Tuesday, July 31, 2007

CMRA Done It Again! CMRA Broke Many Deaf Rules!

Sadly, Captiol Metropolitian Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (CMRA) of Washington, DC, done again by NOT really hosting the ideal place for this year's "EYE Party" which excludes the physically-challenged deaf individuals and 20s-30s generation of deaf gays, lebsians, bisexuals and transgenders (GLBTs).

CMRA recently make the formal announcement for hosting the "EYE" Party at the Green Lantern gay bar. The real problem about CMRA's Social Committee for not being inclusive and accessible with their online community, "CMRA Zoom". This committee never bother to set up the forum for anyone to leave any inputs or ideas for where we could host our annual "Eye" Party. I also am on the CMRA's Social Committee to build up the dwindling membership base and recruit new fresh blood for this social deaf local GLBT organization. I never receive any e-discussions for the selection of this year's "EYE" Party. Why an unilateral decision by someone from the CMRA's Social Committee? I already expressed my concerns and thoughts about hosting any CMRA event at the Green Lantern in the past. No accessiblity for physically-challenged (HC) deaf attendees regarding the CMRA's Dingo events.

"Green Lantern" bar is not really a perfect place for hosting the annual "EYE" Party due to the fact that it is predominately gay bar, not "mixed" sexes bar. Deaf Lebsians would feel overwhelmed with the male porn video feedbacks all over the place. The surrounding environment are too dark for DEAF EYES!!! No dance floors for deaf young 20s and 30s GLBTs!! Handful of deaf GLBTs, especially former alcoholics do not feel comfortable about going to the bar settings.

Many deaf GLBT attendees from last year's "EYE" Party told me privately, especially out of town visitors - "Is that all (looking around the place)? "Where is the dance floor?", "Don't I have to buy my own drinks after paying $10 admission? *duh* Some lebsians felt bewildered after seeing some guys in their underwears for the special "free drinks with underwears" night.

Green Lantern's spacious parking space are all gone due to the recent area development in front of the bar.

Hopefully, the CMRA's Social Committee will reconsider the hosting of "EYE" Party somewhere with the dance floor to attract and please the younger deaf GLBT generation and bright environment settings less strained on DEAF EYES.

The annual "EYE" Party ought to be not treated like a fundraising event. The CMRA board along with the inactive organizational status, should find some ways for fundraising events to pay off the remaining debts from the Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf Conference 2005 in Washington, DC.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)

Monday, July 30, 2007

Recommended "Deaf Classics" NonFiction Books Related to the AGBAB Protest

Highly recommended "Deaf Classics" NonFiction Books applied to the AGBAB Protest Controvesty -

"Forbidden Signs: American Culture and the Campaign Against Sign Language" by
Douglas C. Baynton

Magnifique book on how the Milan Conference and the proponents of oral education of the deaf dramatically turn the American society into suppressing the use of sign language everywhere.


"Never the Twain Shall Meet: Bell, Gallaudet and the Communication Debate" by
Richard Winefield

Insightful book on how and what Edward Miner Gallaudet (EMG) and Alexander Graham Bell (AGB)'s communication debates greatly influenced the mindsets of American deaf education philsophy. In the book, EMG was mainly responsible for deprieving the deaf Gallaudet students from being in the formal teaching trainings within the "Normal Department" in response to the growing threats of AGB's influential contacts at the U.S. Captiol.


"Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Herditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard" by
Nora Ellen Grace

This book clearly pointed out Alexander Graham Bell's own hyprocrisy on the study of herditary deaf genes. AGB hid his own study on Martha Vineyard's deaf residents from the general public which contradicted his own agruments about deaf genes. The AGBAB organization was very infuriated with Author Nora Ellen Grace for exposing AGB's lies and deceits. The AGBAB supplied AGB's research notes to the author. The ABGBAB people knew about AGB's deceitful practices to the general public in name of his own ideology on what deaf people should be, etc.

The benefits of signings were frequently mentioned in the mixed community of deaf and hearing people in the 19th whaling community. Many deaf and hearing people used the spyglasses to sign to each others in ahead of its time - Videophone (VP).


"The Mask of Benevolence Disabling the Deaf Community" by Harlan Lane

"When the Mind Hears: A History of the Deaf" by Harlan Lane

Note: There are several videotapes with Patrick Graybill signed in ASL reading from Harlan Lane's book(s). Check out the Gallaudet Bookstore for this Graybill videotapes.

"The Deaf Experience: Classics in Language and Education" (Gallaudet Classics in
Deaf Studies Series, Vol. 5) by Harlan Lane


ASLize yours,

Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Friday, July 27, 2007

That Would Be Real Nice if the DBEC Offer the AGBAB People

That would be real nice if the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion (DBEC) make the offer(s) which the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf (AGBAB), the medical professional and speech therapist attendees could NOT refuse.

