ASLforLife, That's What I Tried Last Sumemrtime on Issue of EDHI

ASLforLife and the DeafRead readers and everyone concerned,

That's why I wrote this blog posting last summertime 2008 to urge the Deaf America to block the re-introduction of the Early Detection of Hearing Loss (EDHI) bill within the U.S. Senate.

I am very glad to see some people like you and others begin to realize what the EDHI intentionally pave the way for cochelar implantizing deaf babies and youngsters than just screening and providing balanced advices and options to parents of deaf babies and youngsters.

I have not been bothered with the follow-up updates of the EDHI bill so far. I rather see the EDHI bill being dead in the process than bringing up to the table for votes. If the U.S. Senate pass the EDHI bill, then the real nightmare for the Deaf America will come beyond our imagination.

It's time for us, Deaf America to act and keep the EDHI from becoming the real law!

We also could do something about the upcoming SCHI (health insurance for children) funding proposal for cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters thru the Medicaid and other government fundings.

Our government really have no business of promoting the human engineering option or linguiscism of American Sign Langauge (ASL) at all.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDEAF blog *enclosure below from last summertime 2008 blog posting*

FYI, the re-authorization of "Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act" (EDHI) legislative bill have been recently introduced to the U.S. Senate for final voting anytime this summertime.

This bill have been passed in the House of Representatives known as H.R. 2889 last April 2008. The EDHI bill is also an amendment to the S 1712 bill known as "Screening for Health of Infants and Newborns Act" sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton in 2007. The S 1712 proposed bill have been referred to the U.S. Senate's Health, Education subcommittee twice in past year.

Many of us, deaf people are much aware of how this original legislation back in 2000, kinda responsible for spawning the path for parents of deaf babies and youngsters to get cochlear implant surgery quicker and sooner.

More and more deaf babies and children got cochlear implant surgery, BECAUSE of this damned legislation. That's what the AGBell had in mind when called and supported for the idea of newborns' hearing screening and intervention for quick way of getting deaf babies and youngsters to get cochlear implant surgery much younger than ever. NAD was too blind for supporting this 2000 legislation without making sure that every parents of would-be deaf newborn or youngster to give real options like consulting deaf agencies to get unbiased information and feedback.

"Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act" legislation led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the CI surgery for deaf babies much sooner after six months old. That's what the AGBell want to exploit parents of deaf babies and youngsters' emotional upsetness to find out about their baby or child officially screened as deaf. So parents of deaf babies and youngsters could rush to the decision to cochlearize their own deaf offspring(s) without giving a chance to see and appreciate what their deaf infant/child really is all about.

AGBell and other audiology and financial industry often got upset with the original legislation due to the lack of follow-up incentives for the intervention programs to be in gear to get parents of deaf babies and youngsters coming back for getting cochlear implant or digital hearing aids. They wanted to make sure that no cracks within the system for parents of deaf babies and youngsters leaving the hospital without considerations for cochlear implant or digital hearing aids.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the similar bill related to the EDHI programs like
H.R. 1198 last April 2008 which enabled the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the post-doctoral research fellowship program to effectively recruit researchers to become involved in early hearing detection and intervention and provide the agency authority (state agency) to support excellent family-to-family support programs developed by state EDHI programs and other organizations that are not yet widely implemented.

Why many business-oriented publications like the Forbes magazine bothered to report on the National Center on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NCDCD)'s Research Symposium on "New Mechanism in Auditory Discrimination And Speech in Deafness" at the AGBell 2008 Conference in Milwaukee? That raise many questions about real intentions of money-making incentives for American corporations to ride on the S 1712 bill within the 110th Congress's.

Here are our chances to block the Re-Authorization of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act bill in the U.S Senate to vote on! We could demand for having an open congressional forum with the AGBell and other audiology-interest groups to find out why many parents of deaf babies and youngsters and deaf clients to be heavily requested whether they want cochlear implant surgery during the simple audiology visit(s). Many deaf adults feel offended when they come to the audiology office for hearing aid-related problems and ended up of being stealthily asked if they are interested in getting cochlear implant or not.

Our elected national lawmakers ought to know what is really going on with the profit-driven industry to reel in the emotionally-wrecked parents of deaf babies and youngsters to cochlearize their own offspring without any considerable or unbiased information from any intervention programs within audiology industry and audiology interest groups.

