Meredith Sugar – …And the Truth Shall Set You Free.

Remember 2016 April 1st?

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017 The Last Hiccup1 Comment

So, it begins..with on the eve of April 1st, where we were sleeping peacefully that gives ourselves comforting, secure feeling as the state of being Deaf then woke up to a rude awakening where no character to escape in every corner of America’s roads. The Washington Post publishes an article that changed everything.

By tomorrow’s day, it becomes one-year anniversary. It was the day outgoing president of Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Meredith Sugar made an effort-consuming for deficit thinking by encouraging hate speech about ASL and scolded Nyle DiMarco that should not accepted in the society or even his subjective identity. That was a major or even grave mistake of Meredith to do that.

There were been a lot of letters written by State Associations of the Deaf on the behalf of Deaf people, social media, bloggers, vloggers challenging AGB association and Meredith Sugar, it was incredible—more like awesome for the next couple of days! Maybe even couple of weeks. We need to see it more like this.

When AGB associations practice any behavior, for example, hate speech, that behavior becomes stronger and harder to get rid of. In our human minds, we see a person of different culture walking past the street, and people sneer at them. They then become invariably disappears.

Today, AGB still refuse to apologize for its action showing more interest to encourage hate speech, what is being done to attack Deaf people and what can the average citizen do to help in those efforts?

Deaf community is an incredibly special place, and Deaf people are a unique breed of people anywhere. Three-time Pultizer Prize winner Thomas Freidman writes,

Freedom is the ability, desire, and aspiration to live in a context where I can realize my full potential as a human being.”

However, someone once said that, “We shall challenge AGB, no matter what until they give up.” We need to realize our full potential as a human being. The LEAD-K summit asked the audience not to talk about AGB or challenge AGB at all and stay in silence. Then the silence grows bigger. We need more people to continue and challenge against hate speech more often. It continues to target Deaf people today because they are nobody. Well, we are someone else! ASL is highly designed in terms of knowledge, collections, and efficiency. April 1st will be always in history forever.

My older post in 2016 the day after Meredith’s hateful letter then second one later in two weeks:

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2016/04/02/alexander-graham-bells-name-hate-speech-with-spin-wheel/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2016/04/13/agbell-time-for-peace-with-justice/

-JT

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In Memoriam: The People of the Lie We Beat in 2016

December 14, 2016March 5, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Please notice that “People of the Lie” in the title. This post is to dedicate to those AGBell survivors who found time to get things together and beat the oppressed system we deal with daily in 2016. The People of the Lie: Meredith Sugar, most recent former president for Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Alexander Graham Bell.

When Meredith Sugar wrote a letter for Washington Post in April 2016, attacking Nyle DiMarco was the biggest mistake she ever done in her career. The Deaf community took their own hands in solidarity and stood up for their human rights. The People of the Eye are the People of the Truth. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are the People of the Lie.

I have chosen Meredith Sugar because I believe it is needed. I believe it is over all effect that will be healing. Yet, Alexander Graham Bell’s philosophy has written it with trepidation. At the earliest stage, it has potential for harm and it will cause readers pain. Worse, Alexander Graham Bell Association had already misused its information to harm Deaf people.

Do you think the apology we demand from Meredith Sugar would heal the Deaf community? One, however, added, “Just still astounds me that, by some, ASL is seen as a “human right,” even when SOUND isn’t” to me, the crudest but pithy response by Meredith Sugar is realistic, I do not find this kind of comment greatly reassuring. Ms. Sugar refuses to apologize for Deaf community, and to the public for the harm that her comment caused, and the Deaf community including myself plead Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard to handle it with care.

One meaning of care is love. Be gentle and lovable with yourself if Meredith Sugar finds what is written has caused Deaf community pain. It is important to know that show any kind of gentle with thy neighbors you might come to understand as evil. Cautious, be careful, cautious, full of care!

Alexander Graham Bell meant to judge Deaf people only with great care, and that such foolish, now begins with self-judgement.

In labeling Deaf people or ASL known for its “human rights”, Deaf people are evil—the hope for healing human evil. Deaf community does not need labeling at all. They had been making a lot of difference instead of being severely critical human judgement. Then why did Meredith Sugar choose to judge ASL that shall be demolished? Alexander Graham Bell holds the highest responsibility in People of the Lie.

