I redo the vlog because of my assumption about Barb. You can check this vlog that I apologized to Barb for making an assumption. "Aidan: Beware of Assumption"
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Leaders: Beware of Assumptions
I redo the vlog because of my assumption about Barb. You can check this vlog that I apologized to Barb for making an assumption. "Aidan: Beware of Assumption"
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16 comments:
That's true. I know a doctor who tried to learn ASL to communicate with his Deaf son. He took several courses, but to no avail. As asults, some hearing people just cannot learn a second language, whether it is ASL or a spoken language
No where did Barb made an assumption. She just shared her observation based on what she saw. She did not even say anything about abuse. Please be careful with your accusation since Barb never said anything about that. She just simply focuses on the natural ability for this child wanting to sign and that her father is not able to use it.
However, your point in general is taken.
Deaf Spirit
Aidan,
“Don’t judge the book by its cover.” That’s how we do everyday. We quickly judge to the action without knowing why. Sometime, the challenge is not to get too emotion or too personal to the situation.
What your story between you and your father touch me. We never know why until we see it behind the curtain. In some way Aidan, my situation is like your but my father just doesn’t have the skill to sign. My father even keeps signing for a long time but still sign awkward or just don’t have the fluency in ASL.
Every person has a gift or skill that we don’t know of. My father is a pretty darn good with building toys with wood and the creative to create one. I just don’t have that skills like he has but I have the skill to solve the most complex puzzles that my father don’t. We are all different and each one of us has a unique hidden gift.
We’re human and we quickly judge without looking deeper to the situation to why the other human behaves differently.
Thank for sharing your personal experience with us.
The Ponder Deaf Man
My dad doesnt sign or read signs very well, barely. I've seen him try to when I was growing up.
If he was a stranger to me and I meet him, I would tell right away that he wouldn't be able to sign. We deafies usually would know maybe after half hour of chatting with someone, we will know whether that person will learn sign language easily or not.
Many years later into my adult year I found this blue pocketsize sign language book on a shelf next to his lazyboy chair. I didn't know he had it...he probably bought it after he retired few years ago. It shows he still feels bad about not able to communicate with me all my life.
Thanks to Emailing these days.
He took me to Deaf camps, NTID, deaf school, deaf events and they are all long distances from our home.
I AGREE with you that we can't expect all mothers and fathers to be fluent in ASL.
Yup. Our weakness... deaf and hearing... is being quick to judge before thinking.
Good vlog.
Deaf Spirit--
Here is a proof. http://www.deafvideo.tv/video/watch/14019/
Patti and you used this term "accusation" to Aidan which I honestly do not think she is accusing anyone. She used the word "if" and "would". Pay attention to Aidan's vlog carefully.
Barb accused that father "REFUSED" to sign. How did she know that? What if he "can't" sign? Look at her facial expression and her body language when she discovered that father didn't sign. Now you need to refer this term "accusation" to Barb.
Aidan.. Great vlog.. Stay strong!
Jassy
Making any assumptions is ALWAYS dangerous. Never ever make any assumptions on anybody unless you have a SOLID evidences. Always ask somebody with any questions before you make a final judgement.
Best example of assumptions: George Bush and his administration made a stupid assumptions on Iraq with WMD. Where is the WMD? Zippo
However, they looked at wrong country. Its not IRAQ, its IRAN!!, stupid Bush administration.
Nobody is perfect!
Hi Aidan,
Yes you have a point there. While growing up, my mother learned sign language but my father couldn't find the time to learn it as his job required him to work at nights. So during the day, he had to sleep in order to go work nighttime. I'm pretty sure if he didn't have to do that, he would have taken sign language courses. My father and I have always communicated through writing, he is very comfortable with it, he has some hearing loss himself so it is much easier on him.
However, we need to set up ways for deaf children to communicate effectively with their family members, too many of them have been isolated from their families, they don't know their hearing families very well. This is where DBC can step in, offer some suggestions, maybe push for communication technology if parents are unable to learn sign language and whatsoforth.
