Falling On Deaf Ears

It seems as though this Cold Case episode has made a lot of waves in the deaf community. I have read a lot of blogs around the episode. Some good and some very critical. I just want to weigh in a little on the issue since I blogged on it a little last entry.

I want to be clear; I don’t think that the episode was meant to draw a line in the sand around the deaf and hearing communities. I think the two can co-exist. In fact, I know they can, and I am living proof of that fact. The fact that this whole episode has caused such a stir in the community tells me that maybe it touched a nerve. All those who are saying that it creates a civil war atmosphere between the CI’s (Cochlear Implants) and the Deaf are maybe being a little defensive because deep down they know it’s true. From personal experience, I can tell you as I did before that it changed things for me. My non-CI friends did not want to read my lips and instead insisted that I sign to them. I don’t think they felt that I was a bad guy, I think they just felt that they needed to wrap themselves in the security blanket that is the deaf community and all the traditionalist ideas that come with being in that world. Remember, being deaf is a disability and for many of us, that means we tend to be very protective not only of ourselves, but also those in our community. When a perceived attack like the one from Hollywood a la Cold Case happens, the wagons get circled and the defenses come out.

I am not saying its right or wrong, I am just saying that it happens and the deaf community knows it does. We also know that we tend to protect our own and dare I say it, we also tend to shun the hearing community and maybe even go so far as to act like bigots towards them. Maybe we curse them for being able to hear. I don’t know for sure. What I do know is that attacking this episode of Cold Case only further perpetuates the invisible line in the sand between the deaf, CI’s, and the hearing world. By attacking this show for actually doing something that most television programs haven’t (focusing on the deaf community and actually using sign language in the show) we only serve to further segregate ourselves and further classify ourselves as self-absorbed outcasts. In my humble opinion, we should welcome this sort of exposure. How many people suddenly decided that maybe taking a course in ASL would be a good thing as a result of seeing the beauty and expressiveness of ASL? Is that not a good thing? Sure it is, and we all know it. I can tell you, since that show was on; at least a dozen people in the shelter have asked me to teach them some basic ASL. Would they have done that had they not seen it on TV? I think not.

All I am saying is, let’s not be so quick to condemn this show. It may anger you that it was not done to your liking or satisfaction, but please; let’s not shun what little exposure our disability gets in the mainstream hearing world. If we do that, our next message to the hearing world may very well fall on deaf ears.

LiveSTRONG

P.S. I am heading to the doctors today and will likely be starting Chemo tomorrow so I may not post again until Thursday. Wish me luck.