Re-telling Stories About Bernard Bragg in Ireland

In the celebration of St. Patrick's Day 2010, Deaf actor Bernard Bragg shared many exhilarated stories about his visit to Ireland in the 1970's.

From the NAD's deceased annual publication, Bernard Bragg recalled how he encountered the systematic division of deaf Irish people by hearing imperialists.

Bernard Bragg rode in the car with two deaf Irish hetro couple which he witnessed such an endless disputes between this deaf couple during the regular driving time. Bragg asked that couple why they keep bickering and fighting what was the right use for sign language, blah. The deaf couple were coming from the SAME town where they raised in. Why bicker over the use of
sign language whether they are right or not.

The deaf Irish couple replied "We were from different schools, one deaf school for the boys and another deaf school for the girls. That's how we always fight over the use of sign language what is right or not. "

Very common of many hearing and "Uncle Tom" deaf people resort to the stealth methods of splitting and weakening deaf people's strongholds on their own productive and festive lives like installing the codified system like "Signing Exact English", "Cued Speech" and other things.

Forced cochlear implant surgery upon deaf babies and youngsters without their permission or consent are another latest example of hearing imperialists and "Uncle Tom" deaf individuals, who usually turn our vibrant and culturally rich community into their own mirages and illusions.

Here are numerous excrept from Bernard Bragg autobiography book's "Lessons in Laughter" about his unforgettable visit to Ireland and Irish deaf people (check out page 157-161) -

http://books.google.com/books?id=PrPMTDdlm1AC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=bernard+bragg+and+ireland+visit&source=bl&ots=LAGh-HRA5D&sig=QKtaC19-cSFBO5i-yoae9S-lT34&hl=en&ei=jvWgS8qLE9OUtgfts93yBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

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