HOORAY FOR AFA! OPEN LETTER TO REP. CULLEN

OPEN LETTER TO REP. DAVID CULLEN -

Dear Rep. David Cullen,

I am writing you a letter of concern and expression about your public quote to the media publications on the issue of cochlear implant and societal functions of deaf people at large within the behalf of the Audism Free America.

Being a profoundly deaf person, I do find your quote - "This bill will help deaf children to function very well in the society at large, get the job and be part of the society at large" to be reprehensible and irresponsible and untruthful.

Since you are an elected statewide official. You have a responsibility of giving the balanced and accurate fact about the majority of deaf individuals as a productive members of the society, hold the job with paid salaries, pay taxes and participate in the public activities.

The recent passage of your legislation is much a reminder of the eugenics movement during the Progressive Era to cleanse and purify the so-called undesirables. Your legislation will leave very costly incentives saddled with long-term financial disaster for the state of Wisconsin and compromise the health insurance industry from delivering the real necessity of health needs.

For your information, every of us, human beings have our physical flaws. That makes our humanity real unique and vibrant for the real diversity of human race, instead of being the cookie cutter to correct the human imperfection.

If not for deaf people in existence, we would not have the finessed electric light bulb, movie camera, space travel, the Fifth Symphony, the birth of Internet, the creation of telephone/ telegram and other more amazing inventions all done by deaf people.

Thomas Alva Edison, the legendary American inventor, deaf himself. Edison often said that he was real proud to be deaf and blessed to be deaf. So Edison could focus on his countless inventions. He did cup his left ear for the portrait photography with big grin. Edison's works were much part of "conductive deafness" which led to the creation of the world's first phonograph machine.

Could you imagine that we would not have any cinematic experience on the silver screen or on our home entertainment player?

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the "Father of Theoretical Astronautics", deaf and self-taught himself. His theoretical works on physics matter and mathematics contributed to the possibility of space travel for the future generation. The Russian/USSR people had the monument to pay the endless respect for Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and thanked him for his great contribution to the humankind.

Could you imagine that the deaf individual paved the way for the possibility of space travel decades earlier?

Ludwig Beethoven, the composer of the "Fifth Symphony", latened deaf himself and composed most beautiful and soothing music. Beethoven doesn't let his physical flaw stopped him from doing his love of life and contributed to the cultural significance of our own humanity.

If not for Alexander Graham Bell and Samuel Morse' own deaf wives, we would not have the telephone or telegraph for greater modern communication devices. Both wives made great difference in their husbands' desires to bring humanity closer to the possibilities of communication over lands and seas.

The birth and creation of the Internet would be not possible without deaf individuals being involved in the infancy stage of the most revolutionized communication network ever. Vincent Cerf played the pivotal role in the creation of the Internet. The Gallaudet College students had been dispatched to the Department of Defense's research units in the late 1950s and 1960s which lend to the patchworks of communication development unit known later as the Internet in the late 1960s.

There are millions of deaf individuals' thankless contribution to the society at large. If not for the existence of sign language, the scuba divers would not have the underwater communication techniques with hands communication.

I could go further on more contributions made by deaf people to the humankind. We are more than being burdensome to the society at large and lift our human possibilities to the enrichment of daily human lives.

Please issue the public apology to the Deaf America for misrepresenting the facts about deaf people in general as soon as possible before June 1, 2009.

Thanks for your time and consideration reading this open letter to you and the state legislature of Wisconsin.

Respectfully yours,

Robert L. Mason