Tag: Paulo Freire

Hearing Taking Over Gallaudet University

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Gallaudet University as the world’s only higher education for the Deaf is coming to an end thanks to the hearing people taking over. It is literally happening. Are we witnessing language and cultural bigotry, hegemony and oppression, especially at Gallaudet University?

Over, over, and over—we must remember this that this is the world in progress. Oppression is not a progress. Simple. This is Gallaudet University, and is losing ground of the Deaf, and gaining higher ground for hearing people. What in the world that it was supposed to be home for the Deaf?

Gallaudet University will be never Deaf-centered, even the current president is not Deaf-centered either, instead of closing the door to Deaf and open the door for hearing world, welcoming input, feedback, and ideas without telling the truth to Gallaudet Deaf alumni and Deaf alumnus what would happen in the future. It is unethical, irresponsible, and oppressive.

Not only that, but Gallaudet University needs a president who can open the door for DEAF FIRST, who encourages speaking up and speaking freely. It’s the opposite—if Deaf speaks up, she or he would face severe punishment at all cost. It is the spiral of oppression.

“If it is in speaking their word that people, by naming the world, transform it, dialogue imposes itself as the way by which they achieve significance as human beings. Dialogue is thus an existential necessity. And since dialogue is the encounter in which the united reflection and action of the dialoguers are addressed to the world which is to be transformed and humanized, this dialogue cannot be reduced to the act of one person’s “depositing” ideas in another, nor can it become a simple exchange of ideas to be “consumed” by the discussants.”—Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire

In 2020, Gallaudet University already projects OVER 100 PERCENT INCREASE enrollment for hearing people. That is a huge, huge, huge skyrocket jump. Check the link below. In fact, what happened to its embrace for change for Deaf people? This history is our own strength that is deeply rooted in our own sense of place. Which means….hearing people are literally taking over Gallaudet University as the ownership.

1988: DEAF PRESIDENT NOW (DPN)

2006: UNITY FOR GALLAUDET (UFG)

2019-2020: WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

We are the ones to make ALL THE CHANGE that holds merit of ASL and Deaf culture. Most importantly of all, we need to have reason, heart, and our sense of place at Gallaudet University. We cannot let hearing people taking over the campus and learn the lesson is not to be oppressed of change inflicted upon Gallaudet University.

We cannot let this repeat its history in the near future. Gallaudet University is of no consequence. There is very crucial point to make a statement about this, which Gallaudet University kept it very quiet and telling them to SHUT UP and wish not to talk about it.

Censorship has had such power that Gallaudet University brings disrespect for Deaf culture now and future. For years and years, Gallaudet University denying and neglecting Deaf people’s linguistic and cultural heritage, we need to bring in a strong renewal of passion in ASL and Deaf culture more than ever.

Link: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget20/justifications/l-gallaudet.pdf

 

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

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

Fear-Rejection Thoughts Is Not Love

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We do not need fear-rejecting thoughts in Deaf community. If bystanders cannot find anything to recognize bullying, then they have committed a crime. Suicide is a tragic response to bullying. The problem is that it is very rarely discussed in Deaf community.

I am writing about Deaf returning citizens. They could easily take their lives away. Would it be a criminal act if Deaf returning citizens take their own lives if they are severely bullied daily in same Deaf community they live and breathe in? Deaf community loves to bully and would make up rumors that make it look true. Can Deaf community accept the fact that the suicides are the evidence of BIGGER problems than being bullied?

The fear-rejecting about Deaf returning citizens is a huge problem. The bullies would cruelly exploit that social prejudice, and got away with it. There are three important factors that we all need to know and be aware about it.

Number One: Oppression

Number Two: Dehumanization

Number Three: Exploitation

Remember the book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire? He once wrote about dehumanization in 1981:

Dehumanization, which marks not only those whose humanity has been stolen, but also (though in a different way) those who have stolen it, is a distortion of the vocation of becoming more fully human….Th[e] struggle [for humanization] is possible only because dehumanization, although a concrete historical fact, is not a given destiny but the result of an unjust order that engenders violence in the oppressors, which in turn dehumanizes the oppressed.”

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Deaf returning citizens have been subject of the oppressed. When bullies are not punished, did they also harm themselves that they intend to do? If a bully crosses the line between hate speech, invasion of privacy, or harassment, is it OK for the bully to harass Deaf returning citizens daily? There are many ways to address bullying, harassment, hate speech, death threats, and stalking.

In Deaf community, it is an international problem. Can we have conversation about the importance of educating love instead of hate? The importance of civility and respect would be more effective tool for Deaf community to heal.

