The Deaf Edge

At the risk of people getting sick of me, I’ve decided to continue blogging on this matter, and I apologize, the blog serial will continue tomorrow.

This is important to all of us, and I’m still not quite clear on several things after reading comments and watching some vlogs. And so…

After reading and watching what DE and Ella had to say about deficit thinkers, for me a question then arises: What’s the difference between labeling someone a deficit thinker and labeling them a jerk?

Not only that, but why can’t we show the flaws in people’s arguments, instead of labeling them as a deficit thinker or fill in the blank ____? I thought we were smart enough to show exactly what was wrong with people’s reasoning.

Before I go any further, I want to say that I’ve seen some point to the debate CE and I had with McConnell and his friends over the “Thank You” Troops Campaign as an implied reason why discussing and labeling people as deficit thinkers is legitimate and appropriate. Part of that comment remarked that we were torn to shreds.

I beg to differ with that – we presented facts which were based on linguistic and anthropological research. Their response was basically to not get into a snit, and we were making too much of a big deal out of it.

Maybe I overestimate people’s intelligence, but I would think that most reasonable people would walk away from that thinking, “Wow. There has to be something to what CE and A Deaf Pundit said after that kind of reaction!” They didn’t really present any solid facts that could counter ours.

Now, I’m being criticized for nitpicking John and his blog title, “REMOVE THOSE DEFICIT THINKERS“, and not allowing us move forward onto more positive things by Oscar. Yet I see post after post on DeafRead constantly debating and bringing up about what happened over a century ago.

Doesn’t that strike you guys as ironical, and even just a little bit hypocritical?

What’s the difference between debating what happened over 100 years ago and what happened two days ago to you guys?

And I have to ask, why is that I have to be told repeatedly that there are people out there who have stupid ideas, and they’re out to oppress us?

How is being told that again and again without being really told of a solution, a positive contribution to our understanding? How is that going to help us understand how to better deal with those people? I’m sorry, but being more firm in your Deaf identity doesn’t help solve the whole problem.

And before you turn around and ask me, ‘Well then, why are you debating what John did?’ allow me to point out that just because DeafRead decided to not support John’s idea of banning blogs doesn’t mean everything’s okay.

John hasn’t even acknowledged that his original post in its entirety, was an mistake and that he’s sorry for it. All he has said that censorship isn’t going to happen. He never said that censorship is wrong.

The people who committed the wrongs over a century ago are dead, and they can’t apologize and acknowledge their mistakes, and yes, we’re dealing with that horrible legacy.

But if we can’t hold John and his friends accountable for what happened two days ago, then how can we claim that we have to hold people today accountable over something that happened a century ago?

DeafRead has exploded into controversy over John Egbert’s proposal of censorship. John Egbert is now claiming it is not censorship, but education and empowerment. How removing blogs is exactly education and empowerment, has never been explained.

And my suspicions were confirmed – it was not John’s idea. Ella Mae Lentz confirmed that it was in fact, her idea. She defended herself on her blog, but what caught my eye was one of the comments by DE over there:

Attributing John’s attempt to elevate our discourse to “censorship”, while quoting philosophers to appear smart (as if Deaf people cannot offer anything of intellectual value), and attacking his ideas without even processing or discussing with John in ASL is another example of how deficit thinking has affected our community.

I find that comment quite interesting. I made a vlog in ASL. Or are they now claiming that I don’t sign in ASL?

Secondly, DE’s comment about me quoting philosophers to look smart, and not being original sparked my interest. So I googled Deficit Thinking. As I expected, I got numerous hits. But what was interesting to me, was none of those authors were Deaf. And you were saying about original thoughts by the Deaf, DE…..?

Not only that but also the numerous articles about Deficit Thinking were applied and discussed in terms of schoolchildren, as found here.

So… my question is this: Are we schoolchildren to you, DE and Ella?

I don’t know about you guys, but I sure as hell don’t need a babysitter!