Some thoughts grown out of recent discussions on Gallaudet. There are still those who oppress Deaf writers, attacking them personally instead of their ideas. The focus is on groups and their particular foibles rather than on elevating the discourse of ideas, and that pulls us all down. So in the Tradition of Joanna Russ’ “How To Suppress Women’s Writing”:
1. Hint coyly that Deaf students apparently don’t have the right to have concerns or protest, and should behave like Good Little Children (just like hearing college students do, right?)
2. When Gallaudet students do protest, minimize the issues by pretending “only” “some” Deaf people are concerned (when in fact the concern often exists in many parts of our community, articulated or not.)
3. Maintain that the most important thing in the world is continuing to get federal funding, not to stand up for your beliefs. (Sometimes it’s like we need that approval to validate our existence! Just like artists should take government-approved jobs to get VR.)
4. Hint that when only Deaf people are concerned about an issue, it doesn’t matter. (Nothing new; when Helen Keller came out in favor of socialism, they started replying “So? You’re Deaf anyway, what do you know?”) This is really close to Number 1, but I make a distinction between being dismissed and having your opinions prejudged as not having any importance. Keller was held up on a pedestal as a pinnacle of human achievement until she finally went against the opinions of Anne Sullivan and her early mentors.
5. Maintain that authority is more important than the voice of the people. (The administration does it so it must be okay! An easy solution when one group is rarely in the majority.)
6. Somehow, student articles represent the view of Gallaudet University – even while attacking it. (The illogic of this whole business!)
7. Deaf people are still disabled people who should listen to their betters. (Meaning, of course, anyone who agrees with the blogger in question, or who agree with the majority.)
8. Referring to your own writing, repeatedly, is a form of evidence. (So is quoting out of context.)
9. You can ignore history as much as you want, especially in favor of stereotypes. For example, even though the community around Gallaudet strongly supports Deafhood (or at least the ability of people to govern and manage themselves; where do you think the Gallaudet protest banner came from, the first time?) and Gallaudet and its pre-college programs provide much to the community, this doesn’t serve the oft-repeated stereotype of Deaf people as insular and isolated.
10. When discussing Deafhood pretend it was invented by deaf people of deaf families from the Bay Area who sign ASL instead of by a hard of hearing man in England born to a hearing family who writes music and signs several signed languages. Ignore the implications. Any questions? See #4.
