Someone photo shopped an image and put it on Dunkin Donuts door in state of Illinois to make it look like real: “We hate Deaf and Dumb people! They are not welcome in our store. Go order your food from McDonald’s! We don’t want your SSI Check. Thanks, Management”—do you think it is funny at all? Where can you find humor in this statement?
When someone finds time to type “hate Deaf and Dumb people!” with passion, the word “hate” comes from the Old English, hatian “regard with extreme ill-will, have a passionate aversion to, to treat as an enemy.”
In practice, it refers to treat Deaf people as enemy, making an action that needs to be taught in the society. That practice could be either smart or stupid.
An image created from “Photoshop” style like that, it means hate mail. As the word, “hate mail” was coined in 1951, and that was 68 years ago and the practice still carry the legacy. It has been too long. Why wait so long to stop hate mail? You can see that clearly from the society view of Deaf people in which the “hate” is used in the legal sphere seemed more dignified. It does not matter whoever created the image—even from Deaf person.
The definition of ‘hate’ in crimes, literature, mail, and speech, targeting Deaf community is a secret in the making, and the word itself is a dangerous framing, attaching a criminal behavior that has become normalized in the society. Why do you think there is no laws protecting Deaf people in the name of hate crimes? So, over the years, lack of laws has become a part of our “deficit thinking” of what a hate crime, hate mail, hate speech, and hate literature and it is crucial part when it comes to the understanding of hate crimes.
When hearing people call police on Deaf people, what is about fearful of Deaf people, watched, suffering and told stories by millions at the time and for many years including current status like today, had ignored the evidence of one of painful human conditions, to understand the word of “hate” hurting Deaf people that makes the bigotry invisible?
The reasons that hate crime are not being enough discussed in Deaf community is because the truth that was not seen enough and ignoring social problems, in order not to show the truth in the light. The lack of learning about hate crimes in Deaf community is a big problem, I repeat, really big problem has been ignored in all angles of human compassion because when someone like Deaf people experiencing hate mail, hate speech, hate literature and hate crime becomes invisible.
Today in 2019, the terminology of “hate” about Deaf life on the Earth we live and breathe has failed.
The image was found to be offensive and insulting even though it was attempting to be funny, but it was poorly choice of words. Head shaking. No Deaf people shall be enduring torture like “hate”–we are much stronger than “hate”. Agreed? Even if it was supposed to be joke, it just does not work that way.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 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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