Okay - I will say something here and maybe I am off-track, but I'm going anyway and I'm tired of being silent.
Yes, we have differences of opinion. That's why we were made as different individuals and each one of us is unique in our own way. We should not demoralize anyone just because they are different or have a different opinion.
I think we all know this. I also think that where some here have gotten off-track is with our own experiences. We have people, both hearing and d/hoh, who come looking for some help or ideas or whatever. They may not have the correct terminology for how they want to put their request or whatever. Yes, some of them may not have good intentions, but we may not know or may never know.
Where differences of opinion come into play and the "wars" or "in-fighting" or whatever I am trying to say, come in, is when a question is asked of the current d/hoh users and answers are given, we will have a hearing parent of a d/hoh child come in and totally say the answers are wrong. Sometimes they say that the info given is too outdated. Well, granted, it could be outdated, but keep in mind, a question was asked and most of the answers that would be given usually say somewhere of "This is what I went through" or "I am a current teacher of the deaf and this is what I see". Yes, times could have changed, but it is still there in the memories of the user involved so that they can still remember the "horror', "uncomfortable", or whatever feeling they experienced.
How is a hearing parent of a deaf child supposed to know what a d/hoh person goes through. They can NEVER know what went on. They can only go by what their child tells or shares or experiences. They will never know the true feeling or experience that a d/hoh person went through. Therefore, they should not be arguing here on AD about how the d/hoh are "wrong" or "mistaken".
I feel like I should say more, but I am beginning to get very upset and it's not worth it. there will be differences of opinion, but please, remember that we d/hoh people have lived it and the hearing parents and hearing users have not lived it daily.
