For the next global Palindrome Day, we must continue to have Deaf people on Earth and signs–we will not be intimidated by being wiped out. We must remain vigilant!
Tag: George Veditz
AGBell: Friday the 13th
Is Alexander Graham Bell the reason he brought a curse to the Deaf community on Friday the 13th?
George Veditz: Gallaudet University Extension Among the Deaf
After doing research at Library of Congress today, I found something interesting to share with the Deaf community what George Veditz shares his concern in this important writing to warn us about the future of higher education at Gallaudet College/University. Happy birthday, Mr. George Veditz!
Starbucks: The First U.S. Signing Store Outclass Surdophobia
Today was grand opening for America’s first signing Starbucks store in Washington, D.C., the home of Deaf-centered ghosts, where Deaf leader Robert P. MacGregor was a presence as an alumnus for the world’s first Deaf university, made a powerful quote,
The utmost extreme to which tyranny can go when its mailed hand descends upon a conquered people is the proscription of their national language. What heinous crime have the deaf been guilty of that their language should be proscribed?”
George Veditz:
As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs. And as long as we have our films, we can preserve signs in their old purity. It is my hope that we will all love and guard our beautiful sign language as the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.”
Thank you, Starbucks for recognizing American Sign Language (ASL) as Deaf people’s national language, and dedicate to renew ASL by continuing the quest to realize our nation’s highest ideals, supporting ASL caused by social change and social justice, and making the opportunities for Deaf employees that Starbucks creates. The artist who created this on the wall in the picture on left below, is Deaf. Name: Yiqiao “Yi” Wang. ABC spelling on the wall: “DEAF”. See the signing in this picture? “COMMUNITY”. Perfect artwork.
The birth of Starbucks was in state of Washington, in honoring President Washington’s name, and carries the Starbucks legacy and gives Washington, District of Columbia the birth of first signing Starbucks store. It carries the legacy message. We must continue the legacy around Deaf America.
I watch NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Few weeks ago, I watched a good segment where Lester Holt met up with Bryan Stevenson whom created the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. NBC writes, “to remember the country’s painful past, in hopes of a brighter future.”
Tonight, I was hoping to see the news by Lester Holt showing up at the grand opening of America’s first signing Starbucks store, to recognize the Deaf community’s painful past, in hopes of a brighter future as well, too. Deaf people are the highest unemployed group in America for really long time, and it is important to recognize the employment opportunities. Audism (negative attitude towards Deaf people), and Surdophobia (fear of Deaf people) needs to be examined more often in media.
When I was visiting Starbucks this morning, it was history in the making moment, the service that is both ASL and Deaf-centered, and specifically designed for signing spaces. The idea of ASL provides guidelines for better future, citing the highest unemployment within the Deaf community. It is a great advocate in heart.
Changing the attitude and welcome Deaf community to heal their lives and create leaderships in good standing with zero tolerance: anti-bullying and others. The community involvement within ASL would make a ripple effect for a change and reduce the stress of communicative isolation. It is perfect timing because October is against bullying month and shows that Deaf people or ASL should not be bullied.
Starbucks, both its leader in inclusion and respect in DC, did their homework well and recognize the most sophisticated communication (ASL) in America where ASL sows the seeds of human right in 1965. It is an American dream. ASL is a human right. You know, all that sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work that Deaf community stand up and believe in ASL by leadership. It is also perfect timing. Outclassing Surdophobia is the right thing to do. Thank you, Starbucks!
-JT
Copyright © 2018 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Becoming a Better Student of Higher Learning
My Lecture at Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University: Bilingual Mission Task Force
It is important to have bilingualism at Gallaudet University today. We all know that American Sign Language (ASL) is our most natural form by the meaning through personal of all experiences. No question about that. ASL shows us the greatest skills of our civilization, along with literature in meaning significance.
At the same time, it is very important to emphasize that bilingualism has created all of us in this nation—same concept, as we are the nation of immigrants.
We need to change the attitude by adding “written” English—not “spoken” English as President Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano has informed the audience and live streaming for State of the University presentation to discuss Gallaudet Priorities Update to focus on a framework for bilingualism–but there is huge concern about bimodality [sign and speak with mouth] that has been added to Gallaudet’s priorities.
ASL-Written English bilingualism fosters empathy, trust, and mutual understanding. I wonder if the task force for Bilingual Mission hand-picked by President Cordano would aspire to affirm between ASL and English and depend the sense of awe and grace that accompanies an awareness of ASL-English bilingualism.
For example, there is someone who is on the task force team is a huge supporter of bimodality philosophy–which could bring big concerns on that issue.
