Jack.O'keeffe.Of.129/26@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe Of 129/26) (02/04/90)
Index Number: 6585
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
JT> Something's been bothering me. Both here and in ABLED, people
JT> were talking about something called at first the "deaf
JT> culture", & now it's being called the "deaf cult".
Jesse, I expect that I'm the guilty one who introduced the "cult"
term here, and I am sorry that it has been bothering you. For that
I offer my sincere apologies. The intent was not to engage in
"labeling" per se. What I was trying to do was draw a distinction
between the majority of the members of Deaf Culture, and the tiny
hostile segment that closes in upon itself and rejects anyone who
cannot understand ASL at 100 mph.
There have been comments about this personality type from all corners
of this country, and from Canada and Australia as well. That indicates
it is not some local thing.
Remember the "Sarah" character in Children of a Lesser God? (How could
anyone forget her?) The way she behaved in the first part of the play?
They create real problems for other hearing impaired people. It takes
only one or two encounters with the hostile "Sarah" characters to turn
people totally off to all Deaf. Maybe we were trying to understand
what makes the "Sarahs" of this world tick. I was hoping we might find
someone here who could shed a ray of light on this. But I guess that
won't happen.
JT> I will admit that labels are among the primary enemies of humanity
JT> and that they give me fits.
I don't care that much for labels either, Jesse. But we pin labels on
ourselves. And once in a while it's convenient to be able to convey a
meaning without having to type a page and a half to do it. I think
we'd have a rough time without at least a few labels. If you can
suggest a more appropriate term that "cult" to describe a tightly
closed subset of society I'll be happy to use it. Should we refer
to them as "Sarahs". It's unfair for all members of Deaf Culture
to be burdened with that image.
JT> But can someone help me on this? Please?
What can I do to help you, Jesse? You've sure helped me.
Jack.
... Xpress Yourself!
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