Deaf culture as point of pride? It’s more a curse

Miss-Delectable

Miss-Delectable

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
17,160
Reaction score
7
Deaf culture as point of pride? It’s more a curse - The Boston Globe

RE “DEAF-WORLD: The rise of a new American culture’’ (Q&A, Ideas, April 10): As an 85-year-old World War II veteran with a clinical diagnosis of severe to profound hearing loss — caused, I suspect, by dozens of hours of machine gun fire and hundreds of hours in noisy airplanes — I read professor Harlan Lane’s remarks with increasing amazement and annoyance.

Deafness, congenital or otherwise, is a curse. It truncates your social life, makes you appear stupid (uncomprehending) in conversation, frustrates your associates who must speak at you and articulate carefully with endless repetitions. To try to beatify this is to argue the untenable.

Yes, people talk animatedly to each other in American Sign Language — I watch them on the T. But they can’t communicate with the rest of us.

Lane makes the outrageous suggestion that deaf mothers want deaf babies in the same way as Hispanic mothers want Hispanic babies. One is a crapshoot, the other foregone. He gives new meaning to “it’s academic.’’

Jack Osgood
Boston
 
Miss-Delectable said:
Deaf culture as point of pride? It’s more a curse - The Boston Globe

RE “DEAF-WORLD: The rise of a new American culture’’ (Q&A, Ideas, April 10): As an 85-year-old World War II veteran with a clinical diagnosis of severe to profound hearing loss — caused, I suspect, by dozens of hours of machine gun fire and hundreds of hours in noisy airplanes — I read professor Harlan Lane’s remarks with increasing amazement and annoyance.

Deafness, congenital or otherwise, is a curse. It truncates your social life, makes you appear stupid (uncomprehending) in conversation, frustrates your associates who must speak at you and articulate carefully with endless repetitions. To try to beatify this is to argue the untenable.

Yes, people talk animatedly to each other in American Sign Language — I watch them on the T. But they can’t communicate with the rest of us.

Lane makes the outrageous suggestion that deaf mothers want deaf babies in the same way as Hispanic mothers want Hispanic babies. One is a crapshoot, the other foregone. He gives new meaning to “it’s academic.’’

Jack Osgood
Boston
Click to expand...

It is articles and statements like these that make my heart sink. Little do hearing people ever say anything about the richness of culture and positive experiences of many who are Deaf. There has been some expressions of awareness and positive projections of the Deaf world, but we need to work even harder to show the positive light of being Deaf, to break such a negative image presented to the general public. Ignorance is no longer bliss. Be Educated.
 
Blame my twisted sense of humor, but I think this guy, Jack Osgood, is funny. Guess he lost more than his skills to hear in the war.
 
Miss-Delectable said:
Lane makes the outrageous suggestion that deaf mothers want deaf babies in the same way as Hispanic mothers want Hispanic babies. One is a crapshoot, the other foregone. He gives new meaning to “it’s academic.’’
Click to expand...
It's one thing for some of the deaf to have attachment to their culture. That's their prerogative.

But on the other hand, Mr Lane shouldn't make such statements like the one above. Like it's a given. Making it sound like that's what ALL deaf mothers would want. Cause that's not the case. And that it depends on each mother or individual. And that he has made his share of very stereotypical comments, making it sound like he's speaking for ALL of the deaf. While paradoxically, he's not even one himself!
 
My heart goes out to the letter-writer, Mr. Osgood. He is a hero, and apparently is still active, riding the T at age 85. He is a few years younger than my dad and my two uncles who fought in the war; Dad lost the sight of one eye and some fingertips due to being shot; uncles escaped unscathed, although one, who saw the concentration camps immediately after the war, has said the sight of those walking skeletons who survived the camps will always stay with him.

Mr. Osgood is speaking to the truth of his life as a late-deafened individual; he doesn't seem at all funny to me, but a man who has no doubt struggled to live as full a life as possible for the last 60 years. My hat is off to him in gratitude for his sacrifices.
 
special K said:
He fought the war for the united states and you will put him down??
Click to expand...

I dont know him. Just because someone fought in a war doesnt mean they should make comments like these about how people live their lives.

My grandfather fought in WWII but he said black people were destructive to American society. That made him a dumbass for the ignorant comments he has made about black people. Yes, I love him but I didnt appreciate his unrealistic comments about black people.

I dont appreciate this guy's comments about my way of life.
 
Late deafened people often feel like he does. Most of them are to afraid to try to learn ASL and change their life, so they just end up bitter.
 
How is he being close-minded? I don't see it. Being able to use ASL is fine, but he's right, it would not help him communicate with the rest of society.

Here is the original article he was responding to:

Deaf-world - The Boston Globe
 
Beach girl said:
How is he being close-minded? I don't see it. Being able to use ASL is fine, but he's right, it would not help him communicate with the rest of society.

Here is the original article he was responding to:

Deaf-world - The Boston Globe
Click to expand...

People who use ASL can communicate with anyone. Texting, VPs, emails, and many more?

The overall message of his comments came across as one should not have pride in Deaf culture. That is not for him to judge. He doesnt have to be proud to be deaf..that's fine. However, there are others who do.
 
Last edited:
Bottesini said:
Late deafened people often feel like he does. Most of them are to afraid to try to learn ASL and change their life, so they just end up bitter.
Click to expand...

Exactly! That is what make deaf-born different from late-deafened. Harlan Lane is speaking for those who were born deaf.
 
Buffalo said:
Exactly! That is what make deaf-born different from late-deafened. Harlan Lane is speaking for those who were born deaf.
Click to expand...

Yes, I think Harlan Lane was referring here, as he's done elsewhere, to hereditary deaf, deaf of deaf, those raised with not just the physiological commonality of deafness, but a distinct set of customs based on being Deaf.
 
Miss-Delectable said:
Deafness, congenital or otherwise, is a curse. It truncates your social life, makes you appear stupid (uncomprehending) in conversation, frustrates your associates who must speak at you and articulate carefully with endless repetitions. To try to beatify this is to argue the untenable.
Jack Osgood
Boston
Click to expand...

I wonder if it ever occurred to this guy how we have to accommodate for the hearing people who "can't" learn sign language on daily basis.
 
Yes, people talk animatedly to each other in American Sign Language — I watch them on the T. But they can’t communicate with the rest of us.
Click to expand...
Ummm dumbass, most Deaf people can and do have oral skills. It is not one or the other.
The letter writer sounds like a perfect Hearing Health 101 Support Group type.
 
He is late deaf.....many late deaf people are treated poorly by the deaf community. Some take it personally. I made some great friends at NSAD but I also met a few jerks. At the Austin DHH I encountered almost nothing but jerks and almost got into a fight. If he has only encountered the jerks I can see how he might feel this way. Being LD is tough. You have to have thick skin because not only are you having to adapt to a different life, you have to deal with losing friends and family members who just can't deal with the communication barrier while trying to join a new group and learn their language. That group isn't always the most welcoming either. To me I think it is pretty closeminded to judge this man for his opinion. A better response IMO would be to ask what happened to make him feel this way.....perhaps the deaf community deserves some of the blame. :dunno:

That is my 2 cents.
 
interesting. I can see how his message can be misconstrued as something else but I sympathize with him. It's more like - he views deafness as a curse and I understand. I assume that he has tried to adapt to deaf culture but with no success. He simply doesn't fit in. It's not his type of world and it will never be. no different with me being in Korea right now and never fitting in.

He is bitter. frustrated. the society has shunned him - both hearing and deaf. you're already shunning him now. this is the result... his bitterness. frustration.
 
Back
Top