Tag: Public Shaming

To Feed or Not to Feed Words

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“Thank you, China Government for destroying every human races on the face of the Earth! You make us suffer.” 

In the age of Coronavirus pandemic that has affected the global threat to physical, emotional, mental and well-being in the Deaf community. To our best knowledge, we must prevent the spread of the epidemic of racist fear-mongering by targeting Asian communities, especially Chinese, which has led to an increase in hate crimes and acts of Sinophobia, which means: Anti-Chinese sentiment (fear and hatred) against China, its people, overseas Chinese, or Chinese culture.

The bias against the Chinese has managed to weave itself a very haunting reputation that is extremely difficult to catch and comprehend. When it comes across the Deaf community around the world to exchange their socialization needs to normalize societal norms and expectations, the bias would be laid on the table and then allow itself to be examined, thus becoming easily erased and eradicated.

There is plenty of Anti-Asian bias around the world, and this is a systematic problem. One that makes it difficult to deal with daily life. The measurements of the Earth, how must the society have felt, then see hate crimes rising in the streets of the world’s neighbors? Must xenophobic references in public life is important?

The blaming of the Chinese is visible more than ever, it is a heart-breaking and we all seek the meaning and purpose in our lives. In the deepest sense of hatred and language bigotry, why it is becoming a norm.

The destructive power of words that could easily crush the culture, identity, and language that would perforate the heart in the name of hatred. We must follow this wise example from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres:

“This is, above all, a human crisis that calls for solidarity.” 

This post is to educate and understand how the words can be destructive in the long term. Please, please, do not scold this member of the Deaf community.

This Deaf individual makes an irreparable damage in written English language on the world’s largest social media platform, “Thank you, China Government for destroying every human races on the face of the Earth! You make us suffer.” 

To make matters worse, words like “destroying every human races on the face of the Earth!” is not just about between life and death. Words like those are killing the souls;

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That is true, a human crisis facing hatred by targeting Chinese people. This is not what the global solidarity is all about. We do not need Sinophobia and public shaming at all. Would it make the world better or suffer? The media image of the Chinese has portrayed ugly and promotes self-hate is something that is painful enough for the high intensity of words, amounts to the emotions in society. Can we learn from this quote,

“You never want to put a temporary emotion on the permanent internet because what you feel at that time will stay there forever”–Sue Scheff 

Would the compassion from online attacks ever restore, here and across the Deaf community that had been severely under-resourced? Rebuilt through dialogue, transparency, and community accountability as well?

With the support, and how to tackle the difficult issue, for example, how the global epidemic of ugly words is related, and ought to be related. What does it take to be the most significant thing of their thoughts to be important? There is no need to blame China. Using “China” or “Chinese” is an ethnic slur which is a virus. The virus should not made of an ethnic slur.

Don’t feed the angry words. Is this really the ideal way to react?

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively, … or destructively.“–Yehuda Berg 

-JT

Copyright © 2020 Jason Tozier

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

 

Behind Ted Baran’s Skull

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When your life disappears before the eyes of truth, would you able to define truth?

John Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty but what is beauty, and what is truth?”

Theodore “Ted” Lonzo Baran, Chief for Department of Public Safety (DPS) at Gallaudet University.

Three years ago today on November 8th, death came before my life and floated dead for ten minutes, it might be the longest ten minutes even if life was motionless. Death by default seemed to me, as I experienced, brutally unfair. Death is fail-safe predictor; Truth is a fail-safe predictor;

The central idea was simple: Truth would reveal itself, as Ted would sink to the bottom of the toilet, and only the guilt would drown truth.

The oppression, hatred, and norms, have been floating around Baran’s wings, while values, higher learning, and motivated hate-solving bullying have taken center stage on the Gallaudet University campus. The corrupt abuse of power. Gallaudet University as a safe place? Baran would make lives harder.

For the last 25 years, I had been working hard to change my life around. I took a lot of detours, struggles, death threats, going through the toughest road ahead, proving myself to the highest standards, and yet, when I moved to Washington, D.C. to begin my graduate school on a full scholarship possibly best moment and Gallaudet University was supposed to heal;

As I remember that day when I came into DPS headquarters, I informed Ted Baran of my responsibility, the first words Ted said: “That’s you. I can kick you out of Gallaudet University if I want to.” abusing his power and that begun the hatred right there. I never see something like this.

Ted “forced” me to stand upfront of graduate classrooms, presentations, workshops, anywhere on the campus to explain why I was jailed every day or I face extreme punishment like expelled from Gallaudet University.

