For ORALISTS: Do people ever take you seriously?

:ty: for explaining more about the current bill/budget in CA. Recently I've read a little about it but don't know much of it.
 
Bebonang said:
I am trying to type this but I get click on the wrong key and I had to start over several time but I could not give up. I am mad.

I don't understand why hearing people have to make me suffer under their power of mentality of being European mindset thinking that they can control over us, Deafies and HOH people. That is all they want is power to do what they want us to do for them. I am Native American and Whites have power over us to do what they want us or else threaten our lives with wars and diseases. They want me to be assimilate into the white and hearing society. I hate or don't like what they are doing to us. We are human being and not savage. We don't want to be assimilate into their environment. They don't care how we suffer as Natives in their society. We want to have our tradition, native language, religion and drumming back the way we were brought up. Residential schools make the Native children suffered more than what I had to go through in mainstream schools.

Being an Oralist, it sucks. It does not matter if we speak because it is about trying to understand what the hearing people are saying. It is like one way street instead of two way streets. We can talk to the person but having someone talk back to you is not working out very clearly or get lost. So it does not matter if you speak well or not.

I am very happy to sign in ASL because we can communicate in two way streets instead of one way street. Visually is a whole lot better than orally. Speaking is not important.

That is all I have to say. :(
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Yes, Beonang, this is what I've been trying to saying all along since being on AD forum. Being Oral iS only a one way street, well said. I myself, cannot and will not tolerate Hearing people's lame excuse of 'I don't know sign language so you must speak'. Visual language is the middle ground. When I was first learning sign language I was pleasantly surprised how many signs I could correctly identify for two reasons: 1. They immediately made sense. 2. Some signs just come naturally, some signs even Hearies use automatically without thinking ie: sleep, telephone, light, baseball, etc. So for a hearing person to say 'I don't know sign language' as an excuse not to communicate is total hogwash and downright lazy and selfish. Well said Beonang. :D
 
I have the same thoughts as you but it is simply ignorant people. Some can look past the hearings but its rare.
 
Hearing people are not trying to control deaf people.

Yes, communication is very important in getting people to take a person seriously. It is much harder for deaf people. Most people don't realize this. They blame it on other things and can even internalize it.

It important to understand you can't control other people.

Improve your skill and do the best you can to communicate.

As much as we try to make the world perfect, the world is never going to be perfect and that's nobody's fault.
 
Being in favor of Oralism only is like telling a Deaf person to give up on themselves. It's defeatist. It's like telling a Hearing person they cannot speak or hear ever again.
 
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i been told dont let deafness define me but hearies say that..i believe deafnes/ blind etc are a part of me thus define me to an extent it has to but it not the total sum of what you are.
if people know you deaf then they should meet you half way what ever limitation you may have,if they dont stuff them and move on
 
People don't take you seriously when you say you want to go to the WFD Conference and you tell them it will be a conference in Sign Language about Deaf Issues. They don't see why it would be important to you.
 
BecLak said:
People don't take you seriously when say you want to go to the WFD Conference and you say it will be a conference in Sign Language about Deaf Issues. They don't see why it would be important to you.
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Ohhh I have had that told to me when I announced I was moving to DC to go to Gallaudet. Stupid audists.
 
BecLak said:
People don't take you seriously when you say you want to go to the WFD Conference and you tell them it will be a conference in Sign Language about Deaf Issues. They don't see why it would be important to you.
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Have you considered the subject matter? I think you are confusing respect with lack of interest. Hearing people don't have anything to do with deaf issues, sign language or Deaf culture because it doesn't have anything to do with those people.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Have you considered the subject matter? I think you are confusing respect with lack of interest. Hearing people don't have anything to do with deaf issues, sign language or Deaf culture because it doesn't have anything to do with those people.
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right. but do they have to say, " why are you going there for?" DUH themselve.
 
Frisky Feline said:
right. but do they have to say, " why are you going there for?" DUH themselve.
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Sometimes deafness, especially when a person communicates orally, isn't so obvious to hearing people. It could be just curiosity.

I think the correct response should be, "because I'm deaf and I care about those issues".

Bottom line, if those people give you a hard time about it you shouldn't be conversing with those people.

Not every conversation is appropriate for every audience.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Sometimes deafness, especially when a person communicates orally, isn't so obvious to hearing people. It could be just curiosity.

I think the correct response should be, "because I'm deaf and I care about those issues".

Bottom line, if those people give you a hard time about it you shouldn't be conversing with those people.

Not every conversation is appropriate for every audience.
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Some of them did not think of that because they are not in their position but they need to think hard. Indeed, i have to educate them in a positive vibes about deaf culture everyday everyday!
 
VacationGuy234 said:
I think the correct response should be, "because I'm deaf and I care about those issues".

.
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Some hearing people do care about ASL, so no need to say, " i am deaf" it does not matter, it applies to anyone. Some kids who lost their voices, and un able to speak but can hear. they can sign too.
 
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Frisky Feline said:
VacationGuy234 said:
Have you considered the subject matter? I think you are confusing respect with lack of interest. Hearing people don't have anything to do with deaf issues, sign language or Deaf culture because it doesn't have anything to do with those people.
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right. but do they have to say, " why are you going there for?" DUH themselve.
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:ty: FF. My point is hearing people think Im perfectly fine without sign language because I was raised oral. They think I have no need for it. :rolleyes:
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Have you considered the subject matter? I think you are confusing respect with lack of interest. Hearing people don't have anything to do with deaf issues, sign language or Deaf culture because it doesn't have anything to do with those people.
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It is hard not to take offense when those hearing people questioned me about going to Gallaudet by asking me these kind of question like this one, for example...."Why are you going to that school if you can speak so well?"
 
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...especially when it comes from those.closest to you who should know better ouch.
 
shel90 said:
It is hard not to take offense when those hearing people questioned me about going to Gallaudet by asking me these kind of question like this one, for example...."Why are you going to that school if you can speak so well?"
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I'd say it's being a little too defensive. Why would you expect people who know nothing about it to understand it? People are not mind readers, they can't understand what they do not know.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
I'd say it's being a little too defensive. Why would you expect people who know nothing about it to understand it? People are not mind readers, they can't understand what they do not know.
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Nope, it is not being defensive. That kind of questioning is very rude. ..."THAT school..." like it is low class. It shows me how they view ASL clear as a bell. I wont accept it. Maybe you will, but not me.
 
BecLak said:
Wirelessly posted

...especially when it comes from those.closest to you who should know better ouch.
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Their opinion is that you don't need it. You disagree with that opinion. Is it because the opinion is formed with malice or that you just don't like the opinion?

Having grown up deaf, I know it's easy to think that everyone is against you. Most deaf have more trust issues than readers digest, but the truth is NOT everyone is against you because they have a different opinion(close or not).
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Their opinion is that you don't need it. You disagree with that opinion. Is it because the opinion is formed with malice or that you just don't like the opinion?

Having grown up deaf, I know it's easy to think that everyone is against you. Most deaf have more trust issues than readers digest, but the truth is NOT everyone is against you because they have a different opinion(close or not).
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It was not their place to question me about it. It is my life and I don't need to justify it. Instead, they should say "Congrats! or Good luck!". Not question me or passing judgement. I don't think everyone is against me...I don't like having to justify myself for the decisions I make about my deafness.
 
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