Speaking of learning language, actually, aptitude for learning a language varies from individual to individual, be they hearing or deaf. Also, some people are born with a learning disability. Some people are born with a gift of multi-intelligences for learning languages. One can learn Sanskrit at 54 of age.
Some new hearing professors at Gallaudet would be immersed in ASL. learned sign language. Look at Prof. John Van Cleve. He is a fluent signer and ecels at receptive ASL.
My NYU alum fellow was born with a learning disability. His mother had to learn Cued Speech in order to teach it to him. Through CS did he learn both ASL and English.
Aidan,
WOW beautiful, I agree with you 100%!
You wanna know what's funny? Why did Barb never say to father "Wow, your daughter CAN sign? AGB accept your daughter sign ASL?" Someone must have taught that girl how to sign "father."
See the positive in this situation and feed on it.
Instead, she focused on the negative.
-Ben
May I beware you and others of YOUR own assumptions?
You didn't see the father and child that Barb saw. YOu weren't even at the conference. What Barb shared was what she saw and described and interpreted. Of course, I am sure if the father was actually disabled as your father was, Barb will mention that. I am confident that she would be quick to notice that being a language specialist as a profession. YOu are assuming things about her. And sadly, all those worse accusations about DBC by Mishka Zena, Amy Cohen, Dr Hocokon, Ben Vess, etc who werent even there at the conference... you didn't bother to challenge them. Some of them were confusing, some were outrageous, and they were insulting to the 700+ people who paid their way and gave up a whole weekend to come and see for themselves and every one was inspired and UNITY was present and many wonderful stories (and yes heartbreaking ones too) came out of the Conference, all to be buried with the piles and piles of assumptions by those people and others. And you didn't bother to check them out??
Just wondering...about your own consistency...let's talk more.
Aidan,
How true that not everyone can sign well. My hearing grandparents were not able to learn signs because by the time they found out it was not a taboo, it was already too late.
Clarification: this sweet girl did not sign but used gestures. She was using her hands using CL:5 handshape in the air looking like she was signing "father" but her father did not respond back with using his hands at all. All I know is that I said he did not sign back nothing more. I am not sure how you threw in the word abuse and he refused since I did not say that.
Ben, funny that you are making assumptions about I should have done. I was ordered by the security to sit on the designated seat located way across from the father. Only if I had contact with the father, I would definitely have a positive discussion with him.
Might be off-point and lame. But at least she is a voice or "hand" of an organization that promotes deaf children to use sign language. She has my utmost respect for getting involved with DBC and making some contributions to that new organization. I know better not to criticize her, other leaders, and volunteers simply because they have got people's attention more that I do. Pessimists, dont be tripping-ass haters!! Peace.
Phew... lots of comments for the leaders.
My mom is not good at signing now and I'd much rather read her lips.
Keep in mind, it was ASL environment and that was her "attention grabber" before going into her speech.
She was sharing her observations but I did get similar feelings when I saw that part.
She didn't need to include that in her speech but to go into details about her interview attempt with the AGBell president.
But since it was a rally against AGBell, why not plunk from their group?
If I found out it was my child she was referring to, I'd be pissed off.
Furthermore and off the point, I was taken aback with Bobbie Beth's signing...
Is it just me or did she look totally unprofessional?
I just thunked my head when I saw her...
Leaders getting emotional.
Then again, maybe it's just me...
Ella Lentz,
Don't be so bold to say that we don't know what we are talking about and making assumptions. Me, I can take it.
But you are starting to name names that are politically diverse--Mishka and I have had our disagreements, I have criticized Amy and they have spoken against my opinions.
It is YOU, Ella, who should beware. When your opponents unite, such as the names you've mentioned above, for a cause such as diversity against you and your crew.
This much is clear: we are in favor of diversity, debate, criticism and progress.
my question to you is this: what are YOU in favor of? If you are saying you don't agree with us, are you saying you don't agree with diversity?
That's the impression I'm getting. Please clairfy that.
Also, one of your supporters went as far to say "Diversity is racism." Is that what you are promoting?
Ben
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