Will Bilingual Mission Task Force create pathways better education to walk toward ASL-‘written’ English bilingualism? Do they teach the need to heal from the traumas of living in less than a just, sacred and sustainable world that Oralism is above ASL? How can they fix the concerns to resist the further destruction of the ASL-‘spoken’ English hegemony?
“Written” English is important to our intellectual and academic life. The task force needs to remove “spoken” English or bimodality philosophy off the table and expose that written English would bring many lifelong learning process that is the essence of our literacy–in other words, bimodality is all about academic hypocritism.
Gallaudet University would become the university that uses exclusive ASL for intellectual discourses–building relationship in this university to the world. Remember, the greatest gift what George Veditz in the 1913 film, The Preservation of Sign Language, promised our world including Gallaudet University.
I know for a fact that Veditz would challenge the Bilingual Mission Task Force to remove ‘bimodality’ or ‘spoken’ English–will they make any difference this time? The change to stop language oppression and hegemony has been recognized and we do not need to deal with that.
In 1864, National Deaf Mute College was never about bimodality–it was about educating students in exclusive sign language. Keep that way.
-JT
Copyright @ 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Inside George Veditz’s World: Revolution at a Distance
The Cards Printed by David Call
Mr. George Veditz! Slainte to the man! He is the game-changer. Veditz versus Alexander Graham Bell (AGBell) battling over intellectual turfism and this become a serious matter of respect. I decide to name the post in honor of Veditz: Revolution at a Distance. Veditz’s omission of the Revolution. He argues that while AGBell overtly avoids the subject, he covertly refers to it. Unlike many other scholars, Veditz believes AGBell chose to end his narrative at the year 1913, that it was not an accident. The year, 1913, Veditz makes a thunderous statement:
As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs. And as long as we have our films, we can preserve signs in their old purity. It is my hope that we will all love and guard our beautiful sign language as the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.
George Veditz reminds me of Ben Franklin who set up America’s first library, they look the same. Glasses. Confident. Intellectual. “Any textual feature can be called an accident of circumstances, and can therefore be considered meaningless and uninteresting”-Christopher Looby writing his thoughts about Franklin. That questions remind me—then becomes: Why could not AGBell admit his weakness when he had plenty of time to write thousands of other things? Veditz suggests that AGBell did not want to deal with the fact that signed languages is the answer of all: communication, knowledge, information, and….intellectual turfism or intellectual property because he had hoped it would wipe off the face of earth, if at all.
Before reading below, the importance of verbal imposture that Veditz found the time to examine the language bigotry wherein AGBell verbally deceives Veditz and its Deaf people. Despite ignorance, with proximity, the events presented incongruous versions of sign languages and focus on Oralism. Veditz notes that this sort of contradiction appears throughout, and AGBell’s ideologies are never established. This is a function of the piece-meal nature of Veditz’s world, shows that sign languages were simply ignored. Ultimately, the alienating nature of sign languages and AGBell’s belief that self the function of Oralism that must necessarily produce an inaccurate self.
Meanwhile, it is the gaps that in Veditz’s gaps in strength that refer to the Revolution, such as textual self-difference: Veditz believes that sign languages are a choice to use it in a paternal voice after AGBell’s quote, “grand central principle…should be the retention of the normal environment during the period of education. [Alexander Graham Bell, Memoir Upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race (National Academy of Sciences: Washington, DC 1884), 46] shall noted as textual self-difference.
AGBell do not have the final act as speaking his deficit thinking to make decision for Deaf people, in short to fashion for himself a hate monger just like his father and grandfather. AGBell argues that signed languages is what allowed Americans to support AGBell as the authority of the father to shun ASL, which is exactly what the Revolution was all about what Veditz believed in and to deny AGBell’s outline suggest that the real subject of the narrative was Veditz’s words had said it all.
Veditz knew the importance for sign language in ancestry and lineage, and the value of logical continuity. Veditz begins his revolution by directly addressing AGBell, and spends some time on his lineage of preserving sign languages—for him; however, the importance is subverted by what AGBell leaves out of this background.
George Veditz with permission by the Deaf Artist Warren Miller
In the subject of sign languages, Veditz begins by examining the acrostic poem, which became the all-time poem in Deaf community. In the poem, Veditz’s name comes from social rules and norms thus tying his individual subjectivity in with the symbolic order. He goes on to discuss and preserve sign language, the model of father role as original representative of the law. And in the film, he launched the project, Preservation of Sign Language and told the story beginning from the golden ratio of Deaf community: National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Thanks to Library of Congress, the mother of all libraries to preserve the film.