If I am in the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion strategtic and logistical committee. I would propose for this group to call upon the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and the professional development conference attendees for an OPEN MEETING for a meaningful dialogues on the Audio Visual Therapy (AVT) greatly affect the deaf babies.

The second thing is to call the joint press conference within the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion and Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf proponents on the issue of Audio Visual Therapy (AVT).

Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion could seen as a real partner to resolve and address the issue of questionable Audio Visual Therapy (AVT) methods to deprieve deaf babies with cochlear implant from acquiring the American Sign Language (ASL) and other visual communication methods, ex. Cued Speech.

Well, both groups choose confrontational approachs, instead of resolving issues on the middle ground. Remmy the "Brer' Rabbit and the Tar Baby" story which we could outsmart and outmanuever the opponent without exhausted ourselves for all nothing.

Upstaging and upbraiding an opponent is most effective means of all. Open meeting and joint press conference where both groups could address the issue of Audio Visual Therapy in constructive manners.

Denying any individual to the conference exhibit booth is most undemocratic and unacceptable way. At least, we are on the private property like the Marriott Gateway Hotel and the Crystal City Underground Mall. We have to embrace the no-win situation of having the public demonstration on the private property.

The AGBAD people seems choose to agnotize and suppress than offering open arms to us work out on the issue of Audio Visual Therapy. We could see that the medical professionals and speech therapists at this AGBAD-sponsored professional development to be real frightened about threating their well-paid salaried postitons to prey upon most vunlerable populace - deaf youngsters.

The AGBAB-sponsored professional development conference obviously responsible for the linguistic and cultural genocide among us, deaf people from being the most vibrant and socially-adjusted minority group in America.

The time for us to demand for the federal legislation to give the American Sign Language to be under the protected status for culturally and linguistic group like us, deaf people. Many countries do give the protected status to various linguistic-speaking populace within the primary linguistic usage.

You, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf people ought not to blow out on the best chances to address the issue of Audio Visual Therapy (AVT) with the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion. We are waiting for your turn. You could not ignore or walk away from the concerned deaf individuals whose deeply care about the psycoeducational beings of deaf youngsters.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

The Untold Story of NTID as Orginally Desginated for Oralist Deaf Students!

Several NTID alumnus told me last week about the little-known story of National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, NY was originally desginated as the school for oralist deaf students, but the U.S. Congress refused to approve such an original proposal from Dr. William Castle. Unbelievable!

Thank Goodness, the U.S. Congress back in late 60s, insisted that the proposal for the NTID to serve deaf students of all linguistic and communication methods background. Dr. William Castle caved in to the wishes of the wisest and logical U.S. Congress.

We know the NTID nowaday accompanying the diverse student body within their linguistic uses and communication methods.

We are much aware of the history of Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) and the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf engaged in frightening "social engineering" of deaf people to deprieve their most practical and accessible communication effectiveness like the use of American Sign Language and natural language. For example, Alexander Graham Bell successfully persuaded the state New York legislative body to fund and operate the Lexington School for the Deaf in the city of New York to exclude the deaf students with the use of sign language.

In the end, we saw the real failure on AGB's part for his claims about helping deaf Lexington students to intergrate fully into the society at large. The Lexington graduates ended up formed their own deaf social club and not participated in any hearing civic societies.

Nature always come to the works of mystery which we, human beings could not able to master our human destinty. We ought to let the nature taking its own course, not meddlings from the likes of Alexander Graham Bell proponents.

We ought to call for the formal investigation into the NTID's taxpayer funds for engaged in the exclusivity of other deaf people from being one of the sponsor of the Alexander Graham Bell's professional development conference for medical professionals and speech therapists.

Will there be the formal boycott against the Marriott, Inc for their lack of proper handlings of dissenters and protestors without any senstivity training(s) regarding culturally deaf populace? Hope so!

Before closing this blog posting. Yes, this blog ought to enclose historical documentations involved the original proposal for the NTID's exclusivity of deaf student signers and catered to oralist deaf students only in timely manner.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Thursday, July 19, 2007

ASL Family Day During the AGBAD Research Conference??

That would be really nice to have the "ASL Family Event" on Friday, July 27th near the research conference for medical and speech therapy professionals in Crystal City area (Arlington, VA).

Concerned Deaf individuals and opponents of limited educational methods option for deaf youngsters, ought to bring their own families including vibrant deaf children, especially signers. Our presence with deaf children signers will be surely upstage the medical and speech therapy professionals with the lively language usage of American Sign Language.