The corrupt abuse of power. I was shocked by his threats. I refused to be profiled. That would lead to death threats, bullying, suicide and it is not healthy at all. Gallaudet University was supposed to be a place of healing. No one wanted to hear my stories. Baran got away. Is there a legal step for abusing power? Who would be the criminal in this picture?

Envision the scene: Baran has been strolling around the campus with abuse of power.

When I woke up from death, I had been targeted off the charges, hoping I’d taste my own execution by toxic culture. Facing the legal punishment of death is the most invisible reason, to inquire about the abuse of power by Baran.

I remember when I was on the stretcher recovering from a massive heart attack on the world’s most sacred ground of the Deaf, Several of Deaf people were cheering along with hands waving, while I put my thumbs up signaling that I’m all right and strong. Ted Baran was walking by and gave me a nasty look. I really remember that face that day. Whisking by. Like he was chuckling in his own head. Oh yeah, the weakness of a CODA who has a hatred for Deaf life. Not true CODA.

I wish I’d do something quickly to react by giving Ted my middle finger. I’d do it in a heartbeat. Everything went fast. Again, I’d give Ted Baran, “FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCK!” and I never have gotten the chance to do that, I blew that. Why didn’t I do that?

After I got out of the hospital, two days later, decide to visit Gallaudet University and showed up at DPS office to thank someone else there for dedication with open-minded, bumped into Ted with close-minded, being the better person, and I see that the hatred still floating in his body, mind, and soul. I was glad it was not Ted who attempting to save my life because he would not do his job and let my breath run out on his own watch. Like getting away with murder.

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Last March 2019, there was a play about Deaf people in Hitler’s Europe held at George Washington University (GWU), where the story was about targeting Deaf Jewish people, shaming them in the name of hate, scarlet letter on their foreheads, and living with the labels. Lifetime scars. Emotional well-being. Mental. Psychical. Just like “JEWISH” on their passports, dealing with the hate spectrum.

Ted Baran and I bumped into each other there, before the play begins, it is clear that play story had been inspiring Ted’s egoism, his abuse of power, and hatred. He loved the story idea about the abuse of power, killing their souls; He supported the hate machine. He was a perfect example.

Convo event: He showed up in DPS white uniform on Saturday evening;

Convo attire: Look good and be YOU.

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I was there wearing an enamel pin: REJECT HATE. That was the symbol of truth. Coming back from death that day, it makes me stronger than ever and will continue to show the truth. It was to break the evil spell. At that moment, I felt free but also exhausted and completely alive all at the same time.

Unknown-2.jpegThat day, November 8, 2016: I asked an important question in front of the audience in SAC 1011 before my last breath, after I woke up from death, I realized that Gallaudet University was aiding and abetting Baran’s hatred. Same cloth. Same oath.

Remember Convo dress attire? BE YOU.

Baran wearing white uniform making a statement that he is above the abuse of power, white privileges, hearing privileges, and commander-in-hater, he does not need to dress up like this. Be YOU. Be casual.

Behind the badge, and that was what makes Ted’s skull are met with.

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-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

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

 

 

Gallaudet CONVO Event: I Experienced Hate

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#OurDeafCommunity | Celebrating Gallaudet event hosted by CONVO. It was supposed to be a place of celebration, meeting new and old faces, and of course, bias-free. Instead, experiencing bullying in the form of hate including intimidation from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) which no one can ever bully me. Enough of public shaming! What happened to #OurDeafCommunity?

 

Is Hate a Mental Health Issue in the Deaf Community?

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Written English transcript:

 

This is a video response for National Deaf Therapy (NDT)—

Hate is a form of oppression that a countless number of Deaf people encounter. Normally, we think of “hate” is referred to, even invisible number of Deaf people are being swept under the rug.

However, National Deaf Therapy claimed that ‘Hate is not mental health issue.”

The forms of hate can be found in: bullying, Audism, discrimination, taunting, making offensive comments, judging, power of abuse, public shaming and forth where Deaf people experience every day. Can we admit the truth that there are lots of Deaf people has experienced some type of bullying? Compassion? The chain reaction of shaming, could bullying lead to hate? Will National Deaf Therapy resist this?

Is there some kind of close connection between the right to stand up against hate and separation from power-struggle in the spirit of Deaf people?

Behind it all, of course, was most neglected problem Deaf people face that was thought to be under attack and why it would allow this to happen.

The American Psychological Association (APA) and The Psychology of Hate Crimes at APA Public Interest Government Relations Office in 2017 has stated:

“Hate crimes are a public mental health issue.” Will National Deaf Therapy agree with APA?

In 2016, Huff Post published a powerful article: Hate Is a Mental Health Issue by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen writes:

“We need to recognize this type of hatred for what it is, a sign of severe emotional disturbance. And we need to take more responsibility for those around us who seem to be suffering—before their pain becomes unbearable and is turned inward against themselves or outward……. This type of overwhelming, all-consuming hatred cannot exist within an emotionally healthy human being.”

“Further tragedies can be prevented if we pay attention to the signs of emotional suffering—in ourselves and those we love—and, if we take responsibility for reaching out to those in need, to those who are falling through cracks.” In 2018, James M. Shultz, Tanya L. Zakrison, Sandro Galea in Hate and the Health of Populations,

“Against this backdrop, there should be little question at this point that hate is a powerful motivator of harm against others. The direct consequences of hate—including violence, discrimination, and marginalization of out-groups—are associated with poor health. Apart from the direct physical harm they inflict, hate-induced actions are associated with substantial mental illness effects.”—

“Recognizing that hate is a determinant of health puts the issue squarely within the remit of the population health community, pushing us to consider what we can do to address hate.”—Shultz, Zakrison, Galea.

Hate is indeed, a mental health issue. It is normal for Deaf individuals like yourself to have this kind of reaction, and it is important to understand that hate is not a joke. Yet, National Deaf Therapy questions the cause and effect to describe Deaf people not to experience hate, as a mental health issue is questionable.

In 2007: My essay was written for hate crimes and bias class,
Negative Perceptions of Deaf Individuals in Relation to Knowledge of American Sign Language:

“Yet this most stigmatized group is not often viewed through the lens of compassion and understanding, only modern forms of old ignorance. The Deaf community has gone through considerable evolution, but hate crime remains invisible in face of society.” (Tozier, 2007)

“As I have been told again and again, the experience of Deaf victims of hate crime has been traumatic. Life has been hard for them. Deaf people have toiled and fought on behalf of the society that has violated their human rights, dealing with manipulation, ignorance, denial of basic civil and language rights, among many other injustices. Deaf people struggled with the land and the lawless nature of American society. Hate crimes against them have been largely under-reported, under-investigated, and under-prosecuted.” (Tozier, 2007)

Either pin down truth or denial. In those experiences, hate incidents that truly happened, like the making final decision of hate, as non-mental health issue is questionable. As the Deaf community become objective in their own experience, they separate it from themselves.

Yes, hate should be a mental health issue in the Deaf community. There is no place for hate in the Deaf community. Should hate as emotionally, psychologically, and sociologically denial for the Deaf community? Why or Why not?

Please visit jasontozier.net

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

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

REFERENCES:

Hate and the Health of Populations

https://www.psychologynj.org/njpa-s-public-statement-on-acts-of-hate-and-violence

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hate-is-a-mental-health-i_b_7653430

Why False Hope?

The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Cochlear implant continues to be marketable and practice public shaming of the Deaf community. Exploitation targets Deaf to be immediately identifiable and forget their Deaf identity. False hope is not cool. Audism leads to false hope, yes?

 

The Impact of Public Shaming in Deaf Community

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Internet shaming is the greatest pain in human struggle. The population in Deaf community is the world’s smallest minority group. When Deaf shares a mug shot of Deaf in a digital age, defining whom the person, and shaming in the most possible character assassination. Just mention name to those who have known and read with no doubt stirring a flurry of controversy. It is exhausting and drains emotionally. The Impact of Public Shaming in a Digital World available on Internet to read with a good example below:

 

“Using public shaming to shift our beliefs rather than having constructive conversations has become the new normal. Are we now blurring the lines between activism and [cyber] bullying or humiliation?”

Are we just scratching the surface? It will take more than pain to keep us safe. Public shaming must be addressed the dangerous concentration of cyber bullying that allows cruel punishment and hate to operate in Deaf community. At the lowest, earliest, and most painful stage, public shaming of Deaf in literature as such begins with the hate.

The practice of public shaming in Deaf community is not something new. More public, more widespread, more dangerous, more harm, more hurt, and there is a book by Jon Ronson who is the author of So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, highly recommended to read:

 

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Under warped system of public shaming, who have the power to change it? This kind of power prevents critically community accountability for all the ways public shaming hurts Deaf community, destroying democracy, address the crises facing possible for the critical awareness about public shaming, and it might be critical than ever that the needs of Deaf community must be addressed to stand up against internet shaming in the name of hate, in a well-defined solution, will it ever happen?

Living into the past, say 35 years ago is not going to solve anything. It creates more hate to make public shaming, a toxic in the making. Internet shaming is part of psychology’s traits; something to think about it.

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

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