Then that shows Veditz, was able, through sign language he loved, created self-confidence in mediation with others. Finally, he shows that AGBell, rather than become a master of language, actually came to worship Veditz and submit himself. Happy birthday, Mr. Veditz and I thank you for your commitment. You deserve the best birthday!
-JT
Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Time for Chris Wagner to Resign Gracefully from National Association of the Deaf
Plato wrote in Phaedrus (Around 370 B.C.),
SOCRATES: I can tell you what I’ve heard the ancients said, though they alone know the truth. However, if we could discover that ourselves, would we still care about the speculations of other people?
PHAEDRUS: That’s silly question. Still, tell me what you say you’ve heard.
I do not know what to type this right now—yes; I was shocked when Christopher Wagner, National Association of the Deaf (NAD) president represents the heart of Deaf community. There is a reason why I refuse to be part of NAD. When Wagner as candidate for NAD president in 2012, he wrote,
“I am a candidate for the office of President of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). I believe I am qualified to lead the NAD as its next President….I am in no way comparing myself to any of these great advocates, but I do share in their vision for a better Deaf America. I believe strongly in the NAD – its mission, vision, values and commitment to diversity….. do not take the NAD Presidency lightly. You may ask why would I want to take on anything more, especially after six years’ service as Vice President. The answer is simple. There is always more work that needs to be done. The NAD needs a leader…..” The key word is leader.
In light of integrity as in honesty, Deaf community can no longer pretend that inaction is appropriate or acceptable. It is time for NAD president to come forward and be integrity to this great national problem. It is time for Chris Wagner to use the platform and position to begin a long overdue national conversation about integrity.
In 2014, I wrote an e-mail to Chris if he remembers me from Tucker-Maxon Oral School (TMOS) in Portland, Oregon–and he immediately knew what TMOS stands for—as “O” for Oral—funny how it turns out long before he wrote that to me. In 2012, he wrote in NADmag, Fall 2012, Vol. 12, Issue 2 in the section called “Interview with the New President” in page 26, “….. Raised in Portland, Ore; where I attended Tucker Maxon School for the Deaf. ” I mean, it was written in NAD magazine that sends to 7000 members–and that was not very honest of him to write something like this.
Let’s focus on the timeline, shall we? Tucker-Maxon ORAL School was founded in 1947—and it was NEVER been Deaf school. Never. Wagner was a student from 1967-1980. That’s plenty of time to know that it was ORAL school. Wagner knew it was NEVER Deaf school. That’s a difference. Like I said, he replied to my e-mail in 2014, he wrote “TMOS” and he never typed “Tucker Maxon School for the Deaf”–that was only two years “young” when he wrote in 2012, “Tucker-Maxon School for the Deaf”–hmmm.
Now in 2015, after discovering that Wagner wrote that in 2012, he said that it was his error to say something like that. How come Lizzie Sorkin, the editor of NADmag failed to do her homework? That is BIG “F” on her editorship. In recent video under NADVlogs, “Share: NAD President Asks Community to Become Unified” that was published on November 2, 2015, he signs, “This is probably one of the most difficult messages that I have ever had to give…We all know that these schools are the heart of the deaf and hard of hearing community. Though I didn’t go to a deaf school myself”
How come Wagner wrote in NADmag that he went to Deaf school? Not only Tucker-Maxon, but also St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, too. I’m confused. He said that he did not go to a Deaf school—but he wrote that to 7000 NAD members that was supposed to build trust. What’s the catch? This is not just honesty in the presidential slogan, but it is a movement. All across the country, thousands of Deaf students who are in Deaf schools does not deserve a honest leadership from Wagner that they want him to build a political revolution.
Time for Wagner to tell the most difficult message he has ever had to give: Apologize. Do not be like George W. Bush with all his lies in wars for his own political benefit. “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy” written by Greg Palast is exactly what is missing with the best democracy money can buy in NAD that reeks of political corruption, corporate fraud, and financial manipulation.
Now I remember when he was running for NAD president candidate, TMOS, Alexander Graham Bell Association, and Hands and Voice of Oregon helped him elected as president that was later removed from Wagner’s webpage after he was in office. Interesting, huh? It was shame of him to support Donald E. Rhoten from Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Wagner did not follow George Veditz’s mission. What a shame! The same TMOS we attended with the mission that TMOS did not allow anyone to talk about George Veditz. He was bought from AGB’s mission.
-JT
Copyright © 2015 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only including this copyright message.
