From: 11srust@gallua.gallaudet.edu (Scott A. Rust)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.deaf-l
Subject: Re: Anti-Deaf perspective vomit
Date: 16 Oct 92 02:10:59 GMT
Organization: Gallaudet University English Dept


	I realize that I'm putting my head on the block here, but ti's nothing
I haven't done before.......
	Here goes......



In article <1bhtqkINNi84@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, garvey@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Heather Garvey) writes:
> "Stephen J. Kotchen" <CASK@CATCC.BITNET> writes:
>>
>>  I absolutely, without questions, agree that Deaf can do anything, but
>>hear.  Based on my experiences at Liberty University, I've been trying
>>to participate with sports such as Football, Baseball, or Softball.  The
>>Hearing society told me that I cannot play since I cannot hear.  This is
>>ridiculous.  It sounds like that hearing people can play football,
>>baseball, or softball with blindfold.
> 
         Doesn't this in itself give you a handicap? I am deaf and it IS a
handicap! The minute that I leave the confines of Gallaudet, I'm instantly
handicapped! Here on campus, everything is geared for us, the deaf. Out in the
_real_ world it's not that easy! It matters not why you cannot play those
sports, but whatever it is is handicapping you.
	 
> 	Beethoven could hear for many years before he was deafened.
> PLEASE don't tell me that if he was deafened since birth he would
> have been able to compose the pieces he did. You can't write music
> if you've never heard it. He worked entirely from his memory of what
> music sounded like (and whatever residual hearing he had).
> 
	This may not be all true. Music does have a system that is followed in
most forms (ie chord progressions and scales). It IS possible for someone who
was born Deaf to be able to write music, albeit not in the style of which
Beethoven wrote.

>>You and your
>>people still believe that deaf cannot do anything.  
> 
> 	Who said "cannot do anything"? I believe only the phrase
> "cannot do some things" was used, which is pretty much true. There
> are a FEW HEARING-RELATED things that one cannot do if one cannot
> hear. Football is not one of them, nor did anyone *here* claim it 
> was.
> 

	Gally has a football team, did you know that??
> 
>>Maybe you should check
>>under the rug to see if your brain is there.  When will you and your
>>people finally get up from your ass and look under the rug? 
> 
        Isn't this defeating the purpose of educating ignorant people?
Insulting them and calling them silly and petty names WILL NOT win people over
to your side! Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of problems with people,
and though they may not have been as severe as others have experienced,
resorting to name-calling has never helped me get my point across.
	

>>You hearing people who called us Deaf and Dumb  look at what I have just
>>told you. 
> 
> 	Hate to burst your righteous bubble here, but the phrase "Deaf
> and Dumb" comes from when there was very little oralism for the deaf 
> and deaf people were basically mute. "Dumb" is a synonym for "mute".
> Fetch a thesaurus and look it up if necessary.

	That in and of itself doesn't make the term "Deaf and Dumb" acceptable
in this day and age.


	OK, there it is. Bring on the flames is you find it necessary to do so,
but DO spare me the petty insults. I am open minded to discussion, but will not
participate in mud-slinging.


	Scott Rust
	11srust@gallua.gallaudet.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU