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Date:         Sat, 29 Aug 1992 22:04:00 -0700
From:         "Bryce Carey, CNS,
              Admin. Sys. Group" <CAREY_B@CUBLDR.COLORADO.EDU>
Subject:      Ear Tags

From: Carey_b@cubldr.colorado.edu

It seems we have a rather exotic collection of fauna on this deaf-list.

-That's good. Variety is a spice.

It also seems that some species here are kind of touchy about being
identified with the 'correct' labels.

-That's not so cool.

The Warthogs worry when someone calls them Swine,
The Razorbacks are irrascible when mistaken for Peccaries,
and there is quite a cavil when someone suggests any
similarity between Cavies, Tapirs, and the lordly Rhino.
Why, even the anteaters have gotten into the term-ites business.

Annette Lemons suggested we all identify ourselves on each post
by hearing status. Now Roy is running a survey to select properly
sensitive labels.

The next step will be that each of us wear an appropriate,
tastefully styled, ear tag so the ethnographers can tell us
apart, and avoid untoward hurt feelings. We can have people put
whatever term they prefer to be called on their ear tags. In fact,
we can have an international symbol set for uniformity, starting
with a red circle with a slash thru it and various cartoons, (ears,
lips, hands, gender signs, etc.) behind the circle to indicate quickly
which class each person occupies.

My response is to remind people of a famous story called:

        Pigs Is Pigs

People on this list, or in the collection of people who have
some degree or another of loss of hearing can come up with ANY labels
they like for themselves. It seems that some people are constantly
looking for ways to divide and isolate segments of the deaf population,
much as other people seek racial, gang, or social class divisions.

Society at large will not care what labels deaf people prefer.
Society at large is very blunt and descriptive in the terms
applied to describe what they see or think they see.
Society at large is a collection of people who hear more or less
well, and have little, if any, contact with deaf people.

        To society at large, Deaf is Deaf.

To hearing people, the idea of NOT hearing is very horrifying.
Therefore to the society at large, the loss of hearing, or lack of
ability to hear is ALWAYS going to be thought of as a calamity,
and not something to be desired. No amount of Ear-tagging is going
to change that gut level feeling in society as a whole.

In other words, being deaf in whatever degree is always going to be a
negative idea to people who can hear. I for one cannot argue that
their perception is misguided.

Those who are appealing for a term for the deaf that is positive
are working uphill against the social perception that there is NOTHING
positive about being deaf except perhaps temporary relief from
excessive noise.

The term "hearing impaired" is intended as descriptive from the
point of view of most people. It nicely avoids saying anything
else about those it is applied to except THAT they cannot hear as
well as most people. It is very inclusive to cover anyone and everyone
with a deficit of hearing, without assigning them to a mental class, or
a social class, or a culture.

I find it comical, if understandable, that some people attempt
to make a distinction among the hearing impaired by adopting a
typographical device of writing Deaf or deaf (D/deaf). Pray tell,
how is one to pronounce the difference between 'D' and 'd'?
Perhaps we should require the capital "Deaf" to be shouted vigorously
with much expression and feeling, and require the lower case 'deaf'
'd' to be spoken in a normal tone? Or perhaps we should
reverse that, and say the "Deaf" should be silent (i.e. pronounce
'Deaf' as 'eaf' or even 'teaf').

The point is that this search for labels, or Ear Tags, is a form of
vanity.

If some wish to make the larger society view deafness as a beneficial
thing, and view deaf people as somehow blessed, then they must SHOW
the larger hearing society that is the case. Arguing over Ear
Tags and labels will not show the larger society anything other
than that deaf people are VERY touchy about being deaf and don't
want to be reminded that they are hearing impaired.

In other words, making a big fuss over labels tells hearing people
that being deaf is so NOT RIGHT that the deaf will twist themselves
into pretzels trying to escape from being reminded their ears
don't work. Fussing over labels does NOTHING to raise the awareness
of the society at large that deaf people "can do everything except hear."

There are positive things to do to SHOW society that deaf people
are capable of living happy, satisfying, fulfilling lives, and that
is to LIVE such lives. No whining allowed.

-Bryce
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU