The media image of the Deaf has never been depicted through images of Deaf people. We the Deaf are in constant danger of being described by those who can hear and speak in language than American Sign Language (ASL)—Deaf people are easiest to target. When the world offers cochlear implant (CI)–a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a Deaf person to perpetuate in a “listening and speaking” hoax.

CI companies are the most powerful language in English along with the media. When they play politics on Deaf people, they create rules for Deaf people to shut up and listen. Looking at media about CI through books, stories, and workshops, they use the power to make sure Deaf people are “power-struggling” in their nests. Not only that the cochlear implant industries continuously devour Deaf children for profits, but CI does not represent a worldview; it is the technology that suffers depreciation that requires the costs of monthly mapping.

People who work for industries have to start taking responsibility for the terrible phenomenon of CIs. There is plenty of bullying in schools targeting Deaf children who are not implanted who are vulnerable to cruelty. All social activities provide opportunities for bullying. Isolating Deaf children from the world leaves them free to establish their own rules of behavior, and they behave badly. With the idea of implanting them and force them to live in the world with everyone else–to behave like hearing.

CI industries are “running” the democracy and the power. We the Deaf people have every chance to shut down the cochlear implant lobbying and their congressional friends. If we fail to oust them from power, we can make our excuses to those body bags, but will it be too late because Deaf children cannot able to hear? They will be gone to their death knowing that we do not care enough to take action. For example, 12 Deaf children died from CI surgeries in 1989. Cochlear implant industries thinks they are the “democracy”—wrong!

Nancy Rourke’s Twelve in 1989

The point of the media– CI companies are creating the “second wave” of 1880 Milan Resolution. The story about 1880 Milan, the educators of the Deaf all around the world gathered together in Milano, Italy for the second International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED)–it was taken the place in schools for the Deaf in Milano that were under the auspices of the Roman Catholic church where auricular confession–the disclosure by word spoken of sins into the auris, or ear, of a priest is required. Abbe Balestra, the conference planner wrote:

“Gesture is not the true language of man….Gesture, instead of addressing the mind, addresses the imagination and the senses. Thus, for us, it is an absolute necessity to prohibit that language and to replace it with living speech, the only instrument of human thought” 

It is exactly what the CI companies are doing all over the world today. My first school I attended: Tucker-Maxon Oral School (TMOS) known as one of Portland’s best kept secrets–and it is the house of pain that does not allow sign language at all. Even today in 2014, they still do not allow the use of sign language. In 1985, TMOS was proudly to announce to be the world’s first school-based children’s cochlear implant center in conjunction with the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. See the link at the end of the post.

The current National Association of the Deaf (NAD) president uses bilateral cochlear implants. He and I went to same school. Same year. He was couple of years older than I am. I am writing this post with heavy heart and do not want to see Deaf children suffer along with mental, emotional, and physical scars anymore. Remember, NAD has very strong relationship with cochlear implant companies.

I started to remember him more and more from that time when I enrolled there in 1976; Before NAD election in 2012, I remembered very well that he had couple of strong sponsors from TMOS, Hands and Voices of Oregon, Alexander Graham Bell Chapter of Oregon, and he never had CIs until he was elected as president. That shows that he was supportive of TMOS and its practice of cochlear implants on Deaf children. He wants to make a good example. Audiologists and educators of the Deaf today are completely trained under the irreversible influence of the 1880 Milan Resolution banning sign language even at TMOS, too. It is the genocide to the Deaf mind; It is the HATE CRIME in distinguishes. TMOS’s philosophy: Follow 1880 Milan Resolution’s example.

After reading his latest letter to renew his presidency position through NAD’s website, I realized that there exists status quo in his statement, and he has yet to critique his experiences and involvements. He would prefer coffee and cake over confront and contest. He may have enjoyed chairing some educational groups without informing us about changes and challenges. The NAD is not about parents of the Deaf getting involved; it is about Deaf people themselves getting involved. Is he the better candidate for the NAD presidency?

I have decided to keep myself distant from NAD. Change is a must! Given his educational background being from TMOS, I can clearly see that the NAD is inclining toward the AGBell climate. Is it also his responsibility as NAD president to allow TMOS to suffer Deaf children without sign language? He would not criticize anything publicly. OK, think of that way when parents of Deaf children are sent out to that school every day with the knowledge that they will be suffer a lot of pain. He is standing by and watches this horrific slaughter going on at TMOS because he says nothing can be done. Now the election is coming up next month, it is time to send a message to him that breeding hate at TMOS has to be stopped. End zero tolerance policies and allow Deaf children to SIGN with happy faces, demilitarize Alexander Graham Bell Association, end corporate money, and stop target them for larger social impact. Where is the public right going to do about Deaf children’s pursuit of happiness and safety?

The real proof in my book is that he is just a “hot air balloon” bullshit! CI industries are causing the reality of proliferation that causes DEATH. In our e-mail last April 2014, he wrote to me, “I have spoken ill of Tucker Maxon”–if he has spoken ill of TMOS, why did he receive very strong endorsements and sponsors from TMOS when he was running for NAD president? What if a child from TMOS dies from cochlear implant surgery this neither year nor next year even in two years? What will he do about it? Actually, what IF one of 12 Deaf children who died from cochlear implants surgery was a student at Tucker-Maxon Oral School? Where is his heavy heart in this to prevent Deaf children from getting cochlear implants?

As he said, “WOW! Great old memories!” on TMOS’s Facebook page in 2013. Do not worry—the picture is archived. He never spoke ill of TMOS at all. As great Paulo Freire wrote, “Being less human leads the oppressed to struggle against those who made them so“.

-JT

Copyright © 2014 Jason Tozier

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