Tag: Bullying

The Story of Kaitlyn

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When I saw a video of Quaden Bayles talking about committing suicide because he was severely bullied at school due to Dwarfism disability, and racism. Why? He is part of aboriginal. That was heartbreaking to see this.

That reminded me of Kaitlyn whom we rode on the same school bus ride. She was also Deaf, Disabled and Dwarfism. Her hands were deformed. I don’t know what it is called, but it is not important anyway. She also had lots of health problems.

Kaitlyn was also severely bullied, too. There were a couple of stories she would share with me on the school bus. For example, someone would degrade her by calling her midget, ugly, Deaf and dumb, and many ugly names. She was crying. Hurting. I do remember. Those people who bullied her was out for excitement, or gain social approval.

Kaitlyn loved to ride horses. Her mother decided to set up a horse track at her house to give Kathryn the love she loves the most. Then I went to a different school. Got driver’s license.

Years later, I asked a friend of mine who knew Kaitlyn informed me that she died of a heart attack while riding on her favorite horse, Lil Bit. Her mother was with her. She was no less than 16 years old.

When a story like Quaden Bayles goes viral, the social media is so powerful, how come it is not enough discussed that it is a hate crime? It is a global problem.

What is called “Invisible Hate Crime” targeting people with disabilities? Physical, intellectual or any kind of disability apply. However, hate crimes against people with disabilities are under-reported, under-investigated, or even under-prosecuted.

Why? They are not in the position of power where their stories become invisible every day. The social media needs to acknowledge that it is a hate crime. Why keep sweep under the rug?

Quote: “Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye”-Jackson Brown

-JT

FLASH NEWS: HATE CRIME IN TENNESSEE!

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Is Hate Crime a Buzzword? This news needs to share everywhere! 

On December 17, 2019, in Knoxville, Tenn, a Deaf driver for Uber had been brutally beaten for being Deaf by two hearing men in the staunchest form of Surdophobia (fear of Deaf people), and it has not been recognized as a hate crime. Should Surdophobia be recognized in the same way as racial or religious hatred? Why not? As for why hostility against Deaf individuals is not being included. There is no piece of protection of the Deaf individuals and that is the biggest problem. They suffer in a culture of silence. The outcome of such experiences has shown not enough understanding of the psychological roots of hate crimes. 

Good example. HATE=AVERSION. For example, two men with hearing privileges, white privileges, used aversion by blocking or denying the driver because he is Deaf. CRIME=ACTION. Therefore, it is HATE CRIME. 

What happened in Knoxville is what it is quoted in Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed by Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt: 

“In reactive hate crimes, hate-mongers seize on what they consider to be precipitating or triggering incident to serve as   a catalyst for the expression of their anger.” 

The driver’s identity shall be protected status, and the two men who attacked, whether it is white straight-male hearing privileges dominated world, the hate crime has been committed, then it ends up into Dark Figure Crime (DFC) statistics. The stigma and shame are the number one killer in the Deaf community. Throughout history, there have been many instances where one group held sway over another.

It is the stigma that is slipping and sliding their way down the power struggle. In fear of triggering truth, America is no longer a place of free and critical thinking. The Deaf individuals shall not be exposed to a form of hate where they face dangers every day. The discovery of “hate crime” in the Deaf community, it is a scar of knowledge, and to the hearing community, it is the symbol of power by the oppressive society. 

When it starts to silence Deaf individuals who are victimized by hate crime, the truth fades. The social media is so powerful that it goes through the series of twisted truths, especially denials what happened in Knoxville can be triggering. The emotional toll can take on a person, for example, the Deaf driver is enormous. We may see the increase in the role of hate, of human ignorance, and the effects of policies over the years and years had shown a big concern that did not exactly clear across the states and localities of Deaf individuals in America. 

The system has failed the Deaf community and its American way of life. As Levin and McDevitt point out that reactive hate crimes often occur in response to minorities moving into a community or neighborhood: 

“In contrast, the perpetrators of reactive hate crimes tend to target a particular individual or set of individuals who are perceived to constitute a personal threat” 

Getting involved, taking action, and demanding change. The hate of the Deaf has been threatened for their own livelihoods, and the stakes are powerfully high because hate crime continues to be invisible in the Deaf community. We all need resources to help us be more at peace, a guide to Deaf-centered tools, and more understanding toward ourselves and others as well. 

Should you be interested in hate crime lectures, please get in touch with me by clicking the link below:

https://jasontozier.net

 

Behind Ted Baran’s Skull

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When your life disappears before the eyes of truth, would you able to define truth?

John Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty but what is beauty, and what is truth?”

