleman who works as a web editor for Machon and is a columnist and writer for several Israeli newspapers. Also an avid deep sea diver, he once told me, “I received a scholarship from the University of Chicago for advanced studies in mass communications.” I replied, “Oh wow, that’s a highly coveted university…many people would die to get in.” His response? “Where can I go diving in Illinois?” He also added, “And I want to stay in Israel and be part of the advancement of Deaf Israelis.” While my jaw hung open, I understood. After all, he is a proud Zionist (and a fifth generation Israeli which is also a mystic and envious world to me) and a proud deaf individual participating in Deaf Israel’s future.

Ten years later, Israel has made amazing progress. Israel is at the point where differences between Israel and America are disappearing and similarities multiplying. Even so, I’ll be honest here. I am so thankful we have the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), interpreting agencies to coordinate requests, universities that arrange interpreters and support services for students, a Federal government that hires people with disabilities, non-profit organizations with Deaf executive directors, boards with Deaf chairs, universities which employ Deaf academics, companies and firms with Deaf CEOs, a health-care industry with its pool of Deaf doctors and dentists, and law firms and legal agencies with Deaf lawyers and advocates. The list is endless and I am proud to say so because we fought hard to be where we are today. I see the same fighting spirit among Deaf Israelis and hearing allies.

The election of 2008 looms near, as so many others have before. In 2000 and 2004, we were faced with fiascoes. We’ve had the greenest president that never was (Florida, what happened?) and a man who lost because he was the world class flip-flopper. What we were left with is arguably the most idiotic president in the history of
America. This time, though, I have hope.  

First of all, this is the first election where most of the candidates are fresh. We have many new faces, all rising to the challenge of leading America to new frontiers.

We hear about some of these new frontiers non-stop: we could have the first female president, the first African-American president, or the first Latino president.

That’s right — I said a Latino president. Jay Leno has called this guy “the strongest candidate you’ve never heard of.” Let me introduce Bill Richardson.  

Richardson first caught my eye when I saw him on ABC News over the weekend. He was incredibly articulate in answering questions on the Iraq war. To me, the measure of a politician is his or her rhetoric. I watched Hilary Clinton give a speech at a fundraiser geared toward women and I left feeling flatly uninspired. This wasn’t so when I saw Richardson in action. This was on TV, no less, while Clinton was there in person. I made a silent vow to myself that I’d learn more about this man. 

Here are just a few things I have learned so far.

Richardson has been the governor of New Mexico since 2002. He has served as the Secretary of Energy and was an ambassador to the United Nations.

This man has managed to transform New Mexico from one of the poorest states in the union into a thriving part of a stronger America. He encouraged companies to move to New Mexico with tax incentives for energy-efficient businesses. Now, the state is becoming widely known for its wind, solar, and biofuel industries. Hundreds of new jobs have made New Mexico an increasingly appealing state for many prospective employees.  

Richardson ferociously opposed building a border fence, stating, “It’s a terrible symbol.” His solution to the illegal immigration problem and terrorism is tightening border security, not building a fence to divide countries. Berlin Wall redux, anyone?  

He was instrumental in making Darfur part of the political dialogue, thanks to his stint with the United Nations and extensive foreign policy experience. He led a variety of international missions in which he established relationships with many foreign leaders, including the president of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Al-Bashir was willing to see Richardson because he was comfortable with Richardson’s leadership style. Richardson pressed al-Bashir to allow U.N. peacekeepers into the Darfur region.  

Richardson could be the nation’s first bilingual president, speaking fluent Spanish as well as English. Imagine a version of Dr. Robert Davila, Gallaudet’s president, in the White House!  But I digress…  

Richardson favors withdrawing the troops from Iraq in six months–completely. If elected, He has a seven-point plan for redirecting these troops to areas where the presence of Al-Qaeda is strong, like Afghanistan.  

He is a strong supporter of domestic partnership, legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, stem cell research, civil unions, and national health care coverage .  

By his mandate, each child in the state of New Mexico gets health coverage up to age 5.    

His book, Leading By Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution, is slated to be released in November.  

His fundraising is modest in comparison to his Democratic counterparts. Between April 1 and June 30, Richardson raised $7.1 million, bringing his year to date fundraising total to more than $13 million (compare this to $27 million raised by Clinton, and $32.5 million raised by Obama). And yet, he doesn’t seem to flinch. 

