Tag: George Orwell
Light a Candle Against Hate
Lit a candle has a good reason. Light a candle against hate.
It’s the day (September 7th) that changed the world of the Deaf in 1880, much dismay and disgusted with Oralism practice in Alexander Graham Bell’s America insulting ASL and Deaf people’s intelligence, too numerous to document each unbearable pain. The question, are we equally hurt in the making of cultural disrespect? If not, then are we at very best, in terms of reality, a hypocrite? Today is 2019.
While on a subject what hate is, this kind of hate incidents—Deaf people that do not rise to the level of punishable crime, the worst part that they had been dealing with a life-time psychological impact that is the greatest invisible hurt in Deaf community.
Is the stage of grief also invisible? We should focus on hate crimes, the outlook is hardly more difficult to fathom.
Deaf community, it is time to reclaim our pursuit of happiness.
That means rejecting the practice of hate that has been characterized by Deaf people too long. ASL and the Deaf community is rightly proud of its identity of a healthy human, a reputation that has been bullied by Alexander Graham Bell to destroy the stage of Deaf minds. The goal is to weaken the morale of the Deaf, and self-reflective of their own self-hate, such as the state of being Deaf, insulting cultural norms and values.
We start out with the hearing privilege is powerful in this underlying Audism Deaf people suffer from. One of my favorite books to read, George Orwell’s classic 1949 novel, 1984. In my 44 years on Mother Earth, the book is the greatest superpower left on the planet we live, breathe, and appreciate by protecting the principles of ASL and state of being Deaf, it is a superpower.
Hate is a slanderous and vicious personal attack that has damaged Deaf people’s personal reputation as a breach of human growth and negligence. Where are the rights of the Deaf to be protected from the society’s malicious images that are contributed to mental health injuries, and the greatest loss of repetitional damage?
Hate is a real mental health issue.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Behind Feb 14th History: AGBell, UPS, and Oberkotter
World Kindness Day: Escape from Stigma
Today, November 13, 2017, is World Kindness Day. Seriously, it is. Good time to remind yourself that for next year and for the reminder of the humanly lives. Be kind. Remember that everybody is fighting his or her own personal battles that you know nothing about. Stop hate please. I am writing about Deaf returning citizens.
Currently, I am reading a book, Stand up to Stigma: How We Reject Fear and Shame by Pernessa C. Seele, has helped me to think and questions that we need to analyze more about community accountability. We also need to recognize in a hierarchy who do a good job that would be promote to the next level. If they are not competent, then they do not get promoted and remained at that level. We also have responsibility to break the cycle of stigma, too.
Seriously, this book is damn good! I’ve read few books about Stigma, but this one is the top of all! I write to you that it will worth every dollar of yours to read this book and help break the cycle of stigma, and guide you to see the personal stories and it is only $17.95, of course with taxes.
Remember great literature George Orwell, that guy was brilliant for creating a shared language for educational equity, to understand the glossary of an important term:
Doublethink: The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.
Then does it leads to a compassion that is any and all thoughts that serves the actions of seeing ourselves? Do we ever wonder that we do not talk enough about compassion?
Compassion is enhanced wherever and whenever consciousness displaces repression and unconsciousness and reality replace unreality.” Compassion & Self-Hate: An Alternative To Despair by Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D;
Be kindness. Like I wrote above, everybody is fighting his or her own personal battles that you know nothing about. Let’s celebrate World Kindness Day!
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
How to Stop the Avalanche of Hate
I would like to express something off my mind for couple of minutes. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve received ugly postings about me from my own Deaf community. I am aware that I had been dealing with hate to make sure I disappear off the Mother planet. I come to understand the dangers of hate mongers than ever. Times I would be warned not to write about my experience as a returning citizen. This could not be further from the truth. If you have hard time reading the print in the picture on the left, I apologize for sloppy marker.
The questions I wrote down: Do we believe that youth who make horrible mistakes deserve second chances? Do we believe youth can develop character beyond their crimes?
I believe in resistance and challenge against hate, as a means of survival and hope. I did not create hate in the first place. You did. For 21 years, there are people had been threatening me and put me in human exile. That sucks because I had been working hard to change my life around. I refuse to live in someone else’s shadow.
For the haters out there, please understand this—TAUNTS just does not work. I do not need shame and disrespect, shows that hate STILL kills’ people and corrupt systems. However, I’ve reached the underlying reasons for the resistance and I believe in second chances. Sadly, due to institutional and societal barriers, once I entered back into community, there were challenges of employment, housing, and help for support and I’ve faced hardships where I had to deal with mental and physical abuses for telling truth.
Gandhi writes,
Many people, especially, ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still there.”
My journey as Deaf returning citizen as indirectly described, has been carried around with the educational champions of the Sociology world I fell in love with, and found my Deafhood identity. The hardships are claimed. Deaf Studies are claimed. It is a new birth: the “origin” of my stories. All the hard work of building self-confidence, all the bulwark in the face of hate that is often subtle, yet no less compassion, than hate in the community. I remind myself to live constantly in George Orwell’s “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.”
When I see this photo the other day, I see it as a metaphor for the intellectual decline of American people to understand stories.