-JT

Copyright © 2018 Jason Tozier

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

 

 

The Hidden Hand: Hate in Deaf Community

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Every year, on Saint Patrick’s Day, my grandparents would watch their favorite movie, 1952 “The Quiet Man” because Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne were their favorite actress and actor. Plus, it was filmed in Ireland. As they say, “Erin Go Bragh!” [Ireland forever]

Then I learned later that John’s name was not his birth name. He was born as Duke Morrison. I also learned that he was hungry for supremacy. That does not fit Hollywood’s image. I learned that the other night about a year ago that it has happened in California, a Republican congressman was attempting to make a special honor called “John Wayne Day” held in May and the Democrats came out protesting strongly against the idea. The bill failed because they hold zero tolerance policy against Racism and hate. That is what we all should do the same thing. How do we feel about white supremacy?

When you see an image below, John Wayne actually said that in 1971 Playboy magazine interview below. University of Virginia wrote about John Wayne, “Wayne has grossed more than $400 million for his studios–more than any other star in motion-picture history. But because of his uncompromising squareness–and his archconservative politics–he was still largely a profit without honor in Hollywood.”

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Now, can we do something about Audism and hate? What about those hearing actresses and actors who are pretending to be Deaf in the big picture front of Deaf eyes? Why are Deaf people rejected as an aspiration to a world in which all forms of inequality and dehumanization among ourselves that allows a society to oppress Deaf people who have plenty of talent out there?

Some people would say that a degree of “diversity” is a wonderful thing, but within certain demographics it has continue to practice the old, dirty politics, and there are plenty of people in this or that minority culture for whom the old-fashioned non-cultural politics is more relevant. For most people of any group, including the minority groups, the specifically diversity issues are actually a small proportion of the actually important yet invisible issues affecting Deaf people anywhere.

Should Audism be “extinct” in Deaf community, in the sense that the public eye of Alexander Graham Bell is quite welcoming to anyone Deaf. This is not always true. Struggle with sign languages everywhere, communication and personal appearance exists in the term subtle diversity in the society. In Canada, more specifically, Nova Scotia “NS” in ASL— 12 years ago in the legislative Act of 2005, the honor created “Alexander Graham Bell Day” where they celebrate his achievements on March 7th every year ever since and it has became a personal insult for the Deaf community.

While the only Alexander Graham Bell Day in the world, Canada is the front runner and they should get rid of it. One day they will. Do not wait too long. Celebrating Alexander Graham Bell Day is like creating a massacre filled with laughter! What do you think when you see “education” first thing? It may be most complex noun of all. It means, “to train someone for what?”—And it is a teacher-centered, not student-centered. If a teacher thinks a Deaf pupil is better off speaking, then the pupil is really stuck.

I strongly believe in student-centered learning and teaching (peer-teaching) is best of the best for the Deaf as they often teach each other. That is what a Deaf culture is supposed to be. Paulo Freire once said, “The teacher acts and the students have the illusion of acting through the action of the teacher.”

Deaf people are not part of inventory or investment! Is ASL suffering language bigotry? What do we mean Audism when we say that an oppressor usually a hearing person believes a given proposition about the Deaf? We all need to be outspoken promoters of social justice and  defender of the oppressed! We need to follow a good example what California did and support Deaf Canadians to get rid of AGBell’s Day! So, do you think we should remove all the ranks of Audism in public eye? Alexander Graham Bell’s 1884 hate speech:

We should try ourselves to forget that they are deaf. We should try to teach them to forget that they are deaf.”-Alexander Graham Bell, 1884.

Cite: Ladd, Paddy. Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood. Page 129.

Isn’t Bell doing exactly the same thing what John Wayne said about, “I don’t believe giving authority and positions of leadership and judgement to irresponsible people“…—AGBell’s speech was instructed to teach Deaf people to hate their own “identity” and forget their existence as the state of being Deaf and lose all the ranks of leadership just because Deaf people are viewed as socially inferior and ‘irresponsible’ people. AGBell was really afraid. The dark side of AGBell has been revealed. His leadership is now weak. The evolution of FEAR begins.

After all, that is the worst massacre created by Alexander Graham Bell and its followers. There may be more reasons behind that. On the left bottom corner, the postage of Alexander Graham Bell–look at his fists. He was so charged to attack Deaf community. That’s the hidden hand, folks!

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Lastly, Wayne’s words, “Our so-called stealing of this country from them [Native Americans] was just a matter of survival.” What an asshole! Generally speaking for “matter of survival” would be any incident where Deaf people would be oppressed by another and the perpetrating group has the control of power.

