Bystanders – …And the Truth Shall Set You Free.

Rethinking ASL Justice & AGBell Colonialism

December 18, 2018December 19, 2018 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Without question, 2018 has been emotional, heart-breaking, heart-crunching, heart-wrenching, hurt, being lied to, being deceived, confused, showing the culture of bystander, denials, and lost souls for Deaf community. Where is justice for American Sign Language (ASL)?

LEAD-K. It was never about data. It was about Alexander Graham Bell. With our help, we need to stand up for justice and stop Alexander Graham Bell patronizing Deaf people down. In fact, the word of the year for 2018 by Merriam-Webster has chosen “justice”—how fitting it is.

In New York Times by Dan Levin, writes that:‘in choosing the noun, Merriam-Webster said that it was looked up on its website 74 percent more often than in 2017’

LEAD-K was never about justice. It was more like travesty. What is travesty? Representing in a false or distorted way and that is how Deaf community felt about being represented in a false picture that it is all right to team up with Alexander Graham Bell.

LEAD-K helped Alexander Graham Bell gain more prejudice against ASL in our Deaf community. They are allowing Alexander Graham Bell to gain access to hate and Surdophobia in Deaf schools and mainstreaming schools.

Two years after LEAD-K formed, there are two things are absolutely clear: Alexander Graham Bell’s words and actions reflect the Audism, Surdophobia, and Hate Speech that had been at the face of the LEAD-K campaign. Now Cued Speech is forming in Virginia and Illinois—and wants to spread all over America with the help of LEAD-K. It was never about data or improving literacy in reading and writing.

A coalition of activists had been spending a lot of time, energy, and passion to bring the truth about Alexander Graham Bell’s hateful ideology. There are plenty of Deaf artists who drew pictures of how Alexander Graham Bell are dangerous proves effective, with survivors of Alexander Graham Bell gaining greater understanding through their own artwork.

There are plenty of Deaf writers who took it to the streets, social media, and public, showing the truth about Alexander Graham Bell and sends a message onto the platform to distribute truth and challenging the lies that makes Deaf students “successful” with Cued Speech, listening and speaking, and cochlear implants, and the list goes on, making Alexander Graham Bell for the message.

LEAD-K claims that it would support the foundation of Deaf children, and help protect young lives from the destructive effects of Oralism, but Deaf community got fooled badly.

The educational materials would help and empower Deaf people with the facts they need to live healthy, Audism-free lives. We need to continue and stand up against Audism and Surdophobia practice and conquer the language hegemony or oppression.

Now it is time for us to spread the truth. We stand up for social justice! We stand up for ASL justice!

-JT

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

Fear-Rejection Thoughts Is Not Love

January 29, 2018 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

We do not need fear-rejecting thoughts in Deaf community. If bystanders cannot find anything to recognize bullying, then they have committed a crime. Suicide is a tragic response to bullying. The problem is that it is very rarely discussed in Deaf community.

I am writing about Deaf returning citizens. They could easily take their lives away. Would it be a criminal act if Deaf returning citizens take their own lives if they are severely bullied daily in same Deaf community they live and breathe in? Deaf community loves to bully and would make up rumors that make it look true. Can Deaf community accept the fact that the suicides are the evidence of BIGGER problems than being bullied?

The fear-rejecting about Deaf returning citizens is a huge problem. The bullies would cruelly exploit that social prejudice, and got away with it. There are three important factors that we all need to know and be aware about it.

Number One: Oppression

Number Two: Dehumanization

Number Three: Exploitation

Remember the book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire? He once wrote about dehumanization in 1981:

Dehumanization, which marks not only those whose humanity has been stolen, but also (though in a different way) those who have stolen it, is a distortion of the vocation of becoming more fully human….Th[e] struggle [for humanization] is possible only because dehumanization, although a concrete historical fact, is not a given destiny but the result of an unjust order that engenders violence in the oppressors, which in turn dehumanizes the oppressed.”

Deaf returning citizens have been subject of the oppressed. When bullies are not punished, did they also harm themselves that they intend to do? If a bully crosses the line between hate speech, invasion of privacy, or harassment, is it OK for the bully to harass Deaf returning citizens daily? There are many ways to address bullying, harassment, hate speech, death threats, and stalking.

In Deaf community, it is an international problem. Can we have conversation about the importance of educating love instead of hate? The importance of civility and respect would be more effective tool for Deaf community to heal.

-JT

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

‘Bystander’ to the Deaf Community

October 27, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Yes, we can make a difference to stop hate. Is Deaf community as humanity as ever? Our impact on hate depends more on how we, as humanity, respond than as we the Deaf people do. Both are very critical right now—the question, which is more effective and community accountability? Hate is invisible to the Deaf community.

Stalking and harassment seems to be a perception among Deaf community. And, to be direct, it does show to verge on stigmatizing basically “normal” behavior. It may be even is true and sad, but Deaf community essentially using the scarlet letter of “harassment” to penalize Deaf returning citizen who they resent very much. We need to know that hate will not make us safe.

The biggest problem in the Deaf community: Bystanders—the context in which this occurs more often. They do not care about hate. They do not care about abuse their power, to understand that as soon as hate is created, it will be abused at least Deaf community who will wield it.

How can we solve this sociological problem: Bystanders in Deaf community and why they refuse to accept community accountability? Dividing into hate, separated by our own experience. Silence is not even cool.

-JT

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

The Failure to Prevent Bullying from AGBell: The Role of Bystanders

December 31, 2016March 5, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

This has been one rough year, 2016 where we saw Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing use their hate tactics and countless insults as they continue to belittle American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf people. The world watched the brave souls in Deaf community suffering the worst language bigotry, and fighting back for their constitutional rights last April 2016, sending hundreds of letters, blog articles, newspapers, and video messages rebuking Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Yet, the perilous times tested our intelligence and strength to make sense of it all. They pushed us to make a difference, and until better days, they demand we bow our heads to them above water and make a deal. Never! There was a message for all of us, we agreed that we would continue to challenge Alexander Graham Bell and its ideology until we demand them to bow their heads to us above water and respect ASL.

Why did we choose to be silence again? Are we giving up challenging Alexander Graham Bell? Do you notice something like that? What’s up with that? The very same Deaf people who did challenge and… wanted to continue by challenging AGBell, were supposed to give “voice” to the growing democracy of preserving ASL, were asked to sit down and say nothing during Fall time. All of sudden, the silence came back again……

Are we bystanders? We have been helpless, rejected and quite frankly, being taken advantage of by AGBell. No more! We are where we are means we are the center of our world and also we are the center of the world. Never, never, never abandon ourselves and become bystanders. No!

That is exactly why I choose to continue and challenge AGBell because I refuse to be a bystander. I strongly believe that we all were supposed to set a vital role in American democracy and believe in ASL. For 94 years since AGBell’s death, we continue to shone a bright light on the political and cultural landscape. We should not give up and become like bystanders. We continue to challenge AGBell! We need to set good example! It pains me the most to see that the very same people who challenged AGBell last April, is living in the silence and allowing AGBell to win.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche.

Remember the video incident on 21 December, 2016 where a white Kentucky racist woman harassing a Latina shopper, “GO BACK TO WHEREVER THE FUCK YOU COME FROM, LADY!” while the bystanders did not do nothing. It sets the same example. AGBell probably would tell Deaf people, “WHY THE FUCK YOU ARE ON EARTH FOR? YOU’RE DEAF!” We need to come back. We need to stand strong and tested even with every bad situation, the invention of the light to create opportunity…for growth.

-JT

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