The national lawmakers ought to explore the costly impact of cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters with the creation of federal commission to study the long-term consequences on the health of deaf individuals with cochlear implant devices. The commission must be fairly balanced staffed with deaf advocates and deaf professionals for the unbiased outcomes of the commission's findings.

Please contact your U.S. Senator(s) to hold off the S 17172 bill until the creation of federal commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigative the audiology, cochlear implant and other audiology interest groups, ex. AGBell for possible racketeering and monopolistic practices along with too many "conflict of interest" occurrences.

There are also other critics of the proposed U.S. Senate bill, S 1712 from the privacy groups about the potential government database collection on every newborns about their DNA and health ailments.

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

Milwaukee WITI FOX-TV Station Apparently Violated Federal Law For Not Providing Equal Time To DBC On Opposing Viewpoints

Milwaukee WITI FOX-TV station apparently violated the existing federal law for NOT providing equal time to Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC) last weekend to offer the opposing viewpoints on controversial issues regarding the options for language acquisitions among deaf babies and youngsters with cochlear implant (CI).

The Fairness Doctrine law created by the U.S. Congress to require the licensed broadcasting industry to offer opposing viewpoints on controversial issues without appeared biased toward anyone or favor particular individual or group.

Why the new AGBell president, Jay Wyant, solely appeared on the Milwaukee WITI FOX News' Health Center segment without someone from the DBC to offer the counterargument on the ongoing controversy on the educational method and language acquisition and development?

Please check out the AGBell website - http://www.agbell.org/ for viewing the video clip from the WITI FOX-TV station and see for yourself for new AGBell President's first television interview.

SHAME on AGBELL for not providing any kind of transcript or captions for its own members and general public on her website regarding the exclusive clip of new AGBell President's television interview! Many AGBell members and parents of deaf youngsters do use the television captions to keep abreast of any current events and news within the society at large.

To understand the Fairness Doctrine much better. Please check out any ISP- Google and Yahoo and spell out Fairness Doctrine. The Wikipedia site have an excellent description and summary of the Fairness Doctrine.

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

Mabel Hubbard Bell Frequently Told AGB Not to Sign ....

Not many people realize that Alexander Graham Bell's own wife, Mabel Hubbard Bell, frequently reminded the hubby NOT to sign in public. She ever scolded AGB at one of the dining establishment for signing before the general public.

Many deaf people found Alexander Graham Bell to be more accessible than previously thought. Alexander Graham Bell eloquently signed much better than Edward Miner Gallaudet. Mabel Hubbard Bell was one of real enforcer for the superiority of oralism over natural language of the deaf - visual communication.

Mabel Hubbard Bell's own mother, Gertude McGurdy, usually forbade Mabel's own siblings from making any kind of signs for Mabel to comprehend them very well. Mabel's mother insisted that Mabel's brothers and sisters and relatives to speak clearly and directly to Mabel every time. That's how Mabel got the kind of attitude toward sign language use.

Alexander Graham Bell got real infuriated with his own mother, Elizabeth Bell for inquiring Mabel Hubbard whether she had any "hereditary deafness" in her own family to be passed to Elizabeth's grandchildren. AGB never forgave his mother so far about this disrespectful action.

We often demonize Alexander Graham Bell for his own eugenic beliefs. No questions about AGB being the "wolf in the sheep's clothing" to sway deaf people of his time to the causes of oralism and oral education methods. AGB signed anyway.

We ought to take more close examination of Mabel Hubbard Bell whether she really was behind the force for "oralism" along with Alexander Graham Bell as her own accomplice.

Why in the world, the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) rather deprive the visually-oriented individuals, ex. deaf youngsters and babies from accomplished with the necessity of language acquistion and social/emotional development which the founder of this very same organization, ELOQUENTLY SIGNED every time AGB encounter any culturally deaf.

Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) got red-beet about one hard of hearing author discovered differently what Alexander Graham Bell had done with his research materials. AGB hid the explosive information about so-called hereditary deafness genes from the general public and academicians and scientists. Nothing new about the AGBAD's sinister ploys.

Some deaf people are much like Mabel Hubbard Bell for endlessly defending the AGBAD without any good reasons during the clash between Deaf Bilingual Coalition and AGBAD conference. Those deaf individuals ought to take a hard look at themselves what they have done so far.

