04/22/2010
Dear Karl White;
I would like to take the opportunity to say that we, deaf community, appreciate you for the things you have done to help deaf babies. I learned about you through a recent legislative hearing at Sacramento, where AB 2072 hearing took place.
The reason I'm writing you is because I ran into a video at facebook showing the conversation between you, David Reynolds (Core member of Deaf Bilingual Coalition) and Ralph Singleton (President of California Association of the Deaf). Apparently somebody had you set up without your consent and video taped the conversation between the three of you. Upon seeing the video I made a hard copy because I felt that the source of the video would eventually delete it and sure enough it was, within the next fifteen minutes. And then I sensed that you were being set up by somebody with an intention to take your comments out of context.
Sure enough, few hours passed before somebody posted a smaller version of the video and called you an audist (an oppressor against deaf people) in the facebook for saying 'no'. Upon seeing it I created a new v/blog showing the entire video to show the entire video and was able to re-establish the truth. This vlog generated close to 4,000 views in the past 24 hours with nearly 100 video comments, seen at http://www.deafvideo.tv/72976. All of the commenter under my vlog expressed disappointment and disbelief in how David Reynolds and Ralph Singleton handled themselves. Many of my fans expressed their appreciation for you especially when they saw that you knew some sign language.
I'm known for bringing Deaf Bilingual Coalition down to their knees after I opposed their rally in Milwaukee few years ago when they rallied against AG Bell. They had the support of the entire ASL community but after I was done with v/blogging about them (DBC) they only had less than 100 supporters nation wide. Most of the deaf people do not support them any longer. In turn these same DBC people started a new movement known as Deafhood Foundation. They rallied once again thinking they would have a new lease on life with a new mask but it did not fly for very long. They tried the tactic again and invented a new mask known as Audism Free America. It did not fly either because we kept v/blogging about them, showing them for who they really are, that of self-appointed radical activists.
Having said this, please know that these self appointed DBC, AFA and CAD leaders do not have the backing / support of the ASL community. Their support base is very small. To give you an idea, their visible network do not exceed more than 100 people. And when they run a nation wide campaign on something they have not been able to register more than 800 petition signatures from the ASL community.
I just wanted to relay some of the messages that I've received from ASL community. They appreciate you and they support AB 2072. They support all communication options and we trust that you do as well.
Regards,
Barry Sewell
aka TheHolism and DRHocokan
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Everybody, FYI, this letter was sent directly to Karl via email and it's being posted here for the ASL community to see.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I received a response back from Karl White this morning. He thanked me for the letter and said he began receiving nasty emails last night so he knew something was going on. After reading my letter he began to understand why.
ReplyDeleteHe stated that he'd be in touch later today after attending another urgent deadline. He went on to say that the captioning on my video said 'Kirk White' instead of 'Karl White', and that he thought it'd be better to say EHDI leader instead of EHDI Chairman, because “Chairman” implies there is a formal organizational structure or an elected position, and that is not accurate.
In closure he thanked us for our supportive efforts.
Do you really want another Native American type of genocide?
ReplyDeleteSojourner, deaf genocide won't happen simply because we're not of a tribe, a race or a gender.
ReplyDeleteOur language and culture are based on deafness, a medical condition according to the first definition of any dictionary. We have such language and culture because we can not hear, therefore our issues are based on our medical conditions. Ask yourself this question. Would you know ASL if you were not deaf? The answer is no, likely not. Therefore the culture and language will diminish only because of improvement they make in the medical field, not because of genocide.
Look at the bright side, the Native Americans survived. They continue to exist today and they're thriving in many areas. Same thing happened to the Jews, Blacks and other minorities. But they all are still around today. What does that tell you? We won't be any different. The fear factor you tried to spew won't work in this information age.
Best if we prepared our people for a soft landing than 'shock & awe' that's around the corner.
Interesting vid. Do you have a link to the link to the second vid that is smaller and calls him an audist? I am curious to see that vid.
ReplyDeleteAlso what catches my attention is that no one has pointed out that Ella Mae has no knowledge of the legislative process. Watch her video
" AB2072 - Who Got a Birthday Gift? "
Watch the part between :30 and :40 and see where she says whole state assembly will vote on it. She said "150 or 180" with confused look. There are only 80 assembly members for the State Assembly in the State of CA. Not "150 to 180". Surprised no one has caught that she made a big gaffe and doesn't even know how many members there are in the State Assembly.
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ReplyDeleteI am most curious what Karl has to say about the video.
ReplyDeleteHow can Karl be an audist when he went to so much trouble to learn sign language? All the more reason to trash that word into oblivion.
Its not only based medical... its more of how we adapt to what we are born with. We are born with no hearing, therefore, we adapt. Through that adaptation, a language emerges as well as culture.
ReplyDeleteBe careful with exploiting your own people for personal gain.
Candy,
ReplyDeleteI will keep you guys posted on whatever he has to say about it.
I agree about trashing that word to oblivion. Exactly my feeling since day one because I knew it'd be put into bad use such as this instance. Simple shameful.
Sojourner,
ReplyDeleteA simple correction for you. I was not born without the ability to hear. I can hear some sound and can hear quite well except for high pitched sound. The degree vary greatly between all of us so the stereotype you just used does not ring true.
And it was exactly my point. If you were not born deaf you would not find the need to adapt, therefore a different language and culture would not emerge.
Personal gains? Show me how I've gained from this personally? I've not profited a pretty penny from speaking my mind... furthermore I don't get paid for teaching workshops the way you deafhoodized few do.
Naturally Ben. Naturally!
ReplyDeleteHi Iamnotrepublic. I've also downloaded the shorter version that was released by Mike Schmidt (DeafOIC) in which he labeled Karl White as an audist. It's visible pretty much every where in the facebook.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in statingthat Ella has no knowledge of legislative proceedings. I know this personally because I've met with her several times during my tenure with DBC, enough to know three things. One, she does not have any clue on how legislative bills are drafted. Two, she does not understand political & legal language one would use in a bill. Three, she only understand the things she want to understand.
Embarrassing, is not it?
Hmm... why does a culture need to be color-related only?
ReplyDeleteSojourner,
ReplyDeleteWhere did I say a culture need to be color-related only?
To post here under my blog is a privilege. Use it wisely.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteAre you implying that you are representing the deaf community? I didn't appoint you.
Next time, please keep everything to yourself instead of saying everyone supporting you. Video messages do not tell you that every one supports your statement because you blocked a lot of people.
Thank you.
Football,
ReplyDeleteInstead of asking the question, kindly point my attention to where I might have said that I represented the deaf community?
Regardless, it's a taste of your own medicine. It's your turn to understand how many of us felt when your self appointed leaders ran DBC, AFA, deafhood and acted as if you represented us. Think about it. Don't like what I'm doing? Quit acting that way yourself.
Sorry but I haven't seen it on FB. I am a Gallaudet graduate and a lot of my friends are from Gallaudet and have talked to several friends who are from well known Deaf families and nearly all of them don't see good legit reasons why AB 2072 should be opposed. Most of these folks are recent Gallaudet graduates and are probably more educated and diplomatic than the folks opposing AB2072 so I don't see them linking the video on their FB walls. Will do a search for it.
ReplyDeleteThere are many folks throughout CA that don't know how the legislative system works but the good news is that there are several Deaf young up-comers in CA that do understand the system. Give them a few years before they emerge and start becoming politically savvy to lobby state politicians for changes to state laws. Wait a few years, by then the people you see now will be in obscurity (retired and etc) while the more diplomatic young Deaf leaders will emerge in CA.
But the biggest irony is what? They complain that they were "locked out" from being involved in the drafting of this bill yet they claim they are working on a bill with an unnamed State Senator that is better. I wonder if they even are letting other folks get involved with that bill they are drafting. I am Deaf and have a Deaf son and would love to be involved and have tried asking around who is that State Senator so I can figure out if it their attempts are legit. If its a termed out State Senator or quiet unknown GOP senator then I would think there is no chance in hell that anything can be done realistically since it is a very liberal state. I haven't gotten an answer as to who that State Senator is. I have asked some leaders several times and they can't give me a name. Then I e-mailed Sheri Farinha. Never got any response from her. I hope they get their act together and do eventually try to propose new legislation to improve the Deaf community's access to resources in a proactive way and not in a reactive negative way. When that happens you will see the community get a lot more done.
You said that..
ReplyDelete"We, the deaf community, appreciate..."
Watch your own words. I don't support AFA, DBC, etc either but I don't support your comments either.
I resent anyone representing me without asking me first.
Thank you very much.
Wrong Football.
ReplyDeleteI said, "We, deaf community, appreciate..." not "we, the deaf community, appreciate...". Not sure why you threw 'the' in there. Shame on you. In case you did not know it, there is a huge difference. If I said the deaf community' then it would have indicated the whole deaf community but I did not.
Nice try.
For iamnotrepublican. Just received information from somebody that had an answer to your question.
ReplyDeleteThe senator that Ella has referred to about collaboration on the NHSP reform is State Senator Darrell Steinberg, who represents the Sacramento area. He is a member of the CA state senate.
