When I seen the original e-announcement from the Audism Free America via blog posting last month ago (February 2009). My first reaction - "Will this kind of rally being truly effective or make any real impact in the heart of Georgetown residential area?" "Will the mainstream media come down to cover the real peaceful deaf rally outside the Volta Bureau, home office of the AGBell?"
Time comes, I begun to see the full picture of what the AFA people tried to accomplish on the issue and awareness of existing audism within the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf's past actions.
Yes, the Volta Bureau is in the very heart of Georgetown residential area zigzag across from the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School (Christian school) where many VIPs (Very Important People like the U.S. Congress and major corporations) often send their own children to this private school.
The Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School will have its own musical play on that Friday and Saturday night - pretty busy for quiet Georgetown Friday night!
Georgetown University is five to ten blocks away from the Volta Bureau (AGBell home office).
The very public area is the M Street down from the Volta Bureau, then the Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest on the east side three blocks away.
Many historical significant homes like President John F. Kennedy's Georgetown home few blocks away from the Volta Bureau. Two Alexander Graham Bell houses are in the Yellow Business District area between Dupont Circle and Farragut North.
Back to the questions of whether the AFA rally will be truly effective or not.
From my observations of what the AFA people have been doing lately - pretty effective and practical and determined and passionate.
That is very real historic and lifetime event for many of us, deaf people! We finally get ourselves coming together to conduct the peaceful rally (demonstration) and vigil facing the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf's Volta Bureau. It never have been done before!
What about the mainstream media coverage??? I am fully sure that there will be the presence of mainstream media covering the AFA rally. Why??? This rally is in DC at that time! Much easier for the mainstream media outlets coming to the Georgetown area since many television stations are located in the Upper Northwest area - north of Wisconsin Avenue. The Washington Post news reporting offices are on the 15th Street, NW.
The Georgetown community in DC is very small and tight-knit which will inflames gossips among its residents of what is going on with the AGBell's stealthy tasks with deaf people. The AGBell do recognize the possible severity of the impact from the AFA rally.
I am giving the AFA people and rally the benefit of doubt. It is sure enough as time progress as the sense of worthy cause deserves our full support, presence (bodies) and financial donations.
Not only the major event in Deaf Washington (DC). There are worthy deaf events like the memorial service for Dr. Mike Kemp and his legacy to the study of various deaf regional languages around the world, the Chapter Day Awards in honor of Dr. Paddy, an author of "DeafHood - Search for Identity", the Audism Free America rally before the AGBell and Deaf Professional Happy Hour (pure social time!) that weekend.
At least, the AGBell will have a meeting with the AFA people is the first step to productive and fruitful collaboration for the long-term strategy concerned deaf babies and youngsters for the real needs of language and intellectual development. That is pretty effective of the AFA rally so far. Or our eyes pulled with wool by the AGBell. Who knows?
The whole world is watching this AFA rally. Every of you, too.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Monday, March 30, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Robert - I hope you will post video of the event. It is time to show the world.
ReplyDeleteABC,
ReplyDeleteI would love to shoot countless videos and post them on my blog for the whole world to check out the AFA rally.
I am down in South Florida right now for past few weeks. I am currently looking for new place to rent or buy.
I meant to buy the airline tix to DC next week, but I have some priorities to be attended. I probably will buy the last-minute plane tix. Who knows?
I will be definitely in DC next May 2009.
I also have to buy new videocamera, too. Or someone will loan it to me. Who knows?
Let's see and wait. Okay?
RLM
Nope. I don't think it will do a single bit of good.
ReplyDeleteYou need to see this from the perspective of the hearing world. Think AG Bell is doign the right thing. AG Bell is helping deaf children learn to speak and "rejoin" the hearing world. To them, it is a great and wonderous thing, and why on earth should that be stopped?
Sorry, never gonna happen...
I smell a scandal coming up and it's called "Audismgate". It's the deaf community, not the hearing people, the ones that birthed and raised the audism monster theyre fighting these days.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIocX1CVeio
Miss Kay's Parents sound like some Whites who said the same thing about MLK's MMM. Negative parents can harm Kay's emotions in the future.
ReplyDeleteShaking head in disgust
Miss Kay's Parents sound like some Whites who said the same thing about MLK's MMM. Negative parents can harm Kay's emotions in the future.