The stories told by Deaf people becomes the collective journey and how their struggles and circumstances meet with the full use of force. In other words, if people agree that AGBell created a massacre for power, politics, hate, and the oppression ranks, then it meets our criteria.

It makes him less human. His primary goal was to destroy the survivorship of ASL and Deaf people. That makes Bell a bigger asshole. What is so funny right now? Well, I have this book, A**holeolgy The Cheat Sheet: Put the Science into Practice in Everyday by Chris Illuminati sitting on the bookshelf; I saw a perfect introduction from the book: The Ten Demandments of Being an Asshole.

  1. The asshole cares about the asshole the most.
  2. The asshole is always right.
  3. The assholes rarely apologizes.
  4. The asshole never accepts the word “no.”
  5. The asshole is always in control.
  6. The asshole always has a plan.
  7. The asshole takes what he wants.
  8. The asshole always look good.
  9. The asshole learns from his (few mistakes)
  10. The asshole is always evolving.

I rest my case. 

-JT

Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier

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

 

References: https://www.pinterest.com/janeenweddle/the-quiet-man/

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/alexander-graham-bell-day

http://www.ibtimes.com/was-john-wayne-racist-california-democrats-refuse-honor-film-star-because-white-2361754

https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2860

https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Alexander_Graham_Bell

Click to access John_Wayne_Playboy_Int2.pdf

 

 

 

Open Your Eyes: Everyday Disempowerment of Deaf People Signing

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In National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Spring 2016, Volume 16, Issue 1 magazine, a feature written beautifully by Trudy Suggs, A Quick Look at Everyday Disempowerment of Deaf People, writes:

The word disempowerment has quite a simple definition for such a powerful concept: to take away power.

There is an important paragraph to focus on, In Disempowerment through ASL:

Are all the Deaf Studies and ASL programs in the nation run by Deaf people? No. “We advertised the position and couldn’t find anyone qualified.” That certainly could be the case. Still, such situations have ripple effects: deaf people aren’t hired, and those outside of the deaf community, in turn, continue to have beliefs and perceptions shaped by hearing people. These hearing people then believe they can educate others about us, rather than bringing in appropriate Deaf community representatives.

At Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for Deaf students to articulate their higher learning experience. The ability to acquire and write stories exclusively is valuable for their life struggles in the field, for example, ASL/Deaf Studies for their knowledge of literacy and they strive to tell their stories actively thinking about hardships they had endured of entering into the harsh world. The truth must be seen. Some people know who Dirksen Bauman is, the only hearing member of ASL/Deaf Studies who happens to be in full charge of the department.

Here are the two videos that will show you what Dirksen really have to say.

“Crazy” people in Deaf Studies who wanted to hire him–I know who it is and it was a Deaf professor who desperately wanted him in just because the professor needed his writing skills and changes the image of ASL/Deaf Studies. That is how Dirksen became a Chair after that. He should be honest with himself why he took the position first place. Like Trudy writes, “Cost-beneficial and cost-effective in the long run? Absolutely.”

The masked man became the version of Socrates. There is a story that needs to be seen. When Dirksen invited Carl Schroeder to be a guest speaker for one of his courses, Carl was signing a story about Cratylus and Dirksen briefly stopped and asked Carl, “You knew about Cratylus?” and Carl was puzzled why he was asked that question. Meaning Carl was the first Deaf person now he knows. He assumed that there was not any other Deaf person to know about it. Perhaps the interpretation might be different. Carl knew about this way before Dirksen published a book, Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking.

Then Dirksen writes, “Even within the field of Deaf Studies, perspectives of Deaf people are often not valued. Many programs call themselves Deaf Studies but are actually based on an audiological model or are focused on deaf education and the strategies for acquiring English.”

Carl became well versed in an area of scholarship other than being Deaf professor, which was unavailable. He was committed himself to teach students very well as I had been his teacher assistant which was a thrilling experience for me. As it turned out, it has been difficult at the basics of the oppression in this society; The course, DST 311: Dynamics of Oppressed, the more Deaf students study books, articles, publications, they should be aware of the oppression documentations that gives Deaf students a chance to grow, and in the sociological oppression, which can supposedly help them what the original oppression were.

The originals of oppression went through a language clash with DST, but the reality is that does Gallaudet University have the originals so saying that a hearing professor have the right to be in charge of DST program? Unless Deaf professors reconstruct the originals of oppression.

Try to revert a basic question: How does it help Deaf students to say that oppression is the inerrant language of the Deaf, if in fact, we do not have a college or university oppressing Deaf students. Gallaudet University ASL/Deaf Studies is one. Once again, the question from the beginning of the post above, “Are all the Deaf Studies and ASL programs in the nation run by Deaf people? No.” In the first video, Dirksen says, “hearing person in Deaf Studies Department? No, it does not make sense.” How come he choose the change of heart?