Hate is virtually deserted, devoid of human life; surrounded millions of old souls, the stories will be unthinkable. Is hate an unforgiving society? Does that mean it also allows deficit thinking to build more fear? Even a single story of a Deaf returning citizen can change the world. Will we accept the fact that hate is a painstakingly back-up human error? Are Deaf returning citizens even part of Deaf Studies?
I just wanted you to know that I stand strong. Sure, I can be hard on myself for my imperfections and mistakes even my failures and I am aware of the haters who are obsessed with me as a Deaf returning citizen and try to pull my life down. I’m tired of crab theory. I am tired of rumor-mongers. The last words of this blog when I would like to say that I deal with hate a lot, I do not hide my face under a mask or nothing. Here is the thing: More and more people criticize it, but most likely shift the blame for who is responsible.
Last October 2015, I was invited to give a lecture for CSUN Social Justice conference sponsored by Deaf Studies Association, I felt very good what I’ve contributed back to the community. That matters the most to me.
I continue to complete my ultimate goals. I will not be intimidated. Let’s remind ourselves this month of October is National Bullying Prevention Month.
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Is VRS the Tip of the Iceberg?
The Rising Tide of EPHPHATHA
David Call’s Ephphatha. EPHPHATHA! EPHPHATHAAAA! 2017.
After writing countless blogs about EPHPHATHA for years, I realized that it is also part of hate speech. “Excuse me? What did you say?” Yes, hate speech. The long struggle to give meaning about hate speech has established that freedom of speech and of the press is a fundamental value in American democracy. Do you agree that EPHPHATHA is a paramount value supporting religious bigotry and hate speech at Gallaudet University?
Deaf students have the right to have full protection away from religious violence demanding them that they shall be no longer Deaf is hateful speech. The safeguard of students comes first–not only that, but also the violation of their privacy, too. The case of EPHPHATHA was a ruthless exposure of pursuit of happiness to erase Deaf students’ character. Gallaudet University has no right to publicly scorn, ridicule and contempt as in injuring them at all.
The United States Constitution in the First Amendment, section one, “Freedom of Religion” may be one of the greatest trickery of all time within 14 words, Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press–what does it mean when it comes to EPHPHATHA at Gallaudet University?
Since National Deaf-Mute College created in 1864, EPHPHATHA has been blossomed the invisible mode as a way to connect the world of religious bigotry. But, at the same time, the “welcome” of Deaf students entering into Gallaudet University, has sadly allowed it to become a powerful and virulent problem targeting the pursuit of happiness for Deaf students whom have the right to be Deaf. The word, virulent means a disease of a poison.
The form of hate speech that are directly linked to religious bigotry to create the marginalization and targeting them, to the spread of falsehoods that threaten the generation of Deaf people today and tomorrow. Is that a political polarization, no? Is this a real-world religious bigotry, no? Is it hate speech, no? I could go on…….
PROTECTED CATEGORY= Gallaudet University.
ATTACK=DEAF people.
HATE SPEECH=EPHPHATHA.
EPHPHATHA attempting to make Deaf people hear again, but it is also mocking them–enough! Gallaudet University needs to remove the term of EPHPHATHA–no longer as the gatekeeper of hate speech.
-JT
Copyright @ 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
The Story of George Orwell’s 1984: Reject Trump’s Monarchy
Suing AGBell and its Enablers
Joseph Artino, Deaf Artist
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.—George Orwell
Few years ago, I was reading a book: Animal Farm by George Orwell, a British writer—the story is about the oldest pig on the the farm, his name name was Old Major—had to call out all the animals to a secret meeting and telling them about his dream of a revolution against the cruel Mr. Jones; After Major dies a few days later, his speech gives the more intelligent animals a new outlook on farm life. Pigs and pigeons play major roles in charge of the farm.
Animal Farm is one of the greatest analogies for anyone who is part of AGBell survivors—where we all need to go through rebellion to have AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to be shut down. Forever. AGBell survivors had been hurt over and over through hatred and bigotry—and what is it that stands between AGBell survivors and them that such a proposition would loose in the mind and body of a person who believed that ASL is not important anymore. The letter by Meredith Sugar was deeply dismayed, concerned, and even frightened, the ongoing and escalating crisis by AGBell survivors could be. It is very important that AGBell survivors is up to par with current events affecting all of us frightfully.
Ever since April 1st letter by Ms. Sugar, in the Deaf community, we have witnessed our democracy in process that met with unnecessary hate crime and bigotry. That was how we would always remember about our experience through AGBell lies; Today we can walk far in the company of intellectual people and stop AGBell’s hatred and intellectual oppression either exalted or scorned.
The reason for the latter attitude is that the term “oppression” has always carried the scent of impropriety of ASL discourses in Deaf community. We all need to share our personal and professional experience in this healing process. We also need to depend on each other to heal. In healthy discourses, we MUST not loose our sight of the value of it—the form of healing that is not only healthy but important vital for the well-being of AGBell survivors and the maintenance of Deaf community today and tomorrow across America and around the world.
