From: Roberto.Ramos@f71.n382.z1.fidonet.org (Roberto Ramos)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Attagirl!!!!          1/
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:34:52 GMT
Reply-To: Roberto.Ramos@f71.n382.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:382/71 - BitStream, Round Rock Tx
X-Fidonet: Silent Talk Conference

Index Number: 23922

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

HB>You know something Ann? I've known a few people (hearing people) that
HB>took signing classes for one reason... because they REAlLY were
HB>attracted by ONE thing only; the MYSTERY of it.

I and many other hearing people I know are attracted by the language of
ASL and Deaf people as a group. Does this mean our fascination is only
self-serving mystery? As a scuba diver, I like being able to communicate
at will under water too. After hearing very derogatory remarks by
hearing people while in the presence of my Deaf friends, I'm not too
sure about how much more decent hearing society is than the Deaf.

HB>I KNOW that a lot of people who take signing classes, do it for this
HB>reason only.  They think it's really mysterious to see two people
HB>signing and they know that those two people are *talking* to each
HB>other in english but they STILL can't understand them.  That's where the
HB>mystery (for THEM ONLY) come from.

There is such a thing as appreciating ones own and other people's
culture. I got the same fascination when I heard two people speaking
Chinese.

HB>....The ones that think that Deaf Culture is really *cool* or *keen*
HB>or whatever, would change idea if tomorrow morning they became
HB>completely deaf... There only love would turn back to the culture
HB>they had.... and that they lost forever.... Those who have never
HB>heard in their lives think that they really need a culture for
HB>themselves for the simple reason that they don't even know about the
HB>only culture that exists in the UNIVERSE..... the culture of the
HB>majority... the Culture of the Living Human Being.  To put ourselves
HB>aside from this majority means we simply do not accept it... And the
HB>reason for this is probably because we cannot adopt to it....or maybe
HB>we don't feel like fighting (or too weak to fight...) to be part of
HB>it......

I know a fair number of late deafened people, especially one in
particular. He was deafened in his teens, I think. I also know a good
number of born and early deafened people. I share these posts with them.
They think that certain people just can't accept that they've outgrown
pining to be hearing. They like themselves just the way the are. What
they don't like is pity. I made the mistake of pitying them a while
back. They quickly told me what I could do with my pity. They also hate
people pre-judging them. I used to butt heads with Jim on his views.
Finally, he told me to just log onto this echo then come back and judge
him again. I think I'm starting to see what he was trying to say. I
don't think appreciating another culture means giving up your own
or becoming deaf or Oriental or whatever. Or being loss forever. It's
just appreciation and nothing else. History shows that humanity at
its worse when a majority or dominant society imposes its collective
will on a minority or non-dominant group. Hitler's Germany and the Jews,
Europeans in Africa, Europeans in North and South America, the
Soviets and Eastern Europe, Brazillians and the forest Indians, and
Catholics versus protestants in Europe, USA later. It seems there is a
vendetta against letting people be themselves if they so choose to be.
It never means such people are ignorant of a majority or dominant
culture or excluded from "Living Human Being." The relationships between
two preclude this.

HB>There will always be one, and ONE ONLY culture for me... and if it was
HB>so for EVERYBODY, then the world would be much better off...

There is nothing in the world wrong with this as far as your own choice.
Does it have to  mean Deaf people must be denied the same privilege of
having their own choice? Your way is the only right one? If we darker
skins who are the real majority of planet Gaia (that's Earth), decided
to force all others to have skin darkening injections and follow our
customs, would this be acceptable? Probably not because people are very
self-righteous about their own way of life. They should be. It's theirs.
Unfortunately, too few of us respect this and persist in putting down
other groups and their ways. For this cause we fight wars, get into
arguments, hate, and goodness knows what else. Jim once asked a "think
hearing" deaf person, "Why not try finding positive things to say about
one another's cultures and lifestyles? We might discover there's less
bad to say about them. We might even gain some self-respect as a
result." I watched this person laugh at curse Jim and then call him
an idiot. Jim responded with a, "Well, maybe we can be friends anyway."

HB>Your opinion is shared bythe majority of deaf people I'm quite sure I
HB>didn't say Deaf, but deaf!!!).  WE (deaf) are the only ones that KNOW
HB>what BOTH are really about!!!

This is a very conceited statement. Most deaf people I know have a
live and let live attitude. Your statement above is egocentric. Such
putdowns encourage the Deaf and the deaf to continue to go at each
other's throats. Is it necessary? Why such hatred against the Deaf
group? The Deaf are very aware of the "other" side. So much so, they are
justicably wary of it as experience has taught them to be.

HB.Oncethe Deaf will understand that we (deaf) are where THEY are and
HB>that we WERE WHERE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE, then maybe they will
HB.very seriously think about what they MIGHT BE MISSING by shutting
HB>themselves out in their only world...
>>> Continued to next message
___
 X SLMR 2.0 X The miracle is that young fools survive to be old fools!

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