The post is based on the meaning of the university level awareness is involved and is bit convoluted. This kind of realization coincided with the problems Deaf students encountering the more closely they study oppression. That is exactly why we need to take a quick look at everyday disempowerment of Deaf people.

It is so important that we all are aware of the rights we hold as human who are Deaf.-Trudy Suggs

-JT

Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier

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

References:

Suggs, Trudy. A Quick Look at Everyday Disempowerment of Deaf People. Spring 2016. Volume 16, Issue 1.

Bauman, H-Dirksen L. Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stop the Viral Hate: Targeting Nyle DiMarco

The Last Hiccup9 Comments

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Almost everyone will agree that cyberbullying refers to the situation people describe and support Nyle DiMarco in every aspect of a human form. “The cat is on the mat”—referring to someone who cyberbullies someone else who is in which a cat is on the mat. It is important that the community accountability must be shared, but the people are reluctant to draw the consequences one would expect them to draw when cyberbullying follows a phrase like “believes” or “sees”. For consider this sequence of cyberbullying propositions:

One believes that the cat is on the mat.

The cat is Tabby.

One believes that Tabby is on the mat.

Suppose the cyberbullying is allowed against Nyle DiMarco just because whether he is gay or not—what do you call it? Speak out. Applaud positive messages. Talk to others about what you’ve seen. Recognition of bias. Community accountability is a shared responsibility. Speak out consistently and forcefully–against hate and bigotry. Now imagine that Nyle had already experienced plenty of subsequent cyberbullying—in Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the language is clear that they do not allow him to break free of civilization, bound to their rules, must suffer oppression or die.

I believe community accountability and bring out awareness is in order. Will Nyle ever feel safe—-it is more than just hostile—more like, well, you know. I myself experienced as a subject of a rumormongering mill and cyberbullying countless of times.

There is a book sitting on my shelf, Viral Hate: Containing its Spread on The Internet written by Abraham H. Foxman and Christopher Wolf in page 135,

“Dear Darren,

Thank you for your lovely message, how nice of you to notice that I am Kind, I do try. As for the subjects you wanted to advice on–I’ll do my best but believe me, I’m no oracle. Yes I do believe that there are more than enough crazy people in the world, it always amazes me that people who wouldn’t have been allowed crayons 10 year ago now have access to the Internet, BTW what is your favorite colour crayon? Mine is blue, they taste best. 

I doubt that the world would be better without gays; to be honest they would be a miss to the caring and service professions and don’t even get me started on hair dressing. Less beans would make the world a far worse place in my opinion, I love baked beans on toast and chili just isn’t a chili without kidney beans—so I’ll have to disagree with you there too. I love my tranny, I listen to the BBC Radio 4 during the day for plays and comedies and discussions while I’m working, so I’d miss that a lot. Being gay isn’t really a disability, unless you’re a stud horse or a homophobic bigot, in which case I find that most homophobic bigots hide their latent homosexuality (That means gayness) and attack people who are openly gay so they feel less insecure about themselves, but I don’t need to explain that any further to you, do I?

Thank you for the excellent advice, my page, which has 400,000+ members, with MILLIONS of post views and website hits per month will be deleted immediately; because we wouldn’t want word to get out would we?

Bye for now poppet, take care.

Wipe out Homophobia xxx”

-JT

Copyright © 2015 Jason Tozier

 

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

National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Loves Cochlear Implant Industries

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The media image of the Deaf has never been depicted through images of Deaf people. We the Deaf are in constant danger of being described by those who can hear and speak in language than American Sign Language (ASL)—Deaf people are easiest to target. When the world offers cochlear implant (CI)–a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a Deaf person to perpetuate in a “listening and speaking” hoax.

CI companies are the most powerful language in English along with the media. When they play politics on Deaf people, they create rules for Deaf people to shut up and listen. Looking at media about CI through books, stories, and workshops, they use the power to make sure Deaf people are “power-struggling” in their nests. Not only that the cochlear implant industries continuously devour Deaf children for profits, but CI does not represent a worldview; it is the technology that suffers depreciation that requires the costs of monthly mapping.

People who work for industries have to start taking responsibility for the terrible phenomenon of CIs. There is plenty of bullying in schools targeting Deaf children who are not implanted who are vulnerable to cruelty. All social activities provide opportunities for bullying. Isolating Deaf children from the world leaves them free to establish their own rules of behavior, and they behave badly. With the idea of implanting them and force them to live in the world with everyone else–to behave like hearing.

CI industries are “running” the democracy and the power. We the Deaf people have every chance to shut down the cochlear implant lobbying and their congressional friends. If we fail to oust them from power, we can make our excuses to those body bags, but will it be too late because Deaf children cannot able to hear? They will be gone to their death knowing that we do not care enough to take action. For example, 12 Deaf children died from CI surgeries in 1989. Cochlear implant industries thinks they are the “democracy”—wrong!

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Nancy Rourke’s Twelve in 1989

The point of the media– CI companies are creating the “second wave” of 1880 Milan Resolution. The story about 1880 Milan, the educators of the Deaf all around the world gathered together in Milano, Italy for the second International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED)–it was taken the place in schools for the Deaf in Milano that were under the auspices of the Roman Catholic church where auricular confession–the disclosure by word spoken of sins into the auris, or ear, of a priest is required. Abbe Balestra, the conference planner wrote:

“Gesture is not the true language of man….Gesture, instead of addressing the mind, addresses the imagination and the senses. Thus, for us, it is an absolute necessity to prohibit that language and to replace it with living speech, the only instrument of human thought” 

It is exactly what the CI companies are doing all over the world today. My first school I attended: Tucker-Maxon Oral School (TMOS) known as one of Portland’s best kept secrets–and it is the house of pain that does not allow sign language at all. Even today in 2014, they still do not allow the use of sign language. In 1985, TMOS was proudly to announce to be the world’s first school-based children’s cochlear implant center in conjunction with the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. See the link at the end of the post.

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The current National Association of the Deaf (NAD) president uses bilateral cochlear implants. He and I went to same school. Same year. He was couple of years older than I am. I am writing this post with heavy heart and do not want to see Deaf children suffer along with mental, emotional, and physical scars anymore. Remember, NAD has very strong relationship with cochlear implant companies.

I started to remember him more and more from that time when I enrolled there in 1976; Before NAD election in 2012, I remembered very well that he had couple of strong sponsors from TMOS, Hands and Voices of Oregon, Alexander Graham Bell Chapter of Oregon, and he never had CIs until he was elected as president. That shows that he was supportive of TMOS and its practice of cochlear implants on Deaf children. He wants to make a good example. Audiologists and educators of the Deaf today are completely trained under the irreversible influence of the 1880 Milan Resolution banning sign language even at TMOS, too. It is the genocide to the Deaf mind; It is the HATE CRIME in distinguishes. TMOS’s philosophy: Follow 1880 Milan Resolution’s example.

After reading his latest letter to renew his presidency position through NAD’s website, I realized that there exists status quo in his statement, and he has yet to critique his experiences and involvements. He would prefer coffee and cake over confront and contest. He may have enjoyed chairing some educational groups without informing us about changes and challenges. The NAD is not about parents of the Deaf getting involved; it is about Deaf people themselves getting involved. Is he the better candidate for the NAD presidency?

I have decided to keep myself distant from NAD. Change is a must! Given his educational background being from TMOS, I can clearly see that the NAD is inclining toward the AGBell climate. Is it also his responsibility as NAD president to allow TMOS to suffer Deaf children without sign language? He would not criticize anything publicly. OK, think of that way when parents of Deaf children are sent out to that school every day with the knowledge that they will be suffer a lot of pain. He is standing by and watches this horrific slaughter going on at TMOS because he says nothing can be done. Now the election is coming up next month, it is time to send a message to him that breeding hate at TMOS has to be stopped. End zero tolerance policies and allow Deaf children to SIGN with happy faces, demilitarize Alexander Graham Bell Association, end corporate money, and stop target them for larger social impact. Where is the public right going to do about Deaf children’s pursuit of happiness and safety?

The real proof in my book is that he is just a “hot air balloon” bullshit! CI industries are causing the reality of proliferation that causes DEATH. In our e-mail last April 2014, he wrote to me, “I have spoken ill of Tucker Maxon”–if he has spoken ill of TMOS, why did he receive very strong endorsements and sponsors from TMOS when he was running for NAD president? What if a child from TMOS dies from cochlear implant surgery this neither year nor next year even in two years? What will he do about it? Actually, what IF one of 12 Deaf children who died from cochlear implants surgery was a student at Tucker-Maxon Oral School? Where is his heavy heart in this to prevent Deaf children from getting cochlear implants?

As he said, “WOW! Great old memories!” on TMOS’s Facebook page in 2013. Do not worry—the picture is archived. He never spoke ill of TMOS at all. As great Paulo Freire wrote, “Being less human leads the oppressed to struggle against those who made them so“.

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-JT

Copyright © 2014 Jason Tozier

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

References: