We Are Deaf: One & Many
Ask not what the Deaf Community can do for you; Ask what you can do for your Deaf Community.
- At age 16, I became a founding youth board member of a local deaf services agency.
- In 2002, I organized a protest rally against the government taking a deaf mother to court for refusing to agree to implant her two deaf children. The result: the children did not get implanted.
- In 2006, I organized a protest rally and wrote a press release alerting the media to the rally, about the closure of mental health services for the Deaf. The result: The mental health services did not close but instead was turned over to the local deaf services agency to operate.
- In 2007, I began a grassroots project on DeafRead, called Equal Communication Access. With the DeafRead participants’ help, I produced a video describing what Equal Communication Access is all about.
- In 2008, I along with several others founded the ASL Think Tank, an educational clearinghouse providing awareness of bilingual programs for Deaf babies and children.
- I am an university student, pursuing a bachelor of science degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration, with the hopes of working in the Deaf nonprofit field after graduation.
- I am now a board member of the local deaf services agency that I helped to establish at age 16.
- I am an ASL mentor to two hearing individuals who are involved with the Deaf Community.
- I am a member of the Michigan Deaf Association and National Association of Deaf.
- I am the author of The Deaf Edge, a Deaf advocacy and sociopolitical blog, increasing awareness to countless readers and viewers.
We Are Deaf: One & Many
Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. – Barack Obama
A Cyberspace Riot on DeafVideo.TV
As I type this blog post, right now DeafVideo.tv [DVTV] is embroiled in a historic cyberspace protest/riot, which was prompted by Aidan Mack’s now infamous vlog where she discussed domestic violence, then accused Jerome Cain, a fellow vlogger and an ex of hers, of domestic violence. Jerome Cain had accused Aidan of having borderline personality disorder under a now removed vlog titled, ‘Is Aidan a Word Twister?’
Jerome Cain made a vlog in response to Aidan denying the accusation and repeated his accusation against her. No evidence supporting these accusations were given, which ignited a wave of outrage amongst many vloggers.
Tayler Mayer, the owner of both DeafRead and DeafVideo.tv is currently on a business trip, and he interrupted his trip to make a quick vlog, stating that he had discussed this matter with both Aidan and Jerome. Tayler requested that Jerome remove his, and that Aidan either edit her vlog to remove the accusation against Jerome, or to remove the vlog altogether. He also requested that Jerome and Aidan not respond to each other in any manner on DVTV, or they would be banned.
Jerome removed his vlog immediately. Tayler removed Jerome’s vlog, but did not remove Aidan’s vlog. Aidan did not remove her vlog immediately, which only increased the outcry. Then approximately 20 hours ago, Aidan finally removed the vlog and uploaded an edited version with the accusation deleted.
This has not satisfied many vloggers on DVTV, for a couple of reasons. Many of the vloggers feel that Aidan took far too long in removing her original vlog. Secondly, many feel that Aidan’s edited vlog now is too tainted given her conduct.
So now over a hundred vloggers are holding a cyberspace riot on DVTV. They are filming empty chairs, or showing a blackened out video. They are demanding that Aidan’s vlog be removed, and for Tayler to come back and respond to their concerns. Several individuals are also encouraing lawsuits against Tayler, Aidan and the Deaf Newspaper website who broadcast Aidan’s original vlog.
As a mere observer of this protest/riot, it’s hard for me to say what I think will be the outcome. While I think Aidan and the Deaf Newspaper should be held accountable for their actions if it is found that Aidan’s accusations against Jerome is false, Tayler should not be part of the lawsuit. Instead I think they should ask for a moderator who can delete inflammatory and possibly libelous vlogs when Tayler is unable to do so – like how it’s done on YouTube.
I’m also left pondering what kind of message this sends to the Deaf Community at large… I guess only time will tell just exactly what the outcome and overall message will be from this protest.
Addenum: I’ve just been told that Deaf Newspaper has removed Aidan’s vlog from their website.
Twisted Irony
For those who follow the news, it’s impossible to escape any news story about Rod Blagojevich, the Governor of Illinois who was impeached yesterday by the Illinois House. The more the news expose him, the more unbelievable how corrupt this guy is.
On September 12, 2007 Governor Blagojevich signed Illinois Senate Bill 259, which established statewide licensing standards for registered interpreters for the deaf.
Then it was publicized on CNN and on some media outlets this week that Blagojevich hired a woman to interpret for the deaf, when her only experience was a one-week class in sign language when she was in grade school.
Talk about twisted irony…!
