“The Alexander Graham Bell Association publishes a book detailing Tucker-Maxon’s conversational development program, Blueprint for Developing Conversational Competence.”
Whether you are thinking about how much importance to the efforts of the ASL story to intertwine the history of sign language being deprived away from language and human rights, no mountain is too high to climb when it comes to create the shows and exhibits that touch and stir our passions to suggest the imitation, of say, ASL as the best factual source for the human communication.
Recently this weekend, I was shocked—completely shocked to find that my name was not printed in Tucker-Maxon Oral School (TMOS), 60 years anniversary yearbook. My mother and my father took me there everyday from Monday to Friday in 1976 for two years in a muscle car, Chevy Chevelle 454 V-8—my father’s dream car. First, I will share my YouTube video and then make sure to read my second link, “Oralism Stole My Father’s Baby” below. Never mind, I will add all the links I wrote about TMOS below after all.
They both realized that the gas was very expensive—driving more than 30 miles driving to another state one way and they both decided that it would be best thing for my father to sell his dream car for VW Bug. My father had no choice and he was so heart-broken to let it go because TMOS told my parents that Oralism would be a gold-star philosophy and make me an All-Star student to please Alexander Graham Bell ideology.
He is about to become Richard….
One day, my mother decided to come by and surprise me, then my mother saw Alice Davis and Chris Solan in the same room and found me “cuffed” with six-pack rings while Dr. “Bruce” Wallace was leading my mother where I was with a smile. That was the last time my body was suckered away from TMOS ever since and drove home and told my father what happened. They were clearly hurt—they were both 22 and 24 years old that time. Poor parents. My father was beyond pissed!
No wonder why he created the Liar Ball!
I wondered why my name was not in archives at TMOS, none of pictures were ever shown that I existed in the oppressive halls—even though I was featured in the Oregonian newspaper, December 9th, 1976 with my parents and the audiologist that was responsible for the lies—her name was Star Leonard. It was taken at Tucker-Maxon Oral School. I became a student that day.
With my own name that have been attacked over emotional response to abuse and language deprivation like TMOS did for incommensurate amount of time because of political tail wind that blows in favor of Oralism—an emotional but not a rational reaction for AGBell lies. I can understand why a current NAD president, a star pupil at TMOS for 12 years, told me at Georgia Association of the Deaf conference last June 2015, asked his TMOS friend if he remembered me. He said, “no”—why? I was not featured in that yearbook wiping off the truth. Now I understand why.
After I was taken out of TMOS, I get slapped with a label on my forehead and tell me that I was a human failure when “Oralism” success stories, but the labels kills my chance with my own human right and stop language deprivation. What a deal!
So, this is my story to shake things up a bit and challenges the current wisdom on this topic and will continue to do so for the benefit of preserving ASL debate. After all, I was overlooked and dismissed as “never heard of” or nonexistent. This is the message that I had been waiting for a strong, clear voice of anti-hate authority. Not that TMOS is simply an act of hiding language deprivation and abuse, they must account for all the available evidence. The feeling of futility and sense of invisibility go beyond AGBell lies dismissing my civil experience as an AGBell survivor.
I told my mother what happened last night and she was heartbroken and understood the futility and invisibility as well because my mother protected me. Thank you, Mom—I love you!
Again, no mountain is too high to climb when it comes to TRUTH—it is sad day for AGBell survivors and a powerful reminder that TMOS still practices a lot of hatred today and tomorrow.
Isn’t life a bitch?
Links:
https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2013/06/13/oralism-stole-my-fathers-baby/
https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/01/11/tucker-maxon-oral-school-pitfall-a-cult-of-ignorance/
https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/02/03/tucker-maxon-oral-school-teachers-are-blameless/
https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/12/14/with-no-thanks-to-my-alma-mater/
https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2015/01/24/a-not-so-noble-cause-to-support/
-JT
Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
...And the Truth Shall Set You Free. 
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