Theodore “Ted” Lonzo Baran, Chief for Department of Public Safety (DPS) at Gallaudet University.

Three years ago today on November 8th, death came before my life and floated dead for ten minutes, it might be the longest ten minutes even if life was motionless. Death by default seemed to me, as I experienced, brutally unfair. Death is fail-safe predictor; Truth is a fail-safe predictor;

The central idea was simple: Truth would reveal itself, as Ted would sink to the bottom of the toilet, and only the guilt would drown truth.

The oppression, hatred, and norms, have been floating around Baran’s wings, while values, higher learning, and motivated hate-solving bullying have taken center stage on the Gallaudet University campus. The corrupt abuse of power. Gallaudet University as a safe place? Baran would make lives harder.

For the last 25 years, I had been working hard to change my life around. I took a lot of detours, struggles, death threats, going through the toughest road ahead, proving myself to the highest standards, and yet, when I moved to Washington, D.C. to begin my graduate school on a full scholarship possibly best moment and Gallaudet University was supposed to heal;

As I remember that day when I came into DPS headquarters, I informed Ted Baran of my responsibility, the first words Ted said: “That’s you. I can kick you out of Gallaudet University if I want to.” abusing his power and that begun the hatred right there. I never see something like this.

Ted “forced” me to stand upfront of graduate classrooms, presentations, workshops, anywhere on the campus to explain why I was jailed every day or I face extreme punishment like expelled from Gallaudet University.

The corrupt abuse of power. I was shocked by his threats. I refused to be profiled. That would lead to death threats, bullying, suicide and it is not healthy at all. Gallaudet University was supposed to be a place of healing. No one wanted to hear my stories. Baran got away. Is there a legal step for abusing power? Who would be the criminal in this picture?

Envision the scene: Baran has been strolling around the campus with abuse of power.

When I woke up from death, I had been targeted off the charges, hoping I’d taste my own execution by toxic culture. Facing the legal punishment of death is the most invisible reason, to inquire about the abuse of power by Baran.

I remember when I was on the stretcher recovering from a massive heart attack on the world’s most sacred ground of the Deaf, Several of Deaf people were cheering along with hands waving, while I put my thumbs up signaling that I’m all right and strong. Ted Baran was walking by and gave me a nasty look. I really remember that face that day. Whisking by. Like he was chuckling in his own head. Oh yeah, the weakness of a CODA who has a hatred for Deaf life. Not true CODA.

I wish I’d do something quickly to react by giving Ted my middle finger. I’d do it in a heartbeat. Everything went fast. Again, I’d give Ted Baran, “FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCK!” and I never have gotten the chance to do that, I blew that. Why didn’t I do that?

After I got out of the hospital, two days later, decide to visit Gallaudet University and showed up at DPS office to thank someone else there for dedication with open-minded, bumped into Ted with close-minded, being the better person, and I see that the hatred still floating in his body, mind, and soul. I was glad it was not Ted who attempting to save my life because he would not do his job and let my breath run out on his own watch. Like getting away with murder.

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Last March 2019, there was a play about Deaf people in Hitler’s Europe held at George Washington University (GWU), where the story was about targeting Deaf Jewish people, shaming them in the name of hate, scarlet letter on their foreheads, and living with the labels. Lifetime scars. Emotional well-being. Mental. Psychical. Just like “JEWISH” on their passports, dealing with the hate spectrum.

Ted Baran and I bumped into each other there, before the play begins, it is clear that play story had been inspiring Ted’s egoism, his abuse of power, and hatred. He loved the story idea about the abuse of power, killing their souls; He supported the hate machine. He was a perfect example.

Convo event: He showed up in DPS white uniform on Saturday evening;

Convo attire: Look good and be YOU.

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I was there wearing an enamel pin: REJECT HATE. That was the symbol of truth. Coming back from death that day, it makes me stronger than ever and will continue to show the truth. It was to break the evil spell. At that moment, I felt free but also exhausted and completely alive all at the same time.

Unknown-2.jpegThat day, November 8, 2016: I asked an important question in front of the audience in SAC 1011 before my last breath, after I woke up from death, I realized that Gallaudet University was aiding and abetting Baran’s hatred. Same cloth. Same oath.

Remember Convo dress attire? BE YOU.

Baran wearing white uniform making a statement that he is above the abuse of power, white privileges, hearing privileges, and commander-in-hater, he does not need to dress up like this. Be YOU. Be casual.

Behind the badge, and that was what makes Ted’s skull are met with.

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-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

 

 

Did H-Dirksen Bauman Experience Bullying?

