Petition to sign:
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Eradicating DNA Genes
What is a good example of hate crime? We need to understand what hate crime is. It does not have to be always “hate”, but it also means bias or prejudice in this matter. Let’s focus on the objectification of Native Americans and its history of violence and colonization. Ever since the Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830 proposed by President Andrew Jackson, the images of killing Native Americans even today in 2019 in many ways.
“Crime” is what it is called aversion, which purposely creating a hostile environment to survive and thrive in that practice. Native Americans were treated as savages in all form of violence. We cannot deny that at all. Even in the Bill of Rights under United States Constitution, it was written “the merciless Indian Savages” in there.
We also need to understand that ignoring what hate crime is a human error framework, and a good example of a story, How DNA Tests Make Native Americans Strangers In Their Own Land:
“The DNA industry has, in fact, found a way to profit from reviving and modernizing antiquated ideas about the biological origins of race and repackaging them in a cheerful, Disneyfied wrapping. While it’s true that the it’s-a-small-world-after-all multiculturalism of the new racial science rejects nineteenth-century scientific racism and Social Darwinism, it is offering a twenty-first-century version of pseudoscience that once again reduces race to a matter of genetics and origins. In the process, the corporate-promoted ancestry fad conveniently manages to erase the histories of conquest, colonization, and exploitation that created not just racial inequality but race itself as a crucial category in the modern world.
Today’s policy attacks on Native rights reproduce the same misunderstandings of race that the DNA industry is now so assiduously promoting. If Native Americans are reduced to little more than another genetic variation, there is no need for laws that acknowledge their land rights, treaty rights, and sovereignty. Nor must any thought be given to how to compensate for past harms, not to speak of the present ones that still structure their realities. A genetic understanding of race distorts such policies into unfair “privileges” offered to a racially defined group and so “discrimination” against non-Natives.
In the process, however, they turn ethnicity, a term once explicitly meant to describe culture and identity, into something that can be measured in the genes.”
Since Native Americans heritage has been destroyed for years and years, getting rid of Native American DNA is a hate crime. DNA is a powerful trait. It is a biological nature. This is a critical historical lesson, which reveals the perfect meaning of hate crime. DNA and the Human Genome Project altogether are built by ignorance and paranoia. Pursuit of happiness shall not be surrendered for human “voice”–can Native Americans be free from guilt and hatred from the white society?
“..that leaves Native Americans vulnerable to ongoing violence…. I argue that the largely derogatory images of Native Americans, along with their relatively disadvantaged structural position, leaves them in a position of vulnerability. It is the contexts of hate a crime that “makes them possible and even acceptable. What makes violence a phenomenon of social injustice and not merely an individual moral wrong is its systematic character, its existence as a social practice, its legitimacy.” -Barbara Perry, Silent Victims: Hate Crimes Against Native Americans
How the Native Americans are addressing cultural genocide, becoming a nationwide crisis, and the DNA bias have contributed to a lack of human compassion, and should be leading the effort to address it. Can we learn from that?
“While whites of European ancestry seen enthralled with the implications of this new racial science, few Native Americans have chosen to donate to such databases. Centuries of abuse at the hands of colonial researchers who made their careers on Native ancestral remains, cultural artifacts, and languages have generated a widespread skepticism toward the notion of offering genetic material for the good of ‘science.’ ”
Whose the opinion of the life that belongs to the whole Native American community? As long as we live, whose the privilege to do it whatever they want even when they commit a hate crime? Is it the same way to eradicate Deaf DNA genes? Why should treat Deaf people of the Deaf as the merciless Deaf savages?
Native Americans and Deaf are the forgotten minority.
…..showing no mercy or pity?
Petition link to sign below. Thank you.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Double Standard?
Harlan Lane: CI Survivors
Harlan Lane was a fierce opponent of cochlear implants. His 1991 paper position against cochlear implants was the most important critical pedagogy in Deaf community that needs to be seen every day and discuss about it in classrooms, public discussions, anywhere. That’s the power of truth.
My Meeting with Harlan Lane
Harlan Lane lived larger than a life as a scholar in Deaf community. Deaf History cannot be defined without Harlan Lane. He was a great advocate on behalf of the human rights of Deaf people around the world.
I shall forever grateful for the book Lane published: The Mask of Benevolence: Disabling Deaf Community that taught me great deal concept of discovering Deaf history to become a fair game to understand information.
I first spotted that book in a laundry room at a RV park where I was living in a 6×8 camper for six months in 1999. Then I took the book and walked back to the camper and begun reading it in mini living room with my beloved three cats. Nacho, Lenny, and Penny. I was 24 years old. That changed my life forever. That was 20 years ago.
Fast forward. May 2010. The meeting with Harlan Lane at Northeastern University in Boston, MA in a private meeting along with late Carl Schroeder, and an ASL interpreter. That meeting that lasted an hour and half was a lot of greatest discussions and found Harlan Lane to be foremost advocate on behalf of Deaf people rights to receive publications and communications in the name of truth.
