NAD's Missed "Golden" Opporunities on Grassroot Deaf Activism

After viewing Jack Barr's vlog posting with Darrell Roby (Jack's Eyes) which left me greatly resentful with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for lack of golden opportunities for paving the formal trainings of grassroot deaf activism how to empower, organize and lobby more efficiently for real victories on legal fronts and political maneuverings.

Where the hell the NAD have been for setting up the cost-efficient trainings, lectures and workshops how to empower, organize and lobby on the behalf of concerned deaf community?

We really need some monetary grants for regional grassroot deaf activism training how to persuade, lobby and maneuver the legislators, given community and targeted individuals.

The perfect start is with Carl Schroeder's Western Oregon University and other places for interested deaf individuals to be truly effective grassroot deaf activists and organizers.

It is TIME for many grassroot deaf activists to be paid reasonably and generously for their time and efforts and related expenses!

NAD seems more lofty being in the Inner Beltway mentality and cozy up to the AGBell and other CI proponents without laying out realistic approach and how to battle the increasingly audistic ways of the society at large.

I will be more than happy to be the trainer for grassroot deaf activism from my personal experience for being in the "behind the legislative scenes" and numerous non-deaf organizational participation.

Not everyone have an opportunity to go to the NAD's Youth Leadership Program camps. Moi never go at all.

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

Vivienne Schroeder, Deaf Tibdit, 5/19/09

Just let the DeafRead readers and viewers know that our own Carl Schroeder's deaf daughter, Vivienne Schroeder recently graduated from Gallaudet University last Friday, May 15th.

Vivienne Schroeder will seek the master degree after this Gallaudet graduation.

Let us wish Vivienne Schroeder all the best and success within her graduate studies!

All of you could see what Vivienne Schroeder really look like in her videocast for the VL2
Center. Here is an enclosure - http://vl2.gallaudet.edu/student.php?id=33 or type
"Vivienne Schroder" on the search log of http://www.gallaudet.edu/

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

NYC's Deaf Population Dwindling

Handful of Deaf New York City residents admitted to me that there are increasingly dwindling numbers of deaf people living in the Big Apple's 2009 than ever.

The unknown factors like the changing economy, the cost of living and job opporunity probably play the pivotal role in rapidly shrinking number of deaf NYC residents.

There used to be frequent social gatherings for deaf NYCers every week, not at this time.

Many deaf New York City residents felt that they were unfairly rejected for decent job postitons. More and more deaf NYCers end up working for the retail industry.

All related informations are based on secondary source, not the primary information.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)

PROBLEMS WITH FOMDI.COM

Real surprised about having problems with TaylerInfoMedia's "Fomdi.com" for the search of locating captioned first-run films at selected theatres.

When came to South Florida last March 2009. I was in somewhat a mood for first-run film viewing. I typed "Fort Lauderdale, FL". Guess what?

No captioned films in Fort Lauderdale area. I decide to check out captioned films in Miami area. Guess what? The list of captioned film availability found for Fort Lauderdale area. Whoa!

If not for my deterative thinking, I would never find out about such theatre in Fort Lauderdale screening the captioned first-run films in the first place.

I went to New York City (NY) for a major event last week. I checked out the Fomdi.com to see if there were any captioned films shown in NYC. Guess what? Nope!

I recalled from my personal experience dealing with the Fomdi.com back to last March 2009. I figured out instantly and typed "Newark, NJ". Good enough that there were several captioned films being shown in NYC like J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" film being shown at the Regal Lincoln Square 12 theatre on Friday morning at 10:05am. Just one film screening for "Star Trek" at that same theatre and no following showtime later that weekend.

I ended up viewed "Wolverine: Origin of X-Men" film with RWC (rear windows captioning), not my original choice for "Star Trek" film. I managed to watch the full Star Trek film without captions. Of course, I wouldn't pay for the non-captioned film at all. Just sneaked in as usual.

Why not? Who (the deaf) want to pay for any film without captions? That is my own personal protest against the movie theatres for not showing other films without captions or pigeonhole us into watching particular film without much customer choices for other film viewings.

I hopefully will view "Star Trek" film with open captions at the Regal Cypress theatre this weekend. I wonder about other deaf people being not resourceful as I am. They would eventually find out that there are no captioned films being shown in their area or travel destination.

I always am very grateful to Tayler for the creation of FOMDI.com and thank him all the hard works for serving the deaf community at large. My heart go to Tayler and the DeafRead. :)

Please share your personal experience dealing with the Fomdi.com and help Tayler to improve and finesse the search engine for captioned films being shown somewhere. Thanks.

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

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

Deaf America - L'Chaim, U.S. Flag Burning Not Illegal At All!

 L'Chaim, popular vlogger on the DeafRead and DVTV, needs to realize the constitutional fact on the freedom of expression of burning (desecrating) the U.S. flag under the U.S. Constitution's "First Amendment" is pure legal. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_v._Johnson

 The U.S. Supreme Court declared that the citizens have the right whatever they do with our U.S. flag in 1989. The U.S. Congress tried to pass the law to forbade the U.S. flag burning, but never had successfully doing it. THANK GOD! 

 Deaf people need to understand that the U.S. flag is just a piece of cloth, not something sacred. 

  FLK50 deaf vlogger have my personal admiration for being gutsy and non-conformist. *waving hands to him* 

  Patriotism is really the overrated stuff anyway. 

  Most important of all is to be patriotic is to pay fair share of taxes based on progressive income level, be a law-abiding citizen, treat citizens with respect, support the public school system and other institutions, ex. public library and other things. Not stuff money in hidden tax

havens, etc. 

  Patriotism and collectivism mentality could blind us to the destructive means of our own democracy. 

  The GOP (Republicans) were the real hypocrites whose called for the flag burning amendment to the U.S. Constitution while their own party candidate's own wife, Barbara Bush wore her blouse with the U.S. flag symbol anyway at the 1988 Republican convention. Her own husband was the Vice President George W. Bush at that time. Bush Sr. was also a former chief of the CIA. 

  According to the U.S. flag code, no one is allowed to disrespect the U.S. flag in any way like wearing the U.S. flag as something decor.   http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html 

  I used to be the flag person at the WV School for the Deaf in Romney, WV. I was selected by David West, WVSD Junior/High School principal when I was a freshman. At first, I sneered at such request and dismissed that kind of ridiculous task of putting and removing the U.S. flag every morning and after the school. The principal begged and begged me. 

  Guess what? I let other junior high students put and take down the U.S. and West Virginia flag which they wanted to do the flag duties very much than I was. Why didn't the school do the interview and choose the right flag person with much passion and patriotism? The school always choose the male student to be the flag person. *rolling eyes with disbelief* 

  I often let the U.S. and West Virginia flag got real wet during the rainstorm or forgot to take the flag after the school. I was pretty busy doing other things. No big deal for me! The houseparents and teachers often came to me and pointed out the window for the flag got wet or snowed. The U.S. and WV flags need to be washed sometimes anyway. 

  I just shrugged my shoulder and said "Someone else was supposed to take care of both flags, not me. The school frequently reminded me that I was an official flag person. I never asked for this time-wasting flag duty. 

  The entire school KNEW that I was an atheist, leftist and communist sympathizer during the Reagan Era (the 80s). They hoped to change me for who and what I was all about. I just love to snub people that way. I never was for the communist ideals anyway. I was never a pure leftist. I always love to throw people off the balance with non-conformist views and broaden their minds to the fullest extent of democratic stuff. 

  In the end, I never changed my leopard spots anyway all my entire life. Just let people do their own things. Life is too short to worry over little things. 

  We need to understand that our country is not really perfect at all or best country in the world. Same thing with the Deaf America, too. 

ASLize yours,

Robert L. Mason (RLM)

We Need More Tim Rikkers in Our Deaf Community

The Audism Free America (AFA) recently posted Tim Rikker's letter to the Wisconsin Legislature as proof of "postive-enchanced deaf activism", instead of being politically and socially passive. http://audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2009/05/response-to-wisc-bill-and-cullens.html


We really could get the Wisconsin health insurance industry on our side to rally against the Governor of Wisconsin to sign off the legislation as part of state government's social engineering to re-construct the so-called uptoian society.


We could ask the Wisconsin health insurance industry to fly some AFA members and other deaf individuals to the state captiol of Wisconsin to ask Governor (whatever his name is) NOT to sign the bill.


That is not a matter of choice at all. That is the real Nazi social engineering to create the perfect society. The whole humankind history will prove otherwise.


The Wisconsin policymakers and state governor need to realize that is not really a cost-effective method for long-term finanical cost-savings. More costly than letting the natural aspect of human physical flaws as greater reminder for us that no one could play the "God".


Still longing to see the open letter from the Audism Free America, Deaf Bilingual Coaltion, National Association of the Deaf and other state associations of the deaf.


We could send the direct message to the state and national Democratic party leaders and coordinators that we will not forget and forgive if the Democrats are more supportive of the government social engineering to re-construct the deaf community at large for the sake of AUDISM.


We also could get state and national Republicans to rally against the state and national government's overreaching incentives to force the health insurance industry and impose costly and impractical solutions in name of unproven long-term finanical consquences and questionable human ethics.


Let's set up the meeting with the Governor of Wisconsin and his staff. We have to play real smart by reaching out to the lower level staffers of Governor's office to get his attention.


We need to be politically active by siding with the health insurance industry to rally against the recent Wisconsin legislature's misguided intentions.


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