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the mean out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the more out of thy brother’s eye.”—Matthew, 7:1-5.

Yet, Meredith Sugar and Alexander Graham Bell has chosen as the dangers of such judgement will not tolerated in Deaf community. We ask Meredith Sugar to apologize to the Deaf community and to keep in mind we do need to be judged that makes our lives difficult and allow them to judge ASL instead of healing ourselves.

If Ms. Sugar refuses to issue an apology letter before the end of 2016, then that we know that the April letter Ms. Sugar has made Deaf community stronger than ever. They know that we beat them as the major figures—and we refuse to be looked down. We do not need hypocrites. Healing is the best thing—seriously. 18 days left before year 2017.

-JT

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A Lincoln Lesson for AGBell: The Presidential Election

October 31, 2016February 28, 2017 The Last Hiccup2 Comments

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it.”-Alexander Graham Bell

This election season has been very strange, if not, the strangest of all election seasons I can remember. Last April, Meredith Sugar, Alexander Graham Bell’s outgoing president has fueled a tidal wave of Audism, Bigotry, Hatred, and Xenophobia to destroy American Sign Language (ASL) and run the most un-hinged association in American history. I often wondered if Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is also “Left” like Republican Party face critical challenges—advocated sweeping changes in Deaf community to make sure ASL is wiped out. Same thing what Donald Trump has done: racism, sexism, and xenophobia.

With the Election Day coming in within eight days, it is the most consequential in history, should Deaf people unite behind Donald Trump’s candidacy, Alexander Graham Bell is the same force as Donald Trump is doing, while aware that AGBell represents the status quo of corporate influence on politics? Or should AGBell support hate ideology, understanding the profound limits to the ability of Democrats to meaningfully impact Deaf community? And what will the election mean for the terrain in which activists campaign once a new president is inaugurated, for the movement for Deaf lives, the struggle for social justice, the movement for constitutional rights, and more?

As we need to remind ourselves that Abraham Lincoln, a Republican president, had a big heart for Deaf people. We also need to remind that during that time in 1864 when Lincoln signed the charter bill to support higher education for Deaf people, Republicans were way better than Republicans today. If Lincoln sees AGBell as an association, he would argue that the ghosts of AGBell, the one which embodied noble virtues of a powerful organization that breeds oppression towards Deaf people and became subjugated by AGBell, the ghosts embraces the “virtues” (more like sentiments) of an oppressed, resentful Deaf people until it became something entirely alien to what it formerly had been.

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Freidman wrote, “Freedom is the ability, desire, and aspiration to live in a context where I can realize my full potential as a human being.” Lincoln would give AGBell a lesson: AGBell is all about limiting themselves as the untruth and therefore the unthinkable. Lincoln also would think that it is true that AGBell is strong supporter of Trump’s hate ideology. This is just an essential choice, by the way.

Everything AGBell is doing is absolutely dismissive, because Deaf people’s freedom does not consist in assenting to what they do ASL, and then they are responsible for being what they adversely avoid the truth of ASL. Donald Trump does not have big heart for Deaf people—never had been. The Republican candidate is struggling that he most likely loses. Trump had no choice but to face the final election results whether or not to accept the result, whatever it might be. I’m saddened to see that there are some Deaf people who are actually vote for Trump. Thank you, President Lincoln for teaching AGBell a lesson that he never shall forget. Trump wanted to make America great again—the greatest white ideology same as AGBell—the hearing ideology making Deaf community suffer again, again, and again.

It makes sense that when Trump said in one of presidential debates, I believe in second debate “the late, great Abraham Lincoln”—it was quite different in 1864 than in 2016, Donald wanted to be like Honest Abe whom he professes to admire in a strange way. We do not need a president who is a racist, sexist, phobic, audist, practicing hatred and the laundry list goes on forever.