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In higher education, bullying is often invisible in Gallaudet/Deaf community. H-Dirksen Bauman, former chair for ASL/Deaf Studies department got severely bullied and chose not to speak up against bullying on the campus what it is supposed to be hate-free. Why allow culture of silence?

Gallaudet CONVO Event: I Experienced Hate

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#OurDeafCommunity | Celebrating Gallaudet event hosted by CONVO. It was supposed to be a place of celebration, meeting new and old faces, and of course, bias-free. Instead, experiencing bullying in the form of hate including intimidation from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) which no one can ever bully me. Enough of public shaming! What happened to #OurDeafCommunity?

 

Is Hate a Mental Health Issue in the Deaf Community?

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Written English transcript:

 

This is a video response for National Deaf Therapy (NDT)—

Hate is a form of oppression that a countless number of Deaf people encounter. Normally, we think of “hate” is referred to, even invisible number of Deaf people are being swept under the rug.

However, National Deaf Therapy claimed that ‘Hate is not mental health issue.”

The forms of hate can be found in: bullying, Audism, discrimination, taunting, making offensive comments, judging, power of abuse, public shaming and forth where Deaf people experience every day. Can we admit the truth that there are lots of Deaf people has experienced some type of bullying? Compassion? The chain reaction of shaming, could bullying lead to hate? Will National Deaf Therapy resist this?

Is there some kind of close connection between the right to stand up against hate and separation from power-struggle in the spirit of Deaf people?

Behind it all, of course, was most neglected problem Deaf people face that was thought to be under attack and why it would allow this to happen.

The American Psychological Association (APA) and The Psychology of Hate Crimes at APA Public Interest Government Relations Office in 2017 has stated:

“Hate crimes are a public mental health issue.” Will National Deaf Therapy agree with APA?

In 2016, Huff Post published a powerful article: Hate Is a Mental Health Issue by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen writes:

“We need to recognize this type of hatred for what it is, a sign of severe emotional disturbance. And we need to take more responsibility for those around us who seem to be suffering—before their pain becomes unbearable and is turned inward against themselves or outward……. This type of overwhelming, all-consuming hatred cannot exist within an emotionally healthy human being.”

“Further tragedies can be prevented if we pay attention to the signs of emotional suffering—in ourselves and those we love—and, if we take responsibility for reaching out to those in need, to those who are falling through cracks.” In 2018, James M. Shultz, Tanya L. Zakrison, Sandro Galea in Hate and the Health of Populations,

“Against this backdrop, there should be little question at this point that hate is a powerful motivator of harm against others. The direct consequences of hate—including violence, discrimination, and marginalization of out-groups—are associated with poor health. Apart from the direct physical harm they inflict, hate-induced actions are associated with substantial mental illness effects.”—

“Recognizing that hate is a determinant of health puts the issue squarely within the remit of the population health community, pushing us to consider what we can do to address hate.”—Shultz, Zakrison, Galea.

Hate is indeed, a mental health issue. It is normal for Deaf individuals like yourself to have this kind of reaction, and it is important to understand that hate is not a joke. Yet, National Deaf Therapy questions the cause and effect to describe Deaf people not to experience hate, as a mental health issue is questionable.

In 2007: My essay was written for hate crimes and bias class,
Negative Perceptions of Deaf Individuals in Relation to Knowledge of American Sign Language:

“Yet this most stigmatized group is not often viewed through the lens of compassion and understanding, only modern forms of old ignorance. The Deaf community has gone through considerable evolution, but hate crime remains invisible in face of society.” (Tozier, 2007)

“As I have been told again and again, the experience of Deaf victims of hate crime has been traumatic. Life has been hard for them. Deaf people have toiled and fought on behalf of the society that has violated their human rights, dealing with manipulation, ignorance, denial of basic civil and language rights, among many other injustices. Deaf people struggled with the land and the lawless nature of American society. Hate crimes against them have been largely under-reported, under-investigated, and under-prosecuted.” (Tozier, 2007)

Either pin down truth or denial. In those experiences, hate incidents that truly happened, like the making final decision of hate, as non-mental health issue is questionable. As the Deaf community become objective in their own experience, they separate it from themselves.

Yes, hate should be a mental health issue in the Deaf community. There is no place for hate in the Deaf community. Should hate as emotionally, psychologically, and sociologically denial for the Deaf community? Why or Why not?

Please visit jasontozier.net

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including copyright message.

REFERENCES:

Hate and the Health of Populations

https://www.psychologynj.org/njpa-s-public-statement-on-acts-of-hate-and-violence

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hate-is-a-mental-health-i_b_7653430