wtm@bunker.uucp (Bill McGarry) (02/21/91)
Index Number: 13669
[This was originally posted by Todd Elliot (11TELLIOT@GALLUA).]
Date sent: 15-FEB-1991 11:16:27
This was orignally posted on WHATSUP3, a public conference at Gallaudet
University. It has been wholly unedited in any way. Any comments?
<<< USER$DISK1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WHATSUP3.NOTE;1 >>>
-< WHATSUP3, Granddaughter of WHATSUP >-
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Note 325.0 Deaf Community- Dying? 5 replies
GALLUA::11TELLIOTT "Profile Under Construction" 37 lines 7-OCT-1990 02:23
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The deaf community always had a foe: Paternalism. Now it has another
foe: What is it?
Science and Technology. To be more specific:
DNA Engineering. Read on...
Now, the technology is increading rapidly and what happens if a young
Dr. Salk discovers the DNA genetic link that causes deafness and
isolates it? Think of the implications- Many hearing parents *will* opt
for that recourse as their hopes to get their children hearing. And- if
they are unborn, then a little of genetic twiddling is needed to make
it hearing. This reduces the deaf population significantly. It will
come to a point where only the deaf parents will continue to produce
deaf children. And not all deaf parents produce deaf children- some
have hearing children. Then, deafness will reach its last gasp in a
couple of centuries. In essence, we are truly the last of the mohicans
and will witness the dying of the deaf community when we are in our
70's and 80's. But- there's a way of preventing that:
Pass a law banning DNA research *now* regarding the DNA chromosomes
suspected to have the trait of deafness. But it poses a question: Is
the right of a culture (read: deaf) to exist precedes the right of a
mother/father to have a child free of any disabilities (read: The
inability to hear)? But- DNA isn't the only enemy. There are
medications that remove the effectiveness of rubella symptoms. (Rubella
is a major cause of deafness. The last explosion was in 1964-68. When's
the next one? Never, methinks.) Spinal menegitis can be performed with
surgical precision that won't jeopardize the hearing ability. So in a
nutshell:
Do you think the Deaf community of today is truly the last of the
Mohicans? Do you really think the Deaf community will last forever? Or
will Gallaudet University become a museum, bearing silent testimony to
a grand, vibrant culture of eons past? What's your opinions, and better
yet- solutions to this science explosion which is killing us.
Todd Elliott
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Note 325.1 Deaf Community- Dying? 1 of 5
GALLUA::11RVORECK 15 lines 7-OCT-1990 04:41
-< True but.... >-
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Elliot raises some good points. It IS possible that genetic engineering
can eventually result in deafness being banished from the face of the
earth. But why ban such engineering? Admittedly, deafness IS the loss
of hearing which signifies an incomplete "wholeness" of the human
body and I'm sure that a majority of deaf parents would opt for such
"tampering" in order to make their kids "normal" (Now, don't assume
that I say that being deaf is not normal...I'm speaking from a
universal viewpoint.)
It'd only be a lie if people say that they wouldn't go for such
genetic alteration if their kids had the possiblity of having Downs',
MS...or even deafness. But then, there ARE those people who would
rather let nature decides its' course...they'd only be a small majority
though. Technology has influenced us so much to the point that we would
eventually see genetic engineering as a normal thing to indulge in.
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Note 325.2 Deaf Community- Dying? 2 of 5
GALLUA::CADS_COLE "Kevin Cole (Flatline)" 27 lines 17-OCT-1990 10:36
-< Ban DNA gengineering? No way! >-
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I think there have been several instances where Christian Scientists have
been held responsible for the death of their own children because they
refused to allow the medical community to "interfere with God's will".
At what point does it become legitimate to refuse treatment? More and more
people consider living wills, and death with dignity to be an individual
right... But who's making the decision for whom here?
Another couple of question: How many hearing children would have preferred
to be born deaf? How many deaf children would have preferred to be born
hearing? I think you'll find more in the second group than the first.
Personally, I don't think you'll be able to hold back the technology. For
better or worse, people want the ability to chart their own destinies and
the destinies of their offspring. Leaving the deafness issue alone for a
minute, don't you think deaf parents might want to choose the hair color,
sex, eye color, etc. of their child? I'm sure that some (maybe not the
majority, but a healthy percentage) will want to know that they have the
option.
And what about other stuff like blindness, CP, etc. Many people who are
blind would probably tell you they are not in any way disabled, impaired or
handicapped. So, if the doctors told you your child would be born blind
unless they did some tinkering with the DNA, what would you choose to do?