-JT

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HEAR INDIANA: The Recruitment Tactics of Cochlear Implants

September 20, 2016February 13, 2017 The Last Hiccup4 Comments

“Fear is, I believe, a most effective tool in destroying the soul of an individual-and the soul of a people.”–Anwar Sadat

After reading an article called As More Deaf Students Use Cochlear Implants, Indiana Schools Work to Adapt the other day, [I will copy and paste the link below]–“Public schools in Indiana serve about 2,400 students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Of those students a growing number now use cochlear implants” is an act of bullying them into getting cochlear implant or else. There is a person by the name of Ellyn McCall, family liaison at hearing loss advocacy group Hear Indiana said, ““I like to think that it’s not malicious, it’s just that most of these smaller districts don’t have the training and the knowledge to really be able to understand what these kids need”

Ouch! Ouch! Ellyn McCall is forging American Sign Language (ASL) and have them act like HEARING and that is a malicious act. The quality and quantity of cochlear implants in Indiana is a changing world: Hate Crime. Hear Indiana serves under Alexander Graham Bell (AGBell) Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

They are attempting to do social changes as we enter the age of international terrorism, striving to destroy the beautiful meaning of DEAF and effect many generations to come on a global level. There are and will be environmental concerns as we run out of non-renewable resources such as ASL for our innumerable, and often encourage hate crime.

Deaf community are at an economic turning point where ASL is difficult to stabilize, due in part to Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s lies, outsourcing of labor and volatile stock market prices. Changes in this new century will also bring huge breakthroughs in scientific frauds, complete with its own deficit thinking and moral quandaries over Deaf identification and cure them for “tragic diseases” such as the state of being Deaf.

Another problem that is already apparent and will become more so in the near future is the growing population of cochlear implants in the United States and the world, with attempt to destroy Deaf community with sharing of hate crimes, are bound to reach scarcity as we enter this new era, unless we discard our ASL, and adopt a more effectual way of living by replenishing, reducing, and recycling what we use.

Deaf community are as a powerful and educated community need to conjure more ways to defeat hate crime by those Audists today and tomorrow. For the near future in Deaf community, we need to build an optimistic and innovative attitude of preserving ASL and Deaf culture, with reforms regarding the way we deal with those Audists, and the resources we insist on using ASL in abundance and love, when in fact, the democracy is ideally a good and fair system of representation based on facts, it is likely that ASL will always prevail.

That way ASL and Deaf culture will spend and live in harmony with a populous Earth, and it all other inhabitants. The idea is to wide representation of the demographic of ASL that would be required to include all of them and abilities in the interest of fair representation at every social level. A panel of elected Deaf citizens who use ASL for communication, information, and knowledge from all walks of life that were educated enough to understand that cochlear implant is a fraud that would be called upon to make positive statements that ASL would overcome the lies by cochlear implant industries.

It would also unify many of us who feel betrayed, excluded, confused by the current lies “democratic” system in AGBell, in which often they are often completely unsatisfactory to the fact that they will not accept that ASL is a successful language. While I personally have concerns about AGBell funding for cochlear implants, they are responsible for encouraging hate crime against ASL. Despite the article I read above, the threat of Deaf culture is an act of terrorism that would require moral treatment, and human race is truly one constructed of innovation.

Finally, we must look past our fears and realize that we are entering the age of an oppressive community, where we must all do our part in assuring there will be resources left for our future Deaf children, our children’s children and so forth. We must look to ASL and be willing to make the first brave step into uncharted territory, and be willing to pioneer it responsibly, learning from the way we have transformed our Mother Earth, in order to maintain a healthy environment. It is only when we make these realizations that we have a true chance of surviving and overcome hate, and making the most of what the miracles of earth and life-have to offer the beautiful meaning of Deaf culture and…..ASL.

Cochlear implant is the biggest fraud ever. If not, the most malicious ever.

Link: http://wbaa.org/post/more-deaf-students-use-cochlear-implants-indiana-schools-work-adapt

My links I wrote about how dangerous cochlear implants are:

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/06/10/bad-cochlea-how-cochlear-implant-makers-mislead-deaf-children/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/05/26/cochlear-implant-promoters-stop-recruiting-deaf-children/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/02/16/nuremberg-laws-target-recruitment-of-cochlear-implants-to-perish-deaf-people-2/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/03/17/observing-cochlear-implants-the-human-cost/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2014/05/24/ending-the-legacy-of-cochlear-implants-in-media/

-JT

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David Call’s Madame Sugar: Body Shaming or Beauty As the Beast?

August 27, 2016March 6, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

For a long time since the Deaf artist, David Call posted his artwork: LSL Dominatrix, Madame Sugar, a lowbrow art, I was told to put into silence mode and I really do not appreciate anyone telling me to be silent about it and move on. I want to make sure that 100% clear that I want to write about the artwork itself to share concerns. Before I write, I want to make very CLEAR that it is not about Deaf versus Deaf. Since I can remember watching a documentary called Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women for a college-credited course, it was an eye-opening thought with the questions that should be discussed, for example, does the beauty ideal tyrannize women? What about whether “advertising” objectify women’s bodies?

The advertising is also an art work that has been roiled in many years by “microaggressions” leading to demand for “trigger warnings” in the media. Keep in mind, before I share my concerns to challenge the artwork, I do not ever support Meredith Sugar at all because she is actually a hate-monger against the people of the eye: Deaf people. She is an aqua roller for Alexander Graham Bell’s labor of language deprivation.

However, the artwork was highly offensive because it is all about body-shaming. Look at the RED lips—it reminds of an old sign advertising Picaninny Freeze, a frozen treat in 1922, the same year Alexander Graham Bell died. Those RED lips and the image of Black people were part of encouraging hatred and severe racism—and that was difficult thing to remind the history. I remember seeing a picture like that from a book that I got it from my mother for my birthday present to understand the growing pains of history.

This artwork deals with negative and often dangerous effects of our concept of beauty. Men are often viewed on a more intellectual, instrumental way, women are viewed as ornamental, simply a face. In modern times, the ideal of what a woman should look like has changed many times, ranging from an anorexic ideal to plump, to compulsive eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and obsessive exercise.

Because often the ideal of beauty is nearly impossible to maintain, many women suffer from self-confidence issues, and are left disappointed. Many industries also profit off of this ideal: Diet drug companies, cosmetic surgeons, and designer clothing labels all make billions off of women each year. As said by Elayne A. Saltzberg, “Psychological effects of the pursuit of the perfect female body include unhappiness, confusion, misery, and insecurity.”

The interesting question concerning this beauty ideal is: if this lowbrow art was so miserable trying to achieve this beauty ideal, then why do the artist continue to do it? Reasonable doubt? Why does the artwork also encourage about objectify women’s bodies? Imagine what if it was your own mother? If an artist drew about my mother like that, I would not be very happy camper.

Is body shaming also part of hate speech? Maybe. Maybe not. The impact on women from this ideal is political and psychological, as it results in oppression and disempowerment. The image of art above is about community accountability. Reasonable doubt?

-JT

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Did Meredith Sugar Got Away With Perfect Crime?

July 10, 2016 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

ASL: Making Human Rights a Reality

June 22, 2016March 31, 2017 The Last Hiccup1 Comment

AGBell President Meredith Sugar’s statement that ASL is not a human right, well, then she does not understand democracy and human rights even as a lawyer. Shaking my head! She does not ever understand that Deaf community has a precious time: ASL more than ever because it will lead us into the world of intellectual freedom and language miracles.

ASL presents Sociology, the labor of my love. Yes, it may apply to Philosophy, too. It will help us transcend ordinary reality by creating a shift in perception that opens the mind to the value of language transformation in every day Deaf life. This transformation is the real way we the Deaf people think about our quest to personify ASL for our wisdom itself.

If we sit quietly and observe our mind, we will see that it is full of mixed signals. Does Meredith Sugar have the right to silence our human rights when we use ASL? It is important to know that ASL practically awakens our mind and turns us toward a more rewarding journey into the realm of the Deafhood.

ASL is always home, in the academy, the nature and persistence of linguistic research, the power of ASL to influence and shape the human mind which means human right and the character of Deaf community as it shapes intellectual life of the Deaf people today and tomorrow. The struggle for our language and culture that Deaf people go through both financial and emotional is unexplainable; I do not think that there is any other language out there that people struggle so much.

It is in my amateur opinion that Meredith Sugar thinks she is very successful in dodging responsibilities in not only oppressing Deaf people, but she has been fumbling ASL in the accreditation question–by being arrogant and inhabiting ASL into fear and silence.