Ella mentions the senator's name on her Oppose AB 2072 vlog, BTW.
Interesting. Thank you for pointing that out, I didn't catch his name in that vlog.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing they are working with Steinberg. He is the Senate President Pro Tem and pretty much tied for most powerful Dem in Sacramento with State Assembly Speaker John Perez.
If they really were working with Steinberg, they would have a winning bill by now. Steinberg is actually very busy right now with the state budget and other more pressing state issues in the State Senate so I just have a difficult time imagining he is helping them. This is like saying that Harry Reid is helping NAD write a bill. That would never happen since he is the head of the Senate and has more pressing issues to worry about. Same goes for Steinberg.
Hi DJ Stacey,
ReplyDeleteIn my personal view many deaf people are in a panic mode because they were led to believe that they are some kind of tribe, race, or gender. They continue to fail realize that no matter what this world will always see them as a disabled group of people. By this I mean, our own unique language and culture still does not change their (world's) view of deafness. To them deaf will always mean exactly that, a medical conditioned disability.
Therefore, any solutions they come up with whether it be cochlear implants, stem cells or DNA mapping, they see it as a form of assistance to help deaf people just as they would for any other disabilities. They really believe that they are being generous and doing deaf people a wonderful service by helping them. The notion of genocide will never make sense to them no matter how you paint the picture.
Let's suppose they come up with a cure next year and they are able to cure 90% of deaf babies and turn them into hearing babies. It'd still leave us with some deaf people on the face of this earth. They'll never wipe us off the map but our quality of life as deaf people will get worse due to living in a much smaller deaf world. But they will never wipe us off the map.
Regardless of whatever they decide to do and whenever they're able to do that, they will never take one thing away from us. We belong to the very basic race, that of human beings. If they cured the deaf they can never take that 'human being' away from us therefore, what genocide?
Once again, it's strictly my view and may not be shared by many ASL community who continue to fantasize a deaf world, a deaf town and a deaf island.
DJ Stacey, thank you too for raising good questions and points as well.
ReplyDeleteI did not pay attention to whether you said 'many' or 'all' It's an argumentative point anybody could make. Many, all, few, somem, and such. I don't pay attention to that because NOBODY has the real statistics to know. We just know one thing for sure. Deaf people are the minority of a society. And then within the deaf community there are many different groups. ASL is one of the smallest deaf group, making us the minority of a minority group. In essence we're talking about ASL community as a minority of a minority of the majority. Common sense prevails here.
I don't doubt the desires behind Deaf Culturalist who are fighting for their very survival, in face of many different factors including but not limited to AB2072. Who can blame them? I agree. However what's inexcusable is the lack for strategic approaches. Want to win an argument with the legislatures who create bills? Study and understand how it's written. Study and understand the ramifications of legal languages that are used. Study and understand politics and the process involved. Understand the odds we're against and utilize what little strategy we have. Failure to understand these underlying points is exactly why these deaf culturalists are going in circles and not accomplishing anything. They've run into brick walls every where they went. When are they going to realize that something isn't going right?
One does not make a case by resorting to fear factors. Instead one learns how to compete and market their goals and points. Nothing wrong with wanting to preserve it. What's wrong here is the approaches they've been using. It is not going to work at all.
Understand strategic planning and marketing niches and you'll begin to see the difference.
One small example here. True story. My hearing friend and I acquired several old historic building back in 2000. After cleaning out the interiors we decided to demolish the buildings because they were unsafe. Before we did, we decided to end our partnership and split our lots. We both demolished some buildings and that leave both of us with a huge pile of bricks. This hearing guy advertised to give his bricks away for free because he wanted to get rid of them. I advertised to sell my bricks for $1.00 a piece. Guess who ran out of bricks first? I did. Nobody came to take his 'free bricks' offer. How come? He had no strategy plan and did not understand marketing. I had a strategy plan and I understood marketing. I went to all the right sources and spoke to the right people and got paid for my bricks and they were gone in no time. This hearing guy still has his bricks today and does not even know how to get rid of it.
I see the same thing happening in the deaf community. Their messages are not getting across the table.
Hi again Stacey.
ReplyDeleteYou think better with a football in your hand? I do too. Ha ha.
I agree with you on the point you just made on grammar issue, referring to 'the' and the lack thereof.
I'm always damned for everything I say so, yes, in essence you're right.
Oh. The Senators will pass the bill. The chatters among Senators are already indicating an easy passage. They're not raising questions about it, which is an indication of easy passage. You'd know if it might fail by listening to the chatters and if they're asking many questions. This one is relatively quiet among senators, which tells me one thing. It'll pass.
ReplyDelete