A discussion/demand vlog: Carl Schroeder demands full and complete explanation and apology from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for deliberately disrupting what George Veditz had called "the noblest gift" of our beautiful language, American Sign Language in the 1970s. We the Deaf are still suffering what I dub as a language loss.The NAD owes our American society a sincere apology for abetting language bigotry and oppression since the early 1970s.
Friday, June 12, 2009
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5 comments:
Count me in!
Deaf Michigander
Wow. I never realized the NAD was a distributor of that disgusting book! I think NAD probably sold the SEE book at that time because oralism was still very strong, and they probably thought that SEE was "better than no signs at all", and they were trying to encourage sign language back into the classrooms. But they probably did not realize the damage that it would do to ASL and our understandings of ourselves as Deaf people.
I agree that NAD should acknowledge that they made a mistake, and reaffirm their support for ASL, not "any kind of signing".
Nothing new under the sun. I do not know why an oralist named Dr. Gerilee Gustasson, an author about SEE, was genuflected by some deaf professionals who criticised Stokoe and sneered at Gilbert Eastman's plays in ASL. That was probably the ones to whom the NAD had chosen to listen I was not impressed with Gustasson's people. (I. King Jordan supported her.)
Albeit the NAD's present officers were not there in 1970s, they should express their profound contrition and apologise to the public for progandising about SEE which does not meet the universal rules for grammar (Chomsky, 1957). Gustasson is NOT a linguist. Chomsky IS the father of linguistics. Harvard's scientist Dr. Steven Pinker ("Language Instinct, 1994) affirms Chomsky. Deaf professionals who supported Gustasson in 1970s are hiding in the sand like ostrichs.
Umm, sometimes we do things that we regret. I am sure these NAD oficers at that time regretted doing that. Since you were a professor that time and, I assumed, a NAD member? If so, why did you not speak up that time and say this is not right? We can not turn back the clock. The field of sign language was so new that time and no specific guidelines were in place. I dont think the book is in the mainstream anymore. Sometimes, we all have to let go of things and move forward. If we don't make a mistake, then we will never learn anything at all.
G-day Carl,
I had my "nightmare" journey when a SEE educator was hired to teach the ASL-English interpreter training with us in 1999-2000. Our Deaf community members and students protested and fought until she resigned from her position with us. I was in the middle of liaison between the Deaf community and the administration office. Unfortunately I ended up with an administrative consequence, protest, two miscarriages, and surgeries at the same time.
For years espciecally with my long-haul recuperation - it gained my strength to become a stronger person who stands and believes in ASL, Auslan (my first language), and English as a bilingual.
I feel that NAD acknowledges your recommendation by taking an action to dissolute MCE/SEE/SE completely from our Deaf education and Deaf communities.
Thanks Carl and commenters for standing what you all believe after witnessing many ASL's revealing stories - very raw and painful journey.
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