Deaf signers among deaf youngsters would ask the medical and speech therapy professionals a simple question - "What's wrong with me?", "I don't see why you want to fix me","I am really doing fine in my school and excel in many subjects", "I fully use American Sign Language" and "Do you still want to deprieve my own rich cultural and linguistic upbringing or what?"

The "ASL Family Day" at the Virginia Highlands Park would be a perfect opporunity for attracting the families and individuals of the deaf to get together and make our presence clearly visible to the attendees of medical community and speech therapy professionals and make them feel little uncomfortable. Deaf individuals could just patronize the nearby eateries and coffeehouses and stores within the proximity of the hotel where the research conference on the AVT therapy and other methods held.

We could have the fundraising event at the Virginia Highlands Park like serving burgers and other foods to support the fund directly into the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion. We could have our own fun at the same time. Our presence surely will make the research conference attendees totally uncomfortable. Just two blocks from the Crystal City Gateway hotel. The street address is 1600 S. Hayes Street a block from the Pentagon City Fashion Centre (mall/shopping center), too.

Few of us could dress up like Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) with the rear head side of wolf in sheep's clothings. We could have the ASL skits and meetings at very same place. That is much better than going all the way to Gallaudet University's Student Activity Center (SAC). Raising $$, Making Our Presence in Non-Threatening Manner, Hold Meetings and Expressing Our Concerns in Very Visible Way. AGB impersonators and street theatres, ASL skits, fun activity for families of the deaf and clothing wears with our own messages. So we don't have to apply for the permit within public demonstration or deal with the local police.

We surely could waltz into the Crystal City Gateway Hotel on the way to the Underground City (shopping venue) and Metrorail station. The attendees of this research conference and hotel management could not do anything about it.

The media people would dig us pretty much for our own approach and creativity without going thru much hassles and troubles.

Let's have the "ASL Family Event" during the mid-day and whole evening time for the deaf protestors and deaf locals of Metropolitian Washington area to unload ourselves for the full blastin' time. More and more numbers of deaf presence will make ourselves like real formidable opponents to the medical community and speech therapy professionals.

Virginia Highlands Park, 1600 S. Hayes Street

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Sign Language Under Protected Status For Cultural and Linguistic Minority

World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) leadership of 2005-7 unveiled their ad hoc report on the partnership of the WFD and the United Nation on the development of formal recongnizance of sign language, ex. American Sign Language (ASL) to be under the protected status for cultural and linguistic minority, ex. deaf signers.

Before the WFD membership body and country represenatives convenued in Madrid (Spain) this week. Estimated 32 countries across the globe already had sign language of their countryperson under protected status for cultural and linguistic minority, ex. Australia.

Hopefully the United Nation finally approve the formal recognizance of sign language to be placed under protected status for cultural and linguistic minority in timely manner.

The remaining question about the United States's response to the United Nation's approval for placing the sign language including American Sign Language under protected status. We know how our own country under the Republican leadership's usual defiance of the United Nation's postiton on various issues.

When our native and acquired language like the American Sign Language (ASL) to be formally recognized under the protected status for cultural and linguistic minority. What will be the real impact of ASL under the protected status? Will there be any controvesty within the political, social and economic landscape in the United States regarding ASL under the protected status.

That will be a real victory for us, the deaf American community at large to be finally embraced with true appreciation and respect for the visual-spatial language from ASL to LSF.

The latest impact of sign language under the protected status already occurred in the "Down Under" (Australia) which the use of Signed English no longer possible implented in several Australian classrooms of the deaf. See that??

We have to await for the incoming reports from the NAD and deaf United States representatives after their World Federation of the Deaf conference. *Waving hands to real hardworking WFD ad hoc committee and chairperson*

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Piece of Advice for AGB Protest

Desires of seeing the upcoming counteroffensive protest against the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf in Crystal City area (part of Arlington, VA, too) to be successfully implented next July 27-29th.

Most important of all is to hire the reputable and trusted public relations agency for mastering the media handlings on the behalf of the Deaf Bilingual Education Coalition. We really could find the public relations agency to give us a "trial-run" account or pro bono as part of securing the long-term contract. We are against the real Golitah like the multi-millionaire and influential powerhouse, Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf and the Volta Bureau.

Glad to know that John Ebgert and the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion decide to have selected individuals to be fully authorized for speaking with the media than having handful of individual protestors sputter out conflicting statements and messages. That have been happened during the "Unify for Gallaudet" protest.

Hopefully will see the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion participants and team leaders to have the organizational leadership structure from the media coordinator to the official spokesperson (if necessary) to tactical counteroffensive training coordinator how to deal effectively with the law enforcement officers and hotel management.