The decision is probably going to be based on whether or not YOU personally
believe blindness is an impairment.
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Note 325.3 Deaf Community- Dying? 3 of 5
GALLUB::TRHARRINGTON 14 lines 9-NOV-1990 19:02
-< It wouldn't eliminate all deafness. >-
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Genetic engineering would NOT eliminate all deafness...only the
hereditary type. Deafness would still result from such things as
disease or physical trauma.
Genetic engineering could eliminate deaf families, where the kids
inherit and perpetuate their parents' deafness. In this respect,
"genegineering" could be viewed as the modern-day equivalent of
Alexander Graham Bell's crusade to eliminate hereditary deafness
through banning marriage between deaf persons.
Would the elimination of hereditary deafness have a profound impact on
deaf culture? The answer to that depends on the ratio of
hereditary-deaf people vs. those deaf from other etiologies. I don't
know what that ratio is today.
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Note 325.4 Deaf Community- Dying? 4 of 5
GALLUA::11MMURTHA "Marsa" 13 lines 11-NOV-1990 05:35
-< genetic Deafness and unknown cause in deafness. >-
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If the deaf people who did not inherit their deafness was to marry
other of the same deafness.. that is that it is not genetic to either
of them, then the children born by them will be hearing. That is my
opinion. I am of this category and I think that unless the people who
inherit deafness intermarriage with the deaf people who happen to be
deaf by unknown cause, then there can not be any more deaf children.
So, genetic engineering may be bad in the sense for genetic deafness
but might be good for other types. Still there is still the risk of
the deaf culture and population dying down unless there is a way to
preserve it.
Marsa
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Note 325.5 Deaf Community- Dying? 5 of 5
GALLUA::11AGREGG 9 lines 21-NOV-1990 13:51
-< My mommy is a private interpreter. >-
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Yeah...it'll be dead far more soon than what we had expected.
There are even mothers, who are interpreters, interpreting for
their deaf kid. One example is my mom. So, signing mothers are
beginning to send their deaf kid to public schools. That way is
reducing the number of deaf organizations...into deaf organization
taken care by hearing people. We are facing this consequence nowadays.
-Stolichnaya-
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^ ^
Todd Elliott / /
11TELLIOTT@GALLUA /. / |/___\|
/ / | __\ O O/
Professional Student / / | _/\ / /
Currently Studying / / | _/\ '@___@
At Gallaudet / / | _/\ |
University / / | /\ |
/_ / | / ) / _|_
.-^~~~-. ~-./_ _ | .- ; ( /_ _ _,/'
.` ~. .-~-.|.-` _ {-,
Go FSD Dragons! / .-^~-. ~-. _ .-~ / \/'
/ / } { .`
.-^\ .` / ~. '-\ \.-~----.
_-^ `-^ .` ~- _ \ c >..----.///
~-. ,--~ ~ - - - - ^}_ _ _ _ _ _ _.-///StEpHeN.wHiTe@p1.f853.n681.z3.fidonet.org (StEpHeN wHiTe) (04/04/91)
Index Number: 14617
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
BM> It will come to a point where only the deaf parents will continue
BM> to produce deaf children. And not all deaf parents produce deaf
BM> children- some have hearing children. Then, deafness will reach
BM> its last gasp in a couple of centuries. In essence, we are truly
BM> the last of the mohicans and will witness the dying of the deaf
BM> community when we are in our 70's and 80's. But- there's a way of
BM> preventing that:
This isn't going to make me popular, but I think this stuff about "deaf culture" is rather much an attempt to glorify the unique adaptions deaf people have made to cope with life.
Talking about the "threat to deaf culture" is basically saying that deaf cultist wish to have children born deaf to serve their own selfish desires. They do not want their culture to disappear as they grow older, since this will leave them in the cold.
What about the CP culture, the blind culture, the leprosy culture? All of these cultists will want their children born handicapped/crippled just to prolong their way of life.
Sure, the deaf culture is vibrant, active, expanding, proud and self-sufficient. It is one of a kind, and fascinating. But make no mistake - the reason it exists is to let deaf people be with their own kind.
Without deaf people, there is no need for a deaf culture.
This all comes down to _one_ salient point. Is it better to be deaf?
In my opinion, the answer is no.
The reward that a deaf person feels when joining other deaf people is _comparitive_. They feel so overjoyed because of long years of social deprivation. They are so dedicated to deaf culture because it is really all they have.
There is a far bigger world out there. I won't be able to participate with that world to its full extent, but I'm not going to try and stop my children from doing what I can't.
--
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