Paul at Greater St. Louis Association of the Deaf (thanks to BB)
Paul's Commentary:Deafhood Reconstruction or Destruction by E. Lentz:
Watching Ella's video, I agree with her about Paddy Ladd's quote: "Deafhood is.... "The total sum of all positive meanings of 'Deaf', past, present and future; all the largest meanings of what Deaf people have been, are, and can be." That is a positive thing to do!
I agree about Paddy Ladd's quote - "Deafhood is a process to decolonize our mind, body, and spirit from colonialism." St. Louis Deaf Community is suffering from plantation mentality. It is a concept of how deaf behave and think under colonialism. We need to deprogram our friends from that area of colonialism.
Definition of Colonialism: The destruction and replacement of indigenous cultures by powerful cultures. (this is a form of plantation mentality going on in St. Louis). With St. Louis's 4 oral programs, they have been oppressing the Deaf community since 1914. They ran a radio program one day we were hosting deaf awareness week years ago. This is a pure example of colonialism.
From Ella Mae Lentz's powerpoint: Colonizing Deaf People:
* Denial of real power over decisions affecting our lives.
Paul's comments: Yes, it happens from birth to grave.
* Denial or replacement of language.
Paul's comments: Yes, they threw out ASL and try to use Oralism for their false facade.
*Denial of identity:
Paul's comments: Yes, It is self-explainatory.
*Denial of association with our people.
Paul's comments: Yes, they have been telling us and parents to stay away from other Deaf people. They labeled them as unworthy and undesireables.
*Denial of consent for unnessary (non life-threatening)medical work.
Paul's comments: Yes, Cochlear Implanting is a bogus billion dollar industry geared to farm out deaf people.
When I said "farm out", I meant it is how audists put up programs or activities to line their financial portfolios. Whether it be doctors, scientists, researchers, counselors, teachers, and other people who have pathological attitudes. They tend to trample on deaf people's rights. This is how and why audism is rampant everywhere.
