A different perspective

Lillys dad

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Last night my wife, Lilly and I were at a car dealership looking at new cars. My wife was looking around so Lilyl and I were keeping each other amused. We were sitting on a couch doing some very basic sign back and forth. We were not using our voices. I noticed a guy just stariing at us like we had a third eye. After a while this got very annoying. After I noticed that he was hearing, and he was just being rude, I decided to have a little fun with him. As I said, neither of us had used our voices yet so he probably thought we were both deaf and could not hear/speak.
After he kept staring, I turned my entire upper body towards him, stared at him, he immediately looked away. I kept staring at him until he looked back at me. I then gave him the "I hate you" sign. You know, the gesture where it looks like you are flicking sonething at him.
After doing this, I looked back at Lilly and (using my voice) said "Lilly, Do you want some water?" She responded (also using her voice) "I want water". We got up and walked away. As I walked away I looked at the guy and he was confused as hell.
I got the biggest kick out of this. But, It also showed me how some hearing people look at deaf people. Which I did not like. I actually would have enjoyed it more if I walked over and flicked him in the head.
 
While we don't always agree in philosophy, we do share many experiences in common. Those are the experiences that led me to believe that the hearing world would always perceive my deaf child as less than, and would communicate those messages to him by example. That is why I was so insistent on his being exposed to the Deaf community growing up. There, he was given a different message--one of wholeness, sameness, and belonging. I really hate the fact that 20 years later, deaf children are still being exposed to that sort of reaction.

But I say, "Keep doing what you are doing!" We do agree on the fact that rudeness and stupidity needs to be responded to in kind. You left me laughing!
 
don't stop at the Deaf community; there are people on wheelchairs, blind, etc. who get stared at too.
 
Hi Lilly's dad ,

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and I do remember my dad or mom standing up for me so many times when I was a kid growing up. I am thankful I can stand up for myself really very aggressively today. My dad and mom taught me that. That will be a very good skill to pass onto your daughter, even if no serious incidient happened, she will see what it means to be strong and stand up for yourself and for herself too. God Bless :angel:
 
"Sorry you had go through that '

That was no problem. I deal with idiots for a living. I did it just to be an ass to the guy.

As far as idiots staring and passing judgement, I am very use to that. I grew up with it. My oldest sister is severly retarded. I grew up sticking up for her in similar situations. I was the kid in elementray school that was ready to start throwing punches every time I heard someone say something along the lines of "hey, are you a retard". If it was directed at someone else, I didnt care. I was ready to fight.
Now, I realize that these people are simply pathetic and the level of igorance is not worth the amount of energy to make them see clearly. As the old saying goes "ya can';t fix stupid" But as I like to add to that, "Ya cant fix stupid, so ya might as well have some fun messing with them"
 
don't stop at the Deaf community; there are people on wheelchairs, blind, etc. who get stared at too.

Er...going even further...it is anybody who is different period and not necessarily with an obvious impairment (for the lack of a better word). It all comes down to comfort zones and people are very selective of them. Anything that forces them out of this zone gets totally discombobulated (confused) everytime. We all have comfort zones and we don't like it when we have to go out of them from time to time. Nobody is immune to this...nobody.
 
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