I like this thread, but I am going to disrupt some of you with a very unpopular view in relation to this quote. I am not yet at the same stage of satisfaction as simplymints (but getting there) but where i differ quite sharply is that I dont respect the government (yours or mine it doesnt matter) I dont think of it as paying back government, for they screwed me over, listened to fuckwits like Deaf advisors, and so called social workers,(now service co-ordinators are even worse) they insist on assimilation and they dont want to bear the thoughts of 'owing us (d/Deaf people anything). The damages to d/Deaf people is far more severe than those stem from race issues. Races in politics is so successful mainly because they are hearing - they CAN fight back, whereas d/Deaf people the remains in the silence, even if some of the d/Deaf are 'successful' its only because a) they were hearing before, or b) not really deaf (regardless if they sign or not that's not the point (( but alot of culturally Deaf fuckwits do show their judgemental behaviour using sign as the measure of 'Deaf-ness'))
c) when half hearing or half-deaf, or indeed deaf, but 'succeed in a particular field of work' but doesnt not wish or see the point to challenge for freedom to a greater range of access but this is an unknown quality so its locks down due to lack of imagination. Access as mentioned in here not just sign language interpreters, a whole lot more, to embrace the power of 'hearing culture' to fully understand the workings of the world so a Deaf person can become a lawyer in any sense at all, not just 'lawyer for the deaf' or limited to 'family law' because the deafness constraint that certain awareness (I dont know its hard to put this to words -I'd leave it at that for now)
but coming back to paying back the government? (sic) nah I think governments owes us an apology bigtime. I dont wish to please the hearing family, community to be a 'goody good shoes' deaf , isnt he wondeful he works pays the tax... just like everyone....if like in movies or in real life we hear or read abont radical hearing talking intellectually about how crooked the governments are , and so (screen character - like public enemy the bug maker on the run from govt with Willis Smith and Gene Hackman) we dont go, 'oh you're stupid' we automatically think they must have a reason. but when it comes to a d/Deaf person to come out with a rebellious attitude we automatically think they wrong! , why is that? its comes down to stereotypes and 'normal expectations'.
so no I couldnt careless about paying back the government but as much as I like to work simply because doing nothing is not a good experience either. I guess some of you might say working and getting paid (and pay tax) is the lesser evil of the two, I suppose so. The whole point is that I dont and shouldn't and no one (those are hoh, or deaf or Deaf) should not feel bad at all !!