Perhaps it is because this dark horse is gaining ground. As the media frenzy centers around Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, he’s quietly garnering support from Democrats and Republicans. 

Is this the way to entice voters? Will this approach sell me on Richardson? These thoughts force me to consider how I will choose a candidate.  As I look at the options, I remind myself who I am first. I am a feminist.  I am a supporter of a multicultural society. I am a citizen who cares about social justice and the environment. I will not vote Clinton because she is a woman. I will not vote for Obama because he is African-American. I will not vote for Richardson because he’s Latino. I will not vote for Mitt Romney because he’s a Mormon.  I will not vote for Thompson because he’s an actor on Law and Order.  But I see something in Richardson that appeals to my interests, and I believe the interests of many Americans. Do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that Richardson is the ideal candidate. I am not on this ride saying he’s the perfect guy. I’m just saying that just maybe there is a reason to hope if a person like him is actually running for president.  

Jon Stewart of The Daily Show has called Bill Richardson “Batman.” Batman for president? Perhaps this candidate doesn’t have to be a comic fantasy; with our help, he could be a reality.  

An American hero… even a cynic like me is rooting for that.  

Right now, nothing is more controversial than science and religion. Much of the world’s politics are driven by religious beliefs and ideals. Religion going green is a paradox. Is marriage between these two possible? A union between fact and faith? Why not? Science gives us definitions of what things are and why; religion gives us a meaning for life on Earth. There are plenty of issues that show the clashes between these two, including homosexuality, evolution and environment, but with a little out of the box thinking they can come together.

Let’s take the environment: The conservative movement finds plenty of blasphemy with the scientific methodologies used to declare the existence of global warming. Conservatives, by nature, practice caution. Defense and military spending are heavily supported by the conservative party (the major names in the conservative movement: Dick Cheney, Pat Buchanan, Trent Lott, Ann Coulter — are all big on this). This is the same movement that supports pro-life activism, refuses to recognize same-sex marriages, and blocks stem-cell research from making the next medical breakthroughs. There are so many stances that go against the ideals of liberals who champion environmental awareness, human equality and freedom of choice. On the environmental side, the conservatives say there isn’t enough proof that the global climate is in danger. Many say the planet is just dandy. They’re practicing caution once again by not making the leap of actually caring about it.

But hold that “Yarg!” Even with all this happening, due to the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is a reality, the “progressive” conservatives (another paradox here) are now using that caution to embrace ways to protect the planet. According to the blurb on Grist (great on-line environmental news) from LA Times in an article about big corporations tackling this problem by becoming green and continuing to make a profit, “Both business leaders and enviros described a sea change in corporate strategy that is expected to transform a corporate villain into a leader for the environmental cause.” A villain into a leader for the environmental cause? If corporate culture, notorious for its Republican leanings, is taking the helm on environmentalism, then just maybe there’s hope!

Another example comes from a Post article on the eco-kosher movement in the Orthodox Jewish community, which is basically combining Jewish dietary laws with new concerns about industrial agriculture, global warming and fair treatment of workers. “Eco-kosher is part of the greening of American religion—the rapid infusion of environmental issues into the mainstream of religious life.” This article also mentions the vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals driving a Toyota Prius and more than 50 other evangelical Christian leaders pledging to reduce energy consumption. Suddenly, I’m imagining Ann, Dick, Trent, Pat, and Joe Lieberman walking around in bright orange Crocs. Seems like I just woke up from a dream where the religious fanatics are hugging the hippies of yesteryear.

All of this reminds me of a quote that reconciles the two forces beautifully. Years ago, I struck up a wonderful friendship with this person who is now a professor of biology at Gallaudet. One of our earliest conversations was about religion and science.

She shared this simple quote, from the D’var Torah (commentary on the Torah portion) at her cousin’s bat mitzvah. It left me stunned, even years later.

God gave us the earth to take care of.

Simple. Rings true. And how righteous, no matter if you’re seeing it from a scientific, political or religious standpoint. Whether you are a liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, atheist or religious fundamentalist, the truth is self-evident: It is our responsibility to take care of our environment.

Hmm…that’s food for thought.

“Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain’s majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea.”
~George Carlin

This Carlin fella may be funny, but he’s talking about some serious issues. The signers of the Declaration of Independence probably never dreamed that America would become the powerful force it is today. If they were alive nowadays, they’d no doubt change that famous line to say, “…life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and a thriving global environment.”

In that spirit, honoring the 7 of this year and month, I give you…

Seven tips to be the (green) life of the party for July 4^th:

1. Be a super saver — use recyclables and reusables.
2. Share gas–carpool. Or better yet, use Metro.
3. Indulge in happy cows and chickens — look for cage-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed, and/or free-range meat.
4. When choosing your summer recipe, keep the environment and health in mind– buy and eat local; get the real thing, not the fake processed stuff; try a new recipe that’ll impress your carnivorous and herbivorous friends alike.
5. BYOC–Bring Your Own Cup. It’ll never get lost and will never get mistaken for someone else’s drink.
6. Clean up greenly — designate a trash area where there are several containers labeled for different kinds of trash such as: compostables (think: food waste, yard waste, anything that’s biodegradable but not recyclable), recyclables (cans, bottles), paper (paper plates, cups, newspapers, etc.), and trash. It’s a great way to get guests thinking about waste reduction.
7. Go nocturnal–consider hosting a party in the evening so you can light pretty candles to reduce the use of electricity, go easy on the AC, and see the fireworks!

Creating a thriving global environment ain’t no laughing matter, and for the spacious skies, from sea to shiny sea, we need it. These little tips go far in making a difference. This is also a day to remember all the Americans that fought for our country. For whatever political beliefs we have, let’s take a moment to wish those soldiers in Iraq a safe trip back home. I’m going to take the liberty of borrowing these words from my friend, a food writer, “May there be peas!”

Happy July 4^th!

Thanks to Shakespeare, we all think often about the question of being. For me, it is especially about sustainable living. It’s a no-brainer. We all know that global warming has gotten its own hot place these days-everyone knows we have to do something to save our planet.

So, what should we do? What can we do? The good news is that the eco-revolution is happening. Thousands of earth-saving ideas are popping up left and right. Food gets the spotlight for now. Many restaurants are now serving dishes loaded with locally grown produce and meat. Vegetarian and “good-conscience” meat selections are on the rise. Even generic stores like Safeway, Giant, and Harris Teeter are starting to offer organically-produced food and household products. Trader Joe’s is vigilant about presenting a wide variety of fair-trade goods. It’s not just Whole Foods or Wild Oats anymore.

Even so, be cautious. Companies are riding on the eco-revolution boom. It’s the next money-making business since the rise of Silicon Valley. Labels are what they are, misleading and mystifying. Just because a product is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s organic. A product that is organic doesn’t mean it’s certified organic. Confused yet? Well, that’s part of green education. Lucky for you, I’ve typed up an at-a-glance guide.

When you make a decision to buy an earth-friendly product, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Is it certified organic? Is there a difference between natural and organic? Cage-free? Farmstead? Or even beyond organic?

Check out this awesome slideshow link. How to Tell It’s Organic Slideshow

2) Where was it made?

Part of sustainable living is buying local produce. With the big-name stores entering the organic market (read: Wal Mart, Target, Safeway, etc), local produce is now the “new organic.” People want to know where their stuff is from. If there is a choice between West Virginia apples at a local farmers market and Washington state organic ones, I’d pick the former, hands down. Just think of how much fossil fuel it takes to bring the organic apples to get to my nearest organic market that is only a mile away. At least, I know more precisely where my apples are from.

3) How is it made?

Look at the ingredients. If you don’t understand half of the ingredients, the product is full of fake synthetic evil stuff. Peanut butter with hydrogenated oils is as outlandish as eating cotton candy when it’s basically high fructose corn syrup in its fluffy state. You can grind peanuts into a creamy state. You don’t have to add any fancy stuff. And yes, I’ll someday post a blog for the best tasting organic PB.

4) How expensive should it be?

Pay attention to the price. Wal-mart organics may be cheaper, but their suppliers are using large-scale production practices that go against the small-business practices. Quoted by GreenOptions.com, “The real question is not how expensive sustainable products are, but how our purchasing habits affect the global population and environment.” In a nutshell, sustainable living may be expensive, however, by doing more damage to our natural habitat, our health, and environment is much more so. I’ll post a blog about ways to save money on green living. Hang on for that.

Last question and this is more of a fundamental question:

5) Should I care?

YES!

We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap. ~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

By Elizabeth Stone

One article I read a year ago in Ode magazine, written by and for optimistic intellectuals, claims that motivation is based on fear while inspiration is based on love.

What I am going to say here is going to be touchy-feely. Yes, I’m going to get all mushy and corny here. It’s time.

We need love.

I admit, the world can be a depressing place. Even so, every cloud has a silver lining. So I am inspired to perspire in order to inspire you. Here are selected examples (mostly from Ode) that show the positive power of love:

• Chug Along and Give Away: A British think tank has proposed establishing charity bars, where profits from food and drinks will be distributed to support good causes. According to Ode, “…pubs should be at the heart of communities rather than just a place to get drunk.”
• Forgive and Prosper: Bill Clinton wrote a piece on forgiveness as a winning strategy, citing Mandela Nelson as an example. Clinton wrote, “Mandela made a grand, elegant, dignified exit from prison and it was very, very powerful for the world to see. But as I watched him walking down that dusty road, I wondered whether he was thinking about the last 27 years, whether he was angry all over again.” Mandela responded, “When I felt that anger well up inside of me, I realized that if I hated them after I got outside that gate, then they would still have me…I wanted to be free so I let it go.” Mandela went off to become a global heroic symbol and the President of the Republic of South Africa.
• Going Green by Getting Dirty: Statistics from the 2006 DC Green Festival at which I volunteered two weekends ago:

• 94% resource recovery: only 6% of our trash went into landfills. (I was one of the garbage-handling volunteers. It was eloquently called the “Green Team.”)
• 25,000 people attended, which is 33% more than last year.
• 514 bicycles were parked at the bike valet.

These are a few sources of inspiration. Who knows if that’ll move you to be the next Charity Bar Owner, Mandela, or Eco Superhero.

But for today, let’s focus on Mandela. He’s a good example of what we can aspire to be in our own little ways. Here is this guy who was imprisoned for a good chunk of time. Got divorced twice. Not a perfect human being by any means. But Mandela, driven with a clear vision for a better South Africa, didn’t stay behind and mope around.

I can say the same for us. We can sit back and say our work is done and decide we deserve a rest. Or, we can move forward as a thriving community, as a living essence of managing many layers of conflict. I don’t have the roadmap, but I have the moral compass to find my way.

I know many of you have that also. I urge you to use it. Put aside all egos and fears and talk among yourselves. Be solution-seekers, not flame-throwers. Be open-minded and refrain from passing judgments and placing assumptions on others. Be proactive and determine your reactions before you act upon them. Most important, be courageous and loving, and love will lead to healing.

A section from Ode:

“Fear places a wedge in our relationships and distracts us from our daily tasks. It diminishes our effectiveness in the world and the contributions we make as humans. Our basic primal desire is to love and be loved; the second is to inspire and be inspired…when we are frightened we cannot lift up anyone else, because frightened people are not inspiring people and when we are frightening, we are not inspiring.”

Over a very long period of time, we have seen a lot of oppression and anger escalating in our community. That’s not normal. It’s consciousness-raising to apply critical thinking in what’s happening around us. As a community, we have a responsibility to be accountable for those actions and words that hurt others. Abdicating that responsibility garners no respect. Absolutely none.

Even though the masses have spoken and the torch they’re carrying is a symbol of bittersweet victory, the future remains uncertain and unwritten. There are no victors in this conflict. But, like Mandela, we now have this opportunity and vision for a better deaf America.

It is easier to stay behind, to hide, and to look the other way. I know I would rather run in the other direction than to endure this kind of transition hell. And yet, I am stubborn. I’m hopelessly in love with this community. It is because of this that I am inspired to see us take this chance to rebuild our future, to recreate what it means to be deaf Americans. We cannot go back to what we used to be. We are forever changed. We have this tremendous responsibility and rare opportunity to ascend ourselves from what we were to what we can become.

One last thought from our friend Ode: “…motivation is a relationship between personalities, while inspiration is a relationship between souls.” See, love comes from being open and honest. It is also being brave to be ridiculed, to be criticized, and to be judged. There’s freedom in doing your own thing and doing it right. Look within yourselves and decide, “Am I motivated to do this? Or am I inspired to make a difference?” Think of your comment before you click that Enter key. Think of your action before you act.

It’s time to love.

Elizabeth Stone, a San Diego native and once-a-year novice surfer, resides in Capitol Hill and is a proud ZipCar user. Happily endorses Metro as the main mode of transportation around the city. Has a serious French fry addiction but has enough willpower to eat them sparingly. Currently works as a development officer at Gallaudet University. Alma maters are the Rochester Institute of Technology with Bachelors in Social Work and American University with Masters in Public Administration.