It was the same month I finished reading Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood by Paddy Ladd before meeting Harlan Lane.
That book was the very reason that generated my Deafhood journey to cover hate crimes beyond Deaf community. The book had energy of activism and began my activism in public speaking and education, what Deaf Studies is really about. It was one of biggest reasons why I was a graduate scholarship recipient in Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University in 2013. It was also a goal of mine to get Ph.D.
Before meeting with Harlan Lane in person, I was on airplane for Boston-bound from Portland reading When the Mind Hears: A History of the Deaf and brought great discussions in private meeting. My regret is that I did not bring that book to the meeting, and was not signed by Harlan Lane but I only brought the Mask of Benevolence book by Lane I first read had been the most meaningful that offers learning, resources, and information for Deaf people, simply creating safe spaces where Deaf people feel acknowledged is the major human right step is much necessary.
I explained to Harlan Lane how I found this book and why it has inspired me, and he signed my book. It is not something you would see like this every day. He told me to keep up good work and finish my goal.
I am grateful to know him. He was one of a kind. 1936-2019.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Rest in Peace: Harlan Lane
The meeting with Harlan Lane will be always forever in my heart.
Powell’s Bookstore: Restoring Democracy for Deaf Community
I am proud Deaf person right now. I feel good. I made a difference. Earlier this week, I received e-mail from Powell’s bookstore. Doing good thing that makes all the difference is taking leadership role in every aspect of the Deaf community that captures the depth and diversity of the Deaf people.
Powell’s bookstore in Portland, Oregon is the largest independent bookstore in the world, which happened to be my most favorite place anywhere. My life would not be the same without books. Powell’s bookstore has a unique energy, bringing symbolism to the minds of book readers.
When I was living in Portland, I would take my radically crafted bicycle to Powell’s bookstore in all angles of greater Portland, to appreciate the journey as a bibliophile “book lover”—has taught me plenty of knowledge, and I am thankful forever.
The classic 1971 Schwinn bicycle I bought in 2007 for $5.00 and fixed up by myself was fun part.
Recently, I noticed something on the website that caught my attention that I decided to get in touch with Powell’s bookstore and make a positive contribution for the Deaf community. It is important to recognize something that is not appropriate or controversial, take a bold step and make the difference. A controversy over defining Deaf people needs to be questioned of what is and is not a negative symbol back into the public eye.
Is a term of “hearing-impaired” a human-whistle symbol for deficit thinking? Why is ‘hearing impaired’ acceptable for years and years? Is it time to make a radical change?
See the picture below:
Then I had to write an e-mail to Powell’s bookstore to clarify it up. “The friendliest and most reassuring human beings on the planet…”…..”Our hearing-imparied customers.” It was much needed to do the civic duty to have “hearing impaired” removed and use “Deaf” customers instead. That’s where I shared the link:
Should Powell’s bookstore follow a good example of leadership of WTDP? Yes, Deaf people are also most reassuring human beings on the planet. Deaf people are human beings. With the term “hearing impaired”–they are subjected to “human doings” instead of human beings.
However, I had to make another step to educate about “Deaf” with upper “D” instead of “deaf” with lower “d” should be culturally appreciated with love. It is not just about “grammar rules”—Learning how to take a radical step within the advocacy efforts to make all the difference feels good! And they listened with big and open heart. See the big change?
Powell’s bookstore is a better place that distributes healthy journey for Deaf customers, and engages in human appreciation, outreach, and education. Deaf customers around the world are part of human right. Around the world? Yes, remember “largest independent bookstore in the world”?
That’s the image of Powell’s bookstore today. That is the reason I had a vintage world globe antique–rotating Earth gift from Aunt Sally sitting on my bookshelf–you can find second picture above of this page. Next to the globe was my favorite chessboard.
The labeling of Deaf people as “hearing impaired”—the dilemma is that far more denial than the society admit that the human right violation of defining who Deaf people are. It is time that the society continues to violate human rights for Deaf people is protested and challenged. Simply, the view of Deaf people as “hearing impaired” is often lead to culture of ignorance, denial, and misinformed. Chessboard: Checkmate.
Most importantly, the culture of stigma is taught by prejudices against the image of Deaf people in society. Powell’s bookstore listened with open mind and big heart. Deaf people are being in the process of growing on account of acceptance. That makes the largest independent bookstore in the world an unique place.
Powell’s Bookstore: Selling books before moving to D.C.
After explaining about video relay service (VRS) that today’s majority of Deaf customers use through VRS is important because without video relay service which means rejection of American Sign Language (ASL) is immediately vulnerable and is much needed to defend life of ASL.
This sentiment and desire for ASL is a special place. After all, we need to take back ASL. To put an end on the negative labeling of Deaf people as “hearing impaired”–we need to take back the Deaf community to preserve our positive identity, we need to take back the Deaf community after all. That is the quest vision.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