Highly recommended for videotaping every media interviews and press conferences and protest activities for our own protection and organizational video archives, etc. Using the video library for future disputes with media people if they distort such statements from the Deaf Bilingual Education Coaltion.

Setting up the registration site for interested individuals to help out with the upcoming protest against the AGBAD and weed out any possible sabeteours and inflirators. The registry of protest and organizational participants could be truly effective for future network contacts. Keep the registry only to the authorized individuals from any kind of misabuse or privacy violation.

Shane Feldman of the DeafDC.com, surely gave effective advice what we could make real difference within our counteroffensive activities against the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAB) like re-arranging the makeover of the AGBAD board members and at large member and tilt the board consesus to the pragmatism of practical and workable deaf educational methods.

Ricky Taylor aka Ridor on his blogsite, "RidorLive.com" on his bubble guru, told many of us to go ahead with the protest. I profoundly agree with him as how we embrace the protest in respectful and peaceful manners without verbally abuse or engage in hostile mannerism.

Well-dressed protestors and organizational representatives are real necessity for the media image. Avoid wearing any casual tank top and t-shirts and cut-off jean shorts. Just wear comfortable short-sleeve shirt and khakis and light color-coordinated clothes. We want to represent the best image of ourselves to the society at large and media people. Excellent image presentation of ourselves would save such embrassment as compared to the well-dressed conference attendees. Just one day for protest participation and the sake of public image within the deaf community at large, especially the signing community.

Rallies and public demonstrations are no longer an effective tool of getting the public attention. At least, we could make our presence known to the AGBAB people and their supporters and cochlear implant manfacturers and medical comnunity that we are definitely watchful of their intentions, agendas and network power mechanisms.

Memorable slogans and clear-defined mission statments for this ucpoming AGBAB protest are real MUST. Printed brochures and media packets and additional resources are valuable tools for effective media communication with media reporters and editors and publishers.

Call for the donations from the deaf retailers like related non-fiction books from the "Campaign Against Sign Language", "Twain Shall Meet" and past publications and studies on the questions of oral educational methods toward deaf youngsters. Those resources could be vital tool for media reporters and other people to comphrend why we are doing such thing like the counteroffensive protest against the AGBAB current leadership. Use AGB's own hyprocritical postitons on the use of sign language and herditary deafness research studies against the contradications of the AGBAB's philsophy and agenda for deaf youngsters.

Worming in the organizational structure is truly effective and time-saving approach as what Shane Feldman of the DeafDC.com implied in his two e-articles on the upcoming AGBAB protest.

Check out the use of parlimentary procedure at the AGBAB conference. We could use the parlimentary procedures to our favor within protecting the rights of minority voice for meetings/conferences in general.

Hosting the informal pre-conference party at the hotel or on the first night of conference to schoomoze and to get know the AGBAB delegation people and members and attendess. Persuasive skills with kind and thoughtful pose often win the minds and hearts of opponents from how we treat those people.

Gather all kind of information from the finanical supporters of the AGBAB conference and organization itself and membership body what make them click and respond.

Drawing up the agreement form for any interested participants within the protest activities to be committed to the conduct of rules within the Deaf Bilingual Education Council for respectful and proper and non-threatening behaviors during the protest or non-protest time. If someone do not engage in agreed behaviors and be asked to leave the premise and do not consider him or her to be affilated with the Deaf Bilingual Education Coalition. The agreement form could keep the DBEDC from any kind of liability if someone go too far or not comply with the ideals and goals of the DBEDC organization.

Prepare for any kind of worst within the protest activities or meetings. Work closely with the local law enforcement unit and officers to keep everything under control. The law enforcement people would greatly appreciate when we coordinate openly with them to prevent any misunderstandings or communication breakdown.

Call the Arlington County Police and Sheriff Department about the permit for public demonstration in advance. Whether you or the rest of organizational people do not have any plan for public demonstration. Just do the permit inquiry as part of the Plan B, C and D, E.......

I could go further on more stragetic means for the upcoming AGB protest, but not rather publicly post them on the very public forum like the DeafRead. Will engage in private e-correspondences with the Deaf Bilingual Education Council and other supporters without exposing our plans, etc.

The last thing is to contact the civil liberties organization for sending one of their lawyer to monitor our protest activities and keep abreast of any police misconducts and false accusations, etc. The assigned lawyer and the team would keep protestors from being unfairly arrested or wrongly accused.

Ryan Commerson, FSSA student leader, learned much from the people of the NVCA during the "Unity for Gallaudet" for effective strategies and other things.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog