James.Womack@f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (03/12/91)
Index Number: 13886
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Anne, couldn't help responding to your message to Fran. Can't discuss the
thread rationally, can I? I think you might be defining rationally as
agreeing with your philosophy, which I don't. Now if we went off on
unfounded, direct, and mean personal attacks on each other, you would have
just cause to accuse Jay and I of nothing being able to discuss this
rationally. I think Jay and I currently stand innocent of your accusation.
Now, as to ASL not working for most, that is a fallacy by virtue of
the educational system itself. There is no formal system set up to
integrate deaf kids with ASL as a first language then use it as a basis to
teach English. Therefore your statement has no basis. Educational programs
are dominated by hearies who historically and despite lip service to ASL ,
cram English down the eyes of the deaf as a first language. On-going proof
shows that this was and remains an utter failure. When a person like
myself comes forward advocating that s system be set up to allow kids to
develop ASL as a first language (and I am talking about in residential
schools by the way) , we get stonewalled, BS'ed, or threatened. Quite
frankly, no system exists for you to make the claim that ASL doesn't work
for most deaf people. The claims is simply not rational in the light of
known facts. For every personn which your brabd of mainstreaming worked, I
would bet you 600.00 bucks I could name 10 for which it didn't work. The
stagnation in deaf education is the result of two things: !. hearies not
wanting to let go of the reins of power in which they set all policy and
philosophy regarding educating the deaf. 2. Inflexibility in accepting ASL
as a teaching tool (might be motivated by fear of deaf people becoming
truly independent).
Now the odd thing , Anne, is I have greater vendetta against
residential programs in the areas presented above than I do against
mainstreaming. To me mainstreaming programs aren't responsible for
existing. They are products of boneheadedness of hearie educators and
"experts" who refuse to let go of the two basic tenants that deny deaf
people so much. The same two I just mentioned. Mainstreaming programs are
a natural result of this self-induced failure in too manyresidential
schools. The same is, mainstreaming programs are duplicating the very
formula that causes residential schools to fail in raising the average
deaf child's educational level.
Can't be rational, dear lady, like you say, there is a lot that
can't be communicated via an echo. I dare say you and I stand closer
together on educational issues than we either realize.
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