Tag: Legal Rights

Constitution Day: People of the Eye

The Last HiccupLeave a comment

WRITTEN ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT:

Today, The Constitution of the United States is done and signed by a majority of delegates attending the historic Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia today on September 17, 1787. It’s a hallmark that in the Deaf community, we need to protect our rights.

The ASL/Deaf community has been dealing with very difficult social and economic changes and we need to address an aura of optimism among ourselves who see the possibility of making American Sign Language (ASL) a more dynamic force in communication and instruction for all Deaf people. Especially constitutional rights.

The Deaf community should be a public service—not a place of fear what is called ‘Surdophobia’, “fear of Deaf people” and take advantage of them because of auditory measures. That is beyond cruel punishment and that is exactly why oppression has since become a unique subset of Deaf America. Why? Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution that applies to the Deaf community today. That is a good example of language bigotry.

Can we dedicate ourselves to protect Deaf America? The Constitution of the United States of America—is an important asset that also dedicates to Deaf America, the quality is largely invisible that often overlooked a group of minorities, who easily targets.

Constitutional rights in local, state, and federal—and….their country. The Deaf community needs to restore citizen trust and empower through American democracy. A strong, Deaf community is vital to help the Deaf community to build resources.

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 surer. It is important to understand how much importance of the United States Constitution means for us to preserve our language and culture.

Social Media vs. My Personhood

The Last Hiccup3 Comments

ImageMe and My Father (2011)

“We tell the public which way the cat is jumping. The public will take care of the cat”– Arthur Hays Sulzberger

Being Deaf is personal for me and I believe that it is like my right to believe in any way. The problem is when the media and politics got into my father’s mind.

I did not know about Milan Resolution 1880 banning sign language until three years ago and it took me to realize that from the time we all were being indoctrinated with Oralism as well as Cochlear Implant (CI) today when we did not know why they imposed the Milan 1880 resolution.

Eight years ago, for example, my father asked me during our lunch outing at famous Carol’s Café, and we were about to order our food from the menu when my father said to me in some of “home” sign language that he had found some good news.  He heard from other people as well as saw the television advertisement that cochlear implants (CI) is the best tool for me to hear. He thought that if I get CI it would make me happy, get a job, and even to hear all the things I could ever imagine. He thought it was great.

By looking at my father’s face with high hopes, I realized that my being Deaf is not good enough for him.  I was 30 years old that time. I had been Deaf all my life since I was a baby. I was devastated and decided to walk away from the table and unlocked my bicycle so I could go home alone.  It was raining that day.

My father was puzzled why I left all of sudden. He tried to call me several times that day but I did not pick it up. I did not talk to him for a couple of days. I realized that it was one of my earliest stages of understanding the dynamics of Deafhood.

We need to bring stronger ethics and philosophy back into our Deaf minds and, especially at an early age.  We the Deaf need to stop negative media. Do not let negative media degrade us by offering us the Deaf those Cochlear Implants  (CI) because they are filled with the false hopes.

Perhaps we should re-frame the question: How can society protect Deaf children from being implanted?

This dangerous “CI myth” is what nearly all the media are selling false hopes. The CI myth is also pushed by media sources that has fed my father into thinking that CI is equated to “happiness,” “job” and “information access.” I did not blame my father for it. I am blaming the social media that exploited my father into believing so.

It has concerned me that the media continues to IGNORE the facts and follow our emotions when it comes to public policy. We the Deaf are people, too, for two things: the state of being Deaf is human right and using American Sign Language (ASL) is our legal right, too. We have the hard facts because we are the breeds of Deaf blood. Why should the public policy by getting cochlear implant be based on? Should it be based on anecdotal experiences?

When Deaf children are being persecuted as in those caught up in Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD)’s stupid policy, which is the first thing that they want to do by eliminating being Deaf right off the face of the Earth, making sure Deaf children are breeding and acting like hearing people. Deaf people do have human rights and basic legal rights, but AGBAD breeds the myths and fictions which had driven my father to think that CI will bring me happiness. It is a legal train wreck.

We the Deaf need to challenge those AGBAD politicians who have only their careers to watch out not for the public good.

Dad, it is not your fault! The media took our love away! They want you to love CI. You might be a turd, but damn it, I do love you, Dad!

-JT

Copyright © 2013 Jason Tozier

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

A Dumb Picture: Not The Real Thing!

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Image

I saw a perfect picture yesterday that I would like to share with you. Is America obsessed with listening and speaking?

Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) is dead but Oralism and Cochlear Implant remain alive; Keep saying it. It is the truth the far right that cannot be lied about anymore.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) once said, “Socialism is man’s attempt to overcome the predatory stage of human development.” Ask then: Why does socialism equals cooperation? Many people only think of the good side of AGB and the media refuses to look under the covers. The real truth about AGB: he had no baggage–obvious to anyone–besides he was the guy who stole telephone patents and invented them. Oh, yes, the same person who loathed Deaf people, in his own famous words about Deaf children that needs to be heard and seen over and over, “We should try ourselves to forget that they are deaf. We should teach them to forget that they are deaf.”

After his death in 1922, we know that AGB had been in over his head and we the Deaf are suffering for it. We own our rights of the state of being Deaf, and we have to claim it back and be in shape. The bottom line is that there are millions of Deaf people who are suffering ostracism which has been tanking again, especially when Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) takes over in charge.

AGBAD’s plans for Oralism and Cochlear-Implanting Deaf babies is social insecurity and makes Deaf people suffer longer before receiving curtailed benefits.  AGBAD invests billions of dollars in Cochlear Implants and Oralism in market by making sure that both the AGBAD and its sister organization, Oberkotter Foundation, earn the profit of the income. AGBAD and Oberkotter Foundation makes sure to let the floodgates on future Deaf babies to be cochlear-implanted for profits of a lot of money from insurance companies through a voucher system at any cost. They are truly the sharks.

The picture up there is a perfect example of the U.S. Constitution that Deaf people should be protected by First Amendment to have the rights to use American Sign Language and their rights to be Deaf. Why is AGBAD still holding Deaf-center on a degraded legal rights control zone after all these years because the politics of Oralism and Cochlear-Implanting companies fear the media profiteering off the Deaf-centered topics? The AGBAD is a joke if they want to expect to protect the society. The AGBAD is for the solo benefit of those Oralists and Cochlear-Implanting companies running for “election” to use the media profiteers to use the FEAR to destroy Deaf people off the face of Earth. PERIOD.

Conclusion: Historically, AGBAD seems to find a way to throw out the Deaf-signing nor Deaf-centered people under the conditions and it gives AGBAD the power to fix things. AGBAD has been contrasted with the ugly, hateful, negative, I hate Deaf-centered people, and will never show you their returns or tell you the details of their plans because Deaf-centered people do not deserve it at all. AGBAD’s ideologies were both uplifting and inspiring.

The question that we the Deaf need to think in a free society like ours, how far should efforts in public safety go before we are trampled on the very foundations of freedoms and liberties of all Americans? Happy July! The same month that honorable Laurent Clerc passed away 144 years ago. Never mind the Bill of Rights was adopted by the Congress.

-JT

Copyright © 2013 Jason Tozier

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