ReplyDeleteShaking head in disgust
Just being honest. Do you really think anything is going to change? If you want to change the world, instead of fighting AG Bell, focus on educating parents. If you have a good point, they will listen.
ReplyDeleteMiss Kats' Parents,
ReplyDeleteConfronting the AGBell is the key to real success of changing the mentality of technique to deal with the language development for deaf babies and youngsters.
Everything point to the AGBell. We have to confront and resolve the ongoing problems about deprieving deaf babies and youngsters their needs for intellectual and language development.
That's what the AFA is all about.
RLM
RLM,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Miss Kat's Parents. AFA's approach will not help much at all. It will give more power to AG Bell. Look how it happened last year with DBC rally against AG Bell. AG Bell created $4 million dollars FREE Press while DBC only produce $100,000. AG Bell won. They want AFA to protest so they can produce more press. That's how public relations works.
I don't see a strong membership base on AFA's turf and I don't think it's the right time or frame of mind to bark at 1 million members. The best thing AFA can do is to compromise and support AG Bell's needs so they can support AFA's needs, too.
Audism is an excuse. OBAMA has never used the word racism because these words are very offensive to innocent people. Audism is a harsh and demanding word to accuse of.
I don't want blame game here...we need to improve our quality of life instead of blaming...time to cut the chase and move on.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteReally about the AGBell garned $4million dollars within the DBC protest.
Any hard evidence? The black civil right activits had to show the entire world about the real ugliness of racism existed in the American society by launching the peaceful marches and other things.
In the end, we had the federal laws banning any kind of systematic discrimination against anyone based on race, color of skin, creed and religion. How come?
RLM
There is no evidence of AG BEll's wrongdoing even I'm ASLIAN myself. The evidence of AG Bell is a now many Newspaper have written articles about the DBC protest...media have sided with AG Bell. Why? DBC approach was too aggressive and not professional at the protest. A reporter asked all the protestors a question with a flyers that they had to fill out or answer his request...most of them didn't answer it. AG Bell's appearance with all its members are mostly professional and DBC's protestors looks like a welfare bed ridden.
ReplyDeleteThe reporters have asked questions and they don't see any AG Bell's wrongdoing, period. They see success on ci kids when DBC accuse of something that isn't factual enough. DBC lost the game big time and media have produced 4 million dollars worth of free press. USAToday, CNN, etc all over the world...and DBC has gotten only less than $100,000 worth of press. DBC lost the game and so will AFA.
You guys need to approach differently and accept that CI is succeeding on all grounds.
95% of AG Bellians are working people oppose to DBC demographic is roughly 70% on welfare.
By the way, 4 deaf institutions will be closing down and more to come because Government has recognize the system isn't working since deaf students from institutions whom have graduated ended up on a welfare at 87% under SSA sources while mainstreamers have produced employment after school term at 65%. 65% are working and Government recognize the cost saving and a wise investment.
You tell me, how the heck you guys come up with AFA and bark at big organization like AG bell with 87% unsuccessful result from the ASL institutions?
Don't get me wrong here...I'm backing all deaf institutions at 100% but I'm disappointed how hypocrite we are by using DBC or AFA as a tool for an excuse. It has to be other way around to execute the problem we need to resolve. I noticed that every one of us misses 1988 Gally protest and trying to reuse that tool...this is 2009 not 1988!
FreezePOP
If people want CI it is not business of anyone else. There are other real problems deaf could be look at instead of waste time with silly protest. And if it better to be deaf why do we see silly little cry baby poems on email saying 'feel sorry for me as I will never know the sound of rain / child / toilet flushing and how I live in world of silence boo hoo woe is me.'?
ReplyDeleteDeaf have civil rights like all other people have. No one say you have to catch other bus or anything separate. Worry about real issue! FreezePop say deaf institutions closing, that is bigger worry. Where are protesters now?
I will say differently about institutions closing, if they not work properly they should close but protesters should protest that institutions that not work were opened and that deaf given something less good than what everyone else get. To protest on CI is waste of time when there is real issues for deaf having worry about.
ReplyDeleteI will reply tommorow Sunday afternoon when I have some time. Okay?
ReplyDeleteRLM
Unbelieved it! CI is not fair on deaf. It is going too far! Hearing always taking off deaf! Hearing always stealing our honey, you’ll understand when they steal yours! Hearing expect us to act like mature responsible adult when it not our culture.
ReplyDelete