Yes, ASL is a human right recognized by the United States Constitution.

Credit: Jeffrey Beatty

-JT

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Reading the Lines Between: AGBell’s Latest Letter

June 21, 2016March 14, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

It takes an individual who is profoundly sympathetic to the issues of reading the lines–it is called English chunk. AGBell’s letter was written by its own executive director. The letter has exemplified a great deal of hatred between lines and it is like skipping a grade that is risky and drastic move. Also it takes someone to be trained to have a sharp eye how to read between the lines. In the red color meaning RED FLAG. In the blue color meaning, how AGBell interprets Deaf community.

1) Tragedy: From Merriam-Webster definition, in fact, two definitions–a very bad event that causes great sadness and often involves someone’s death and a very sad, unfortunate, or upsetting situation: something that causes strong feelings of sadness or regret. AGBell uses this word to attack Deaf community that they were in unfortunate or upsetting situation when Deaf community has strong feelings of sadness after AGBell president attacks Nyle DiMarco in Washington Post article.

2) reflecting on the tremendous damage that hate and intolerance bring to our lives. AGBell uses this excuse to feel the pain from Deaf community that they’ve attempted to do tremendous damage–not true. AGBell was the one who has brought in a great deal of tremendous damage that hate and intolerance bright to Deaf community since DAY ONE. Deaf community is the one who feel the pain the most.

3) outbursts of violence and hatred beyond those we have seen in the past. Very dumb thing to say. Really! What AGBell means by “in the past”: Deaf Community. That is a big AGBELL lie. AGBell practices horizontal, vertical violence and hatred 365 days. Simple.

4) trend now, particularly in social media, for people to state the ugliest and most hateful things about those who have a different opinion from them. Really? That’s funny. AGBell is no better than themselves either. They use social media to spread lies about successful stories and in fact, AGBell followers has been using this to attack Deaf community UNDERGROUND.

5) This is tantamount to verbal bullying. Actually, AGBell is the king of viral hate.

6) anonymity some forums afford us, there seems to be no limit to the detestable nature of their comments. Real smooth by blaming Deaf community first. What a foolish thing to write!

7) As we listen to others, we hope that we also will be heard – without hate, without derision, without intolerance. That is a very good lie. AGBell did not listen to Deaf community. Never. Know what they did? Attack Deaf community. More true colors coming out of AGBell.

8) In the darkest of times, we must find hope for the future. AGBell believes that Oralism, listening and speaking, LSL, cochlear implant, whatever is the FUTURE in Deaf community. No, not really.

Original letter below:

Dear Alexander Graham Bell Community,

In light of the tragedy in Orlando this past weekend, I’ve been reflecting on the tremendous damage that hate and intolerance bring to our lives. Whether it’s based in our upbringing, our culture or our spiritual understanding, a lack of respect for one another destroys families, organizations and even civilizations. We have an obligation not only to ourselves, but to the generations that follow, to reverse this ruinous trend.

The devastating shooting in Orlando is only the most recent of events based in hatred. How sad that so many innocents have been killed in acts of intolerance.

Although this is a time in American life where we see the generations blending across ethnic and racial backgrounds, where the rule of law has broken down barriers of gender and orientation, still there are outbursts of violence and hatred beyond those we have seen in the past. Worse yet is the lack of tolerance for the choices others make in their own lives. I really don’t understand it. We know more now than we ever have about each other – what trials and challenges various peoples have endured and often overcome throughout history and into present times – yet the lack of acceptance of the differences that make each of us who we are seems unprecedented.

There is a trend now, particularly in social media, for people to state the ugliest and most hateful things about those who have a different opinion from them. It’s not just in political dialogue; it shows up in postings as simple as feedback about a product or an expression of thanks for a blessing or a statement about education. One person makes a comment, and detractors pile heaps of derision upon them. This is tantamount to verbal bullying. And because of the anonymity some forums afford us, there seems to be no limit to the detestable nature of their comments. A simple difference of opinion seems to give license to personal attacks, some of a highly graphic nature. Is this the open-minded, accepting, tolerant society we claim to have become?

