Saturday, February 2, 2008

Snow falls and more tidbits from this week...

Due to an unusually busy schedule this week I am going to do an entry covering this past week's events, so please bear with me.

SNOW FALLS:
Yeah, snow fell but not near the amount that the Pacific Northwest received, just enough here to cause old ladies to make a mad dash to the grocery store for milk and bread. Nothing major. As of this posting 90% of it has already melted. The places where it hasnt melted stay shaded throughout the day. And if that wasnt enough for you --- on Tuesday we had a major windstorm here with gusts up to 50 mph, or higher. There were mass power outtages and trees uprooted and blown across major highways. And sadly there were two fatalities in Arkansas from this windstorm. Tuesday morning it was 61 degrees, by that afternoon it was in the 40s. The next day it just got cold and rainy, and Thursday night it snowed for about 2 hours then quit. Then yesterday the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 51 degrees. Today it might possibly reach as much as 60 degrees, then on Monday it will be near 70! What? This is weird wacked out weather we are having!

OPEN CAPTIONS IN VLOGS:
As you know Im an avid reader and viewer of Seek Geo's blogs and vlogs. Me being raised in an all oral environment growing up I was never exposed to ASL and thus I am not fluent in it, but I am currently learning through ASL Pro.com, Lifeprint.com, and watching captioned and non-captioned vlogs on you tube and on Deaf Read.com.
But I have learned ALOT of signs from watching Geo, plus he's true to himself which is more entertaining than anything I could ever watch on TV. I have gotten to know him and he's a very fine true gentleman, and I am very fortunate to consider him one of my friends.

But when I heard about the comments on DeafRead.com about Geo having captions on his vlog, I was appalled. This very much reminded me of the ol' Crab Theory in Deaf Culture. Some Deaf want the Hearies to treat them with respect (I was raised that respect is EARNED not handed out) And want the Hearies to know more or better about the Deaf Culture. When someone like Geo - does this by providing captions to his vlogs so that ALL may enjoy and begins to build a bridge rather than a wall, he gets slammed for it. I dont understand it. Why? Because one person tries to make a positive influence in the world, some other deafies say "no no no!, that is not the deaf way! dont provide captions!" Im just absolutely speechless because 9 out of 10 times these are the same people who start having hissy fits when they are not provided open captions for theatre movies, TV shows, and whatnot. I am like - What is the difference?! Is there something Im not quite understanding? Is there something I am missing?

To sum this tidbit up - Geo - keep on keepin' on man! I love your vlogs and you've got my support no matter what is said.

COUPLE RETURNS DEAF CHILD TO ADOPTION AGENCY:
Disclaimer: There is no verifiable source of this as of yet, but this is alarming!

A couple who adopted a deaf child has cared for this child for one year. They had hoped the child could become a candidate for a CI (or Cochlear Implant) but was turned down for whatever reason, and hearing aids were ineffective. Upon learning that the adoptive mother had become pregnant, the couple decided to return the child to the adoption agency.

WTF????? Pardon my French, but this is beyond words and feeling. This is not a defective puppy you can just return to the pet shop for a refund (and thats a hot topic for me as well, but for another time), this is a PERSON a HUMAN BEING, one of Gods most amazing creations!

This shows to me that these people are very superficial and only desire for a perfect superficial child that has no defects. They raised and cared for this child for a year and decided that because she was deaf that they could no longer care for her but instead will conceive one on their own.

My main concern is for the little girl who was abandonded by her own family most likely because she is deaf, then taken in and then when the family found out she wouldnt be able to hear at all, they decided it could not be done at all. What about ASL? This girl may or may not have mental issues born out of this.

The realizes that she is not accepted because she's 'different', but this is something she cannot change, and it will become a vicious neverending cycle of self doubt and hatred. If I could I would take in the girl myself and love her and teach her that there are people out there that will love and accept her for who she is, not what she does or does not have. As a deaf/hoh mother of a hearing child I am just bound with disbelief that something like this could happen. But I guess the good thing is the girl wont be stuck with parents who resent her under the surface.

What I dont understand is, shallow hearing parents can adopt so easily, but yet deaf parents are usually warned against having children, I dont understand how this world can be filled with people whose hearts have become so hardened that they can treat their own kind with such disregard and wastefulness.

Once I am able to get a verifiable source on this I will post. But until then here are the known links to this tragedy:
DeafMomof3's Blog
Mishka Zena's Blog
The Deaf Edge
Beke Outspoke
alldeaf.com thread

That pretty much sums it up for the week - oh wait! I almost forgot, this month will be my final payment on my student loans which means in the next couple of months I hope to purchase a new truck. This will be my first major purchase so please wish me luck in finding what I am looking for in good condition! I will post updates on this as I go along!

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