In The Name of Deaf Hate Crime: Time to Stop Silence!
Ellen Mansfield’s Art Work. “Deaf Hate Crime” was added to the jigsaw puzzle. Feb 2015.
The unfolding of history of the Deaf points to nothing more clearly than the vast ignorance of our language and culture; While I am fully aware that my message, be it factual or thinking, must be evaluated in terms of history as the uninterrupted welling of Deaf community in a multitude of currents and counter currents formed by our ever-changing society. My belief that our community must be renovated through the principles of happiness, that is deeply rooted in the American doctrine—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“It is our hope” as George Veditz, signed in the film, The Preservation of the Sign Language in 1913. It is very important that we must remember that it is each person’s right to know what being Deaf means. We also need to know that where it comes from as well as the activities and attitudes, which it describes. If we do not know, with confidence, our part in the whole and our place in history, we can become frustrated by what we have to do. If we know what being Deaf means, our self-esteem and self-determination would be much more sure. Today the world remains ignorant of Deaf people and their language and culture. Fact or myth?
I announce that my most important work shall restore Deaf Hate Crime (DHC) back to life. This time, it is in my own right. As an author of DHC, late Carl Schroeder has given me to go ahead and continue this important work before his unexpected death. The history of DHC establishment with Carl was in early 2010; we both realize that it would be very controversial and realized that it was not in right direction.
First of all, Carl wrote me e-mail in 2010 recognizing me as an author of DHC.
“Deaf Hate Crime is novel to me. I am basically a linguistics student, not a sociologist. Everything I learned about hate speech/crime IS from Jason Tozier. He IS my resource. He’s brought to my attention a vast knowledge of hate crime: academics, books and contacts. Jason does not come in any cheap! Deaf Hate Crime is now entertaining respect and attention across the nation and around the world. However, “Deaf Hate Crime” IS Jason Tozier, not me. I very much prefer to discuss languages….”
“…..I am forever in debt to Jason for bringing me to a national and international platform on Deaf Hate Crime, which is not my enterprise. Socrates had Plato; Plato had Aristotle…I have Jason, and I am not going to fail this.”
Back in summer 2010, Carl and I gave a presentation for City of Portland Office of Human Relations and Coalition Against Hate Crimes (CAHC), which has helped the coalition to better understand, how hate crimes affect Deaf people. That presentation led to a meeting with Oregon Attorney General to advocate for the inclusion of “disability” in Oregon’s bias crime statues. In 2011, the Attorney General presented such a bill to the Oregon legislature. That bill was passed and the new expanded hate crime law went into effect on January 1, 2012. That was a direct result of MY commitment to this issue. Oregon Association of the Deaf (OAD) NEVER had any part of it at ALL.
The question you would ask, where is my credentials in this? I signed up for Hate Crimes and Bias, a Sociology credit, in which students have to conduct original research projects and digest some rather dense material along diagram theories. My paper, Negative Perceptions of Deaf Individuals in Relation to Knowledge of American Sign Language was a scholarly paper and gave myself a taste of my commitment to the rights of Deaf people.
The intent of Deaf Hate Crime we need to recognize that has a long history, but it is not officially labeled as such. It is to subordinate and intimidate not only Deaf Hate Crime but also the entire community in which it is used. Deaf Hate Crime is therefore symbolic in that it sends a message to the entire world that Deaf Hate Crime is different and that DHC does not matter because it is socially constructed without self-evident definition.
It means different things to different people. Our challenge to DHC has not been in vogue because the majority of our world society holds that DHC seeks to cease language discrimination, language bigotry, language hegemony, and the layers of Audism.
My goal of DHC is to become a useful tool in the movement to fetch a better future. There are lots of us out there who are frequently silenced. What I am attempting here is to map out how research on DHC might be done. Deaf people cannot be forgotten and silenced.
Again, there were few books that have influenced my important work. For one, Barbara Perry in 2001, wrote:
…. Hate crime is a crime like no other…it is implicated not merely in the relationship between the direct “participants”, but also in the relationship between the different communities to which they belong. The damage involved goes far beyond physical or financial damages. It reaches into the community to create fear, hostility, and suspicion.
The factors that stands in the way of effective DHC as following in a quote by Boeckmann and Turpin-Petrosino in 2002 set the tone by stating that:
There is no consensus among social scientists or lawmakers on definitional element that would constitute a global description of hate crime. Part of the reason for this lies in the fact that cultural differences, social norms, and political interests play a large role in defining crime in general, and hate crime in particular.
In Solidarity,
-JT
Copyright © 2015 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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