What truly concerns me is how this limits our progress. We’ve known for many years that while one person can get a movement started, others must join in to bring it to a tipping point where it actually makes a difference in people’s lives. Think of the impact that schools like KIPP have made in recent years or the effects of increasing diversity among leaders of corporations and organizations. These were not overnight successes; many took long years to change the prevailing opinion, but change they did, and for the improvement of us all.

Let’s change the way we listen and speak to each other – after all, listening and speaking is what AG Bell is all about. Let’s hear what people are trying to express about their experiences without dashing their hopes for the future. As we listen to others, we hope that we also will be heard – without hate, without derision, without intolerance.

Let’s speak with intelligence, with compassion, and with an open mind. Each of us carries the hurts of the past with us; but by sharing our knowledge and working together, we can achieve new advances that ensure that each generation will face fewer hurts than the one before. We cannot do that through hate, but only with the knowledge that our world is constantly changing and so must we.

In the darkest of times, we must find hope for the future.

-JT

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AGBell: The State Of Shame

June 21, 2016March 14, 2017 The Last Hiccup4 Comments

I am still sickened by Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Executive Director’s letter for Alexander Graham Bell Community comparing Deaf community to Orlando shooting—Mr. Emilio Alonso-Mendoza. In his letter, he editorializes in favor of hatred towards Deaf community—specifically American Sign Language (ASL). This is hatred; “On paper” is a quote mark trick—probably the best substitution of an indirect expression for AGBell’s letter of support, which is extremely unethical and unprofessional. Alonso-Mendoza informs AGBell Community that he agreed to write to support his views that Deaf community is a perfect example of Orlando shooting. —His support is “on paper”—more favorable, less neutral.

Throwing hatred in Deaf community is one of the most de-motivating things we have ever experienced. This hatred refers to when Alonso-Mendoza appears to be treated better than all other candidates for the position. The end result is that Alonso-Mendoza’s application appears to be better than all others “on paper” and for no valid reason. Whether or not the Deaf community felt pain is legitimate and proven-able might be the biggest obstacle. If the hate speech Deaf community is experiencing from AGBell Association and we feel that it is based on illegal reasons—hate speech—we might need to consider legal action but we would obviously need to be strong to have a case.

The state of shame what Mr. Emilio Alonso-Mendoza has done! Shock was first. Denial followed. Anger arrived. Numerous illegal labels were made out to media to describe the Deaf community by the AGBell Association who is suggesting that their education has been a kind of anarchy and terrorism. Alonso-Mendoza qualified those labels by telling about an unwarranted threat of being shot or being compared to Orlando shooting, “yes, by a gun” which is an angry and false accusation.

The executive director for AGBell is a modern-day he-Adolph Hitler. He has a recipe for using propaganda, fear, and scapegoats to convince AGBell followers to go along with his plans. He has a gift for crafting negative labels for Deaf community by accusing them for arousing anarchy and terrorism. I have seen none more strikingly similar to Hitler than Alonso-Mendoza. His accusations seem more acceptable in media today when compared to attack the Deaf community because they do not directly attack any one particular group, but instead attack Deaf community that has long been known to hold the interests for many diverse groups in Deaf community as well.

I am not even sure I understand Alonso-Mendoza’s points about anarchy and terrorism since I am not aware of the monopoly of AGBell Association that controls all media. Yet as an AGBell survivor, I cannot sit idly by when false accusations about activism are made. Apathy seems cool in an “ignorance is bliss” kind of way, but it is very risky not to disagree with opinions inside AGBell Association. It is therefore important to take a stand against AGBell’s ignorance, hatred, and false accusations.

The truth of what is happening with AGBell Association is obvious to most of us the AGBell survivors, but we must not take that for granted. There are many out there who are now in the state of shame—we are ashamed of mistrust of what we see on the news outlets about AGBell Association whom killed the LEAD-K bill in Rhode Island. There is no doubt in our minds that AGBell, Meredith Sugar, and Emilio Alonso-Mendoza will still continue to blame weak-kneed Deaf community for destroying the morale of their educational leadership and making Deaf community what it is today. They are angry people, and we are ashamed now. Please make a notice that Meredith Sugar and Emilio Alonso-Mendoza have something in common: “Lawyers are”: perilous mouths.

