In the United States, the democrats are, forever, demanding that the Freedom of Speech rights .. specifically, the Freedom of Speech rights, are mandatory to whether it bothers another person.
Let me put it this way: If someone makes a disparaging remark about a Christian, a Christian church or even a backslidden pastor, he or she is protected by the First Amendment. However, should a writer, comedienne or speaker make a remark about a cult (let’s say a leader, who is a Muslim, for example), make a remark about a Catholic priest or any one of another groups, out there, who demand their time, their god is equal with my own risen King Jesus, they will be demanded to apologize and, often, they will apologize, simply to save face or save their own jobs.
A few years ago, some Mexican nationals, who were living on the California side of the US/Mexican border, were photographed as flying Ol’ Glory, upside down and beneath the Mexican flag. If I’d been in a position of authority, I’d have had they booted … PHYSICALLY … out of the country.
The ultra-WIMPS, in Washington, D.C. proclaimed that these teenagers were protected by the first amendment and I, for one, have taken the stance that the Bill of Rights protects the U.S. citizens and NOT every foreigner, who comes along and derides our country.
Now…This same mode of thinking, at least in my own mind, fits in with the demand that Deaf people must learn to speak English because (whether the hearing people will admit it or not) it’s just too hard for the ruling class … i.e. – hearing people … to learn signs. (As if many of them ever attempted to, in the first place, you know!)
A few years ago, I was conversing, with a retired educator of Deaf children, who had lost her hearing as a teenager. This woman had utilized the required Signing Exact English (heretofore, to be identified as SEE signs), her entire 34-year career and told me that Deaf children needed to able to communicate, with hearing people.
Well, like this, now-called, “late-deafened” woman, I’d lost my hearing, meaning sign language has been my second language and, unlike this woman, I have spent my unhearing years demanding the rights of the Deaf.
So, when I spoke, with her and complained about the world’s demand that Koreans, etc. be allowed to use their native languages, in this country, meaning Americans should cater to them by learning foreign languages she even said we should know German, French, Italian, etc., be-cause we need to understand them.
My reply, which I will never, ever, stop standing by, is this: SO, WHY DO YOU DEMAND THE DEAF MUST LEARN ENGLISH?!? Why single out the Deaf, simply because hearing people might have problems, learning signs?
The only reply, the woman could come up with, was to say that Deaf people are unable to get jobs, because they’re unable to fill out an application (if you ask me, that is ludicrous, anyone, out there, knows what is needed to write down your name, address, birthdate, past job history, etc.).
Also, when it comes to interviews, the Americans with Disabilities Amendment requires a sign language interpreter be provided by the potential employer and, if that’s a hardship, for them, the nation (or individual states and/or cities) will step in a provide that interpreter.
Lastly, allow me, if you will, to say this: Most sign language interpreters have a goal to work in a courtroom and doctor’s office/hospital settings, which requires a top-level certification.
That, being the case, makes it simple to understand you won’t find many of those, who won’t be capable of interceding a communication, betwixt a potential employer and a Deaf person.
Lastly, allow me to explain how this thinking came into being: In 1971, when I was a ten-year old kid, I lost every iota of my hearing to a fever, which hovered at 108 degrees for two weeks. The cause of this high temperature was Meningitis and, for two years, I attended the Georgia School for the Deaf and, I, soon, realized that the Deaf kids rejected me as being an outsider.
Apparently, their thinking was based on the fact that I hadn’t been born into the Deaf culture and they hate anyone, who hasn’t! Their hatred began, because the hearing administrators, mainly, were hearing and utilized SEE signs and that is a foreign language, when you have never heard anything.
As I said, I only attended GSD for two years and, during that time, two principals ran the school. The second of the two came in and demanded the kids must sign English. Not only that, he also made it harder, for me, by demanding that the kids must strive to achieve my level of com-munication skills. When he would see me signing, he would tell me that, unless I stopped utilizing that form of communication, I would be unable to speak, “within four or five years,” (to quote him).
The man was wrong! You see, until 1999, I was still capable of walking into a restaurant and ordering for myself. In 1999, it became difficult, for me, because it was in the Spring of that year, that I went under the neurosurgeon’s knife, during a six-week coma, and it, somehow stunted my ability to speak as well as I had, for years.
Anyone, reading this, can see that English is still my first language, but speaking is no longer a simple thing, for me. Should we go out to eat, I will have to ask my wife, who is a hearing woman, to order for me, because I’ve had problems, communicating, with kids, who don’t know what a 61-year old Deaf man, with 51 years experience in deafness, is talking about.
Occasionally, I am, still, capable of conversing, with someone, who will not realize I am totally Deaf, until I tell them. Those experiences are simply a remnant of the past, when nearly everyone, with whom I conversed, didn’t know i have no hearing to speak of. The Deaf, however, will continue to demand I am “hearing,” simply because I continue to attempt to do something none of them are doing and I can, specifically, pinpoint one jerk … a hearing man of exceptional interpreting skill, who chose to agree with the Deaf, at my expense.
This happened around 16 years after I’d lost my hearing and that jerk’s attitude was that the Deaf guy, who demanded I was hearing, was right, because, “they don’t accept (me) as Deaf.”
That, too, is a given, since the Deaf culture is made up, ONLY, of those, who were born Deaf , or deafened as a small child.
Anyone else is out, because we are the “echo” of the idiots, who are demanding the Deaf culture learn English, which is foreign to them, so the hearing people … the lazy ones, that is … take advantage of their ruling class status and make the others do the work!
Gary Frazier's Political Thinking 