It is important to take a look at this way. Wal-Mart has been sued 4,851 times in year 2000 (The picture attached below)—about once every two hours. Wal-Mart has billions of dollars. They have insurance. Even there are people who actually worship Wal-Mart—way powerful than a bible. No, I am not kidding about this part.
There are roughly between 400,000 and a million ASL users in America (most recently I attempted to look at Gallaudet Research Institute [GRI] and saw what Schein and Delk old study back in 1974—400,000 ASL users, but someone informed me that today it might be up to a million ASL users. Again, no hard numbers). —who knows that most of them might be AGBell survivors—imagine if Deaf community take action to sue AGBell—every minute of it for 365 days of living through AGBell lies, hatred, bigotry, language hegemony, the list goes on—how come AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has not sued or anyone ever done this before? Insurance? Strong sound-oriented country?
We could create a CLASS SUIT and shut down AGBell—not only that but the telephone company, cochlear implant companies, and all that hate groups who are in the same boat as AGBell stakeholders. They do not have much money like the Daily Moth has showed the Deaf community how much AGBell really made—very poor financial management—a weak link.
Imagine sharing your concerns with AGBell, the Deaf survivors like yourself who to listen to you with respect. Imagine how you would feel about yourself if you could call them for guidance, insight, and perspective when you need it. Is this gonna happen? You decide. Wake up! Do we really have this kind of imagination today? AGBell Board of Directors is powerful in the human psyche and its hatred psyche, too. Indeed, at this level of archetype, they have failed to live within our imagination now.
In fact, one of the things I have admired most about AGBell survivors telling their stories, writing letters, and all that is its embrace for change. It teaches us to look to the work we can do on ourselves—repair, maintain, build and grow—so we can better deal with change that is certain to come. Growth may mean that AGBell survivors must be the one who to proactively instigate change that is long overdue.
AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is now ready to be shut down for greater good and gives us the change and grow. We have memory, we have history that gives us remembrance that AGBell begun hatred and bigotry in 1883—the history is our strength that is deeply rooted in our sense of place. Its lesson is not to be a survivor of change inflicted upon AGBell; We are the ones to instigate the change that is beneficial, the change that holds merit of ASL and Deaf culture today and tomorrow.
-JT
Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only including this copyright message.
The Room That Cannot Help Themselves: Lack of Democracy for Deaf People
The picture in Library of Congress (LOC)-Thomas Jefferson Building sends a message. Gallaudet covers pretty much what literature is all about. Congress had the fundamental source of “community and continuity” that made Gallaudet the most powerful society. It reminds me of a quote, “We Americans like to think of our revolution as not being radical; indeed, most of the time we consider it downright conservative”–Gordon S. Wood. I’ve taken few good friends to visit LOC and see the message and let them think. I love doing that!
This room is dedicated to those who cannot help (procure) themselves. I often wonder if it is part of learning refutes old ways of thinking. It also cancels all wrong concepts. Is there a reason Gallaudet scripted in same room as the quote scripted? That is how Congress educates itself into viewing the Deaf. We cannot procure our own instruction ourselves. See the picture below. Gallaudet represent the body of knowledge. Let’s look at the sign of GALLAUDET to imply an ongoing power struggle for the Deaf. Gallaudet is appropriated by Congress so it is never Deaf-centered. From Merriam-Webster: Procure appeared into Middle English, from Anglo-French procurer, from Late Latin procurare, from Latin, to take care of, from pro- for + cura care. “To Take Care Of”—is kind of insulting for Deaf people.
Humiliation will always present. It is how you handle it makes all the difference. As far as I could remember, Gallaudet University is federally funded, private university. It is a privilege, not a right. This is what the administration loves to assert: you rock the ship, and they’d best had you removed. There are hidden volumes in the library, for example, Gallaudet Archives protect the most important term on the seal. Why not? There is a vacuum in the university leadership to raise or find funds for them as long as the religious leaders are happy to see the term running on the seal today. Speaking of appropriation (budget), Gallaudet University belongs with Congress, not the Deaf. Thus, it is a privilege for the Deaf, never the right of the Deaf.
The “those who cannot procure it for themselves” statement you see the photo above from Library of Congress begs for a greater development, a head-on challenge. In the other word, we can branch out our intellectual life by setting up Deaf-centered, Deaf-controlled, and Deaf-oriented University so it becomes necessarily that Deaf people can continue to make new meanings. What is the truth? In the case of “waving our language”, the truth is what we need to be proactive about our condition, namely, DEAF.
The word, “DEAF” belongs to us Deaf people in the same manner that the word “THINK” belongs to IBM, and the phrase “Just Do It” belongs to Nike. I do not understand why GALLAUDET was scripted in the same room, “those who cannot procure it for themselves“. Is it an evocative of oppression the Deaf community could easily and readily identify? Perhaps it could not evolve in the university mission for the matter because of its hidden agenda that defines Gallaudet of so called “new order of Deaf people”–and it is Orwellian utopia where the Big People are watching, isn’t EPHPHATHA part of those who cannot procure it for themselves to hear? (The funny thing is that LOC is one of my favorite places to hang out and study).
-JT
Copyright © 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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