To: NAMMARINE
The anti-implant True Believers in the deaf community are truly a piece of work. It goes beyond nonsensical platitudes like "Deafness is not a loss of hearing, it is an enhancement of vision," which they like to spout. To those folks I say: I've been both deaf and not-deaf, and not-deaf is better, and anytime I want to be deaf again, I can just turn off my implant. For those of us who can benefit from the implant, there is no damn reason not to try it. Not everyone can benefit, but perhaps in a few years additional therapies will be available to them. (Witness the Auditory Brainstem Implant!)
Meanwhile, the anti-implant "professional deaf" folks just won't let up. They tried making the implant illegal in Canada, and they nearly succeeded. They tried the same tricks here, with less success so far. Their tactics can grow ruthless, and they can go right around the bend: I met a beautiful 18-month-old boy at a party a couple years ago; he was at the time the U.S.'s youngest implantee, and it was doing wonders for him. I went out of my way to show him my implant and let he watch goggle-eyed as I conversed normally with his parents and others at the party. They were very grateful for my solicitousness, as they fully intended to mainstream him into a "normal" life, and the implant was key to that--a is the earliest-possible implantation, so the child grows up with sound and speech. Well, would you believe that hate-mail regularly came to their house, addressed both to them and to him, calling them genocidal nazis and butchers. I am not making this up. Eighteen months old...! In a small way, I can sympathize with those parents. I had to change my email address a few years ago when I started getting a flood of abusive crap from those types. That was bad enough. But sending the same stuff to a little boy is twisted and vile.
To: RightOnTheLeftCoast
I guess my experience with the "Deaf Culture" has been a bit different. I lived in a town where there is a school for the deaf. My deaf neighbors were so happy to teach me to use Sign. And they were so happy to have a partially hearing person to translate for them when needed. I can understand the difference in culture. I guess I never saw the hostility you did. I hope I never do. I know the hostility is out there, but I hope it is fringe. BSW
To: RightOnTheLeftCoast
"Meanwhile, the anti-implant "professional deaf" folks just won't let up. They tried making the implant illegal in Canada, and they nearly succeeded. They tried the same tricks here, with less success so far. Their tactics can grow ruthless, and they can go right around the bend" Sounds like they're working from the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton Playbook. The "Poverty Pimp" principles can be used in all kinds of venues.
201 posted on
12/20/2001 11:41:53 PM PST by
Don Joe
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