Do you find the word "mute" insulting to deaf?

Do you find the word "mute" insulting?

  • Yes

    Votes: 27 81.8%

  • No

    Votes: 5 15.2%

  • Don't know

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • Total voters
    33
Alex

Alex

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The word "mute" means there no speech involved. Like a deaf person expresses without speech, right? I mean, what comes to your mind when you think of "mute" to describe a deaf person?

Discuss!
 
To me a mute person is not capable of making any sounds or has no voice. Perhaps someone with vocal cord damage. A hearing person can be a mute. I wouldn't consider a deafie that could make sounds to be a mute simply because they couldn't speak. I would not consider mute a derogatory term either. If I lost my vocal cords and someone said I was a mute, they would be correct.
 
I never liked it cuz usually the word "dumb" is associated with it. That's just from my experience with that word.
 
Mute is condiser as Dumb...

No speak and Dumb-Deaf!
There's no formal word and strong offended!

Proprite word "Deaf" more pure clean word.
 
I think that word "mute" is an insulting to the deaf to those who cannot speak, I know that's how hearing people identify a person who is deaf and could not speak labelled them "deaf and mute".

I would tell people this is my friend, she's deaf but cannot speak only uses the sign of ASL, so that hearing people be aware that my friend cannot speak or read lips so they would have to sign to my friend, I would never call or labeled her deaf and mute, that would only offended her.
 
Perhaps some people use “deaf and dumb” and “mute” to describe the Deaf people but "mute" doesn't alway mean the word "dumb" , it's means silent without a voice while Deaf and hard of hearing people use various methods of communication other than using their voices but it doesn't mean they're "dumb", But the older I get, the more I realize that most people don't like being labeled, even through I never mind people labeled me " hearing impaired " while the others do mind, so the whole point IS if people hate being labeled then why does it make it ok to labeled Deaf and hard of hearing people who can not speak or hear?...


Simple put, if hearing people don't like being labeled, then don't labeled us!
 
Oh We;;!!.... My kids finds it insulting... they said that i am not mute.. i can speak... they get angry every time anyone call me mute...
 
I think the term "deaf-mute" is outdated, and I don't like seeing it. It's been around a lot in the context of the movie "Babel," where the Japanese girl is referred to as a "deaf-mute" in the articles I've read about her.

Parenthetically, it annoys me that this hearing actress has gotten an Oscar nomination for playing a deaf person. I know acting is acting, but still, since the whole movie is about language, you'd think they'd want a native signer to play that part.
 
I think the word "mute" would properly fit a person who can't use his/her voice... period.

If a person has lost or damaged his vocal cords so that he or she can't use his or her voice any more, then that would be a better term for "mute". If a person decides to not use his or her voice, then the better term would be quiet.
 
VamPyroX said:
I think the word "mute" would properly fit a person who can't use his/her voice... period.

If a person has lost or damaged his vocal cords so that he or she can't use his or her voice any more, then that would be a better term for "mute". If a person decides to not use his or her voice, then the better term would be quiet.
Click to expand...


right, we can scream with different tone of voices..... I mean for deaf people...
 
RebelGirl said:
right, we can scream with different tone of voices..... I mean for deaf people...
Click to expand...

I love it when I mention that I've been to a deaf conference of some kind (Deaf Way or Deaf Expo) and someone says "Wow, it must be quiet there."

:rofl:
 
I don't know what should I vote to. I would vote "Depend"

It depend on difference...

Some people didn't know that "mute" for Deaf culture is an insult word which they thought it's normal to say like this.

Some people are closed mind to continue to label Deafies as "mute" because they have bad voice etc...

Due my experiences, a lawyer wrote a letter to someone on my behalf... He wrote my client is deaf and mute. I correct him straight way after read the copy letter to add "Deaf", not deaf and mute... Of course he apologized straight way and correct it in next letter on my behalf. Not just him but teachers, doctors as well... All what we do is correct them... They apologied to us and know next time to label us deaf. Most people like that use those word out of habit... and will be correct next time... No problem.

If same people whom I correct to, continue to label us deaf and mute is an insult word because they know we don't like those word.
 
Yes.

I understand this thread is about Deaf and Mute.

But my daughters reading a magazine about hearing lady chose not to talk to strangers all her life only to her immediately family at home.

She went ahead and married to a family friend's son, and he accept for who is she, and she become pregnant, he took her to see Gyn/Obs Dr and he asked lots of questions about her unborn baby, this woman won't speak a word, and her husband speak for her, this doctor is not happy saying "How do you know she is ok"? - good question!!

My daughters find it interesting to know very rare hearing people chose to be Selective Mutism as a choice after something anxiety disorder that scared them for life mostly started at school.

This Mutism woman saying (via her husband's) she is anti-social, wish to join other Mothers at school groups for a cuppa chatting, but don't have the courage to mix with them!!
 
I have seen alot of deaf people who use sign language and they are not 24 hours with lip sealed! I have not seen ANYONE with 24hours lip sealed while using conversation or maybe talking to themselves. Deaf-mute sound offensive to me really.

So I voted YES
 
Vote for no because I dont think it is really insulting to me. I feel 'dumb' is more insulting more than 'mute'.
 
I vote "NO" because I believe Mute means not speaking or unable to speak. There comes a point where being politically correct gets so difficult. How can you describe something without offending SOMEONE? I mean things like the Black-African American thing. It becomes a minefield when you try to use an adjective to describe anything now days, because somebody gets upset. Deaf has become Hearing Impaired, but even that term becomes offensive to some. How to describe deafness? What is safe? Hope all understand I am not trying to stir the pot here, and do not want to offend anyone. Just thinking about this, and soon a new term for something will come out, and there will be a cry from somebody that it is insensitive. Sorry for going on....
 
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All very valid points. People get sensetive to things over time. Right now it's acceptable to use terms (labels if you will) like Deafies, and Hearies, but somewhere down the line those may be considered offensive. Who knows. For me it's not a problem to make an adjustment once I find out that I am using a term that may be offensive. What bugs me is that when you use a term in proper context and per it's defenition and then get jumped on for being offensive. Instead, those that are offended should give the person using the term correctly, the benefit of the doubt and explain to them that it's offensive. In most cases the person using the offensive term never inteneded to offend anyone and was completly unaware that they did.
 
rockdrummer said:
To me a mute person is not capable of making any sounds or has no voice. Perhaps someone with vocal cord damage. A hearing person can be a mute. I wouldn't consider a deafie that could make sounds to be a mute simply because they couldn't speak. I would not consider mute a derogatory term either. If I lost my vocal cords and someone said I was a mute, they would be correct.
Click to expand...

Agree on most points. However there are two types of mutism--voluntary and involuntary. A Deaf person who chooses to use no voice would be considered voluntarily mute.
 
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