As William Shakespeare once wrote, “Measure for Measure”: To whom should I complain? Did I tell this, who would believe me? O perilous mouths, That bear in them one and the self-same tongue, Either of condemnation or approof; Bidding the law make court’sy to their will: Hooking both right and wrong to the appetite, To follow as it draws!…..”

The key word: O perilous mouths, that bear in them one and the self-same tongue.

*****Perilous definition: (adjective) full of danger or risk.******

Shame on Meredith Sugar and Emilio Alonso-Mendoza!

-JT

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AGBell’s Continued Witch Hunt

June 19, 2016March 14, 2017 The Last Hiccup4 Comments

Credit: Jeffrey Beatty

It was written by Sheri Ann Farinha and that is exactly why I wrote in my previous post: Alexander Graham Bell’s Name: Hate Speech With Spin Wheel the day (April 2nd, 2016) after AGBell President Meredith Sugar attacked ASL community.

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2016/04/02/alexander-graham-bells-name-hate-speech-with-spin-wheel/

Open Letter for AGBell Executive Director:

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2016/06/18/open-letter-for-agbell-executive-director/

Farinha’s words:

ALERT: “Spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing a biased interpretation of an event or campaigning to persuade public opinion in favor or against some organization or public figure. While traditional public relations may also rely on creative presentation of the facts, “spin” often implies the use of disingenuous, deceptive, and highly manipulative tactics”.

This is exactly what Alexander Graham Bell Association (AGB) President, Meredith Sugar and her group did the last 48 hours, using deceptive and manipulative tactics to stop a Deaf-led RI Bill that was in alignment with LEAD-K goals. They purposely spun false information, trying to make this bill to be about “Parent Choices”. In fact, this bill was not even about “which language deaf children should use”, but rather, this RI LEAD-K bill was encouraging all deaf children to have a language, period. Whether using ASL and English, both or one of these two languages – the bill’s emphasis was on deaf children acquiring a language, educating parents about using language milestones, and, for an advisory committee to recommend educator tools to use when the early interventionist does their annual review/assessment for an IFSP/IEP. AGB President Meredith Sugar announced on a closed parent group page: “the ASL mandate was removed! Point for Parent Choice”. Right there is “The Spin”. This is the kind of ugliness that is being spread to portray Deaf-led efforts as the bad guy and “they” are trying to save parents choices promoting LSL. AGB’s own Executive Director compared us who use ASL to what happened in Orlando (see Amy Cohen Efron‘s post for more info); AGB’s letter to Washington Post, and other blogs here and there also portray the spin, attacking a Deaf actor/model, Nyle DiMarco because he is in the PR spotlight, explains that there are two languages Deaf children in the USA use: ASL and English.

LEAD-K believes Parents have the right to clear and unbiased information as many parents are not informed about ASL. Whether parents want their child to learn to speak English, or want their child to learn ASL, LEAD-K supports and believes in working with all stakeholders to end language deprivation. We do not discriminate.

The focus of LEAD-K is to promote language equality & equity, a basic human right for all deaf babies by advocating for deaf children to have access to both: American Sign Language and English. Having “access and information” is not forcing anyone to use one or the other. This was the spin I watched shared on that parent page where Deaf people were discriminated and harassed for supporting LEAD-K. LEAD-K has English defined as spoken, written, or visual cues and was worked in alignment with oral option schools in CA.

LEAD-K will be sending a letter to the Alexander Graham Bell Board of Directors demanding that they send a retraction to RI Senators; to cease with the blatant lies and misinformation; to cease with their discrimination and cease their harassment and discrimination of Deaf children and adults who use ASL. As one letter to a Senator stated using “the spin”: “less than 1% of the population understands ASL, limiting communication transactions. It is absolutely fine to limit one’s social life to people who communicate the way you do, but for those who want to work and shop in a spoken language environment, being able to speak can make a difference.” The recent actions to sabotage RI bill, was like witch hunt against the Deaf-led efforts, and is in fact, an act in itself is going against the very Deaf children who need parents and educators to support their human right to language. We will not allow AGB’s history of oppressing Parents, and Deaf children and adults who want to use ASL repeat itself. “The spin” by AGB must end NOW.