Here are several links to Mabel Hubbard Bell's skimpy biography -

http://www.fitzgerald.ca/htm/bell/humanitarian.html

http://www.workerforjesus.com/df/961.htm

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

Yes, There Is Really "Conflict of Interests" Within AGB and Cochlear America, Inc.

 Yes, there is really the "conflict of interests" within the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGB) and "Cochlear America, Inc". 

  I met the "extremely nice" and 'very attractive" hearing couple last December 2007 at the Logan Circle neighborhood party after the annual house tours. I was not expected to meet anyone from the AGB that Sunday evening.  I found out that one of the couple was a sale representative with the Cochlear America, Inc.  and married to someone, who was fully employed with the AGBAD.  I kept my cool all the evening. 

  I really like this couple very much for being an enjoyful conversationalists throughout the entire evening. I feel somewhat like a sympathizer for the Nazi Gestapo back to the Germany's 1930s for not making ruckus about their questionable connection between the CI manufacturer and non-profit organization's so-called neutral and unbiased information to confused parents of deaf youngsters. 

  Worst of all, the AGBAD employee is a Gallaudet graduate, M.A.  This person keep exclaiming about being truly impressed with one of my deaf friend, who could speak vocally multilingual. That same person keep asking me where is my friend few months later after bumping into this person unexpectedly in public place. 

  After meeting the AGBAD individual, this person suddenly turned to me - "Are you one of the deaf militant on the DeafRead? That person replied "I really am disgusted with deaf militancy on the DR!". I shook my head "No". I had to reply falsely to pluck information from this AGBAD person and Cochlear America, Inc. when they dropped their personal guard for allowing sensitive information flow. 

   I did report to several individuals including Misha Zena last December 2007, but was very anguished about the whole scenario. I was under false pretense as someone else, not being myself as Robert L. Mason. I could not publicly report the connection between AGBAD and Cochlear Implant, Inc. 

   To be honest with you, I enjoyed the presence of couple very much. We chatted in ASL for the whole evening. I studied the couple closely for who and what kind of people they were. My deaf friend asked me what's matter with me after leaving the party scene. I almost vomited on the way out. I insisted to my friend that was time for leaving the place instantly. 

   The AGBAD staffer seems really know who I was at the congressional hearing last May 2008. This person was really good at manipulating emotional reactions like showing sincere concerns about my right leg from last year's auto accident. Or maybe that person really cared about me as a person. Who knows? 

  This AGBAD person notified me that the AGBAD was really overwhelmed with the conference preparation. I offered myself as a volunteer to help out the AGBAD for more inside information, but was flatly rejected on the scene right away. 

I shared my personal anguish with one of deaf friend, who happened to be the NAD member last May 2008 after the congressional hearing. That person replied "So what!" in response to total unacceptable about the conflict of interests within the AGBAD. 

  That is a time for parents of deaf youngsters and the general public to know what is really going on with the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf 's so-called unbiased stance on cochlear implant and normalization of deaf youngsters in mold and image of hearing people. 

  I finally could get off my chest about this encounter with the AGBAD staffer and Cochlear America, Inc at last. Too bad, I did not bring the digital cam that evening. Darn! 

  The whole situation with the AGBAD and DBC is really about our helpless and vulnerable deaf youngsters and babies. Those kids do need our help to fight back against the sinister and cunning AGBAD and free them to prosper in their educational studies without any hindrance. 

ASLize yours, 

Robert L. Mason (RLM)

RLMDEAF

  

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article Raises Journalistic Integrity

Jeannie Aquino and Annysa Johnson wrote the recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper article on Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC) and Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) conference.

Aquino and Johnson ever are not the regular staffers at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. Their professions are not with any journalism industry at all. Their past journalistic works never find anywhere on the online world or archives within the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspapers or other newspapers. Why??

Many newspapers and television stations and other journalistic industry usually have their own policies not to allow any outsiders or non-staffer doing news reporting to avoid any conflict of interests or compromise journalistic integrity.

The remaining questions about who the Joanne Aquino and Annysa Johnson really are.

We ought to take news reporting with "grain of salt" whether the news reporters do not have hir own agenda writing articles.


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

What You Really Could Do About DBC and AGBAD Conference!

Many of you probably could not go to Milwaukee for attending the Deaf Bilingual Coaltion (DBC) conference this June 27-29 weekend. Something you could do is to write a letter of concern or inquiry to Jeannie Aquino and Annysa Johnson of "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" for its questionable and biased news reporting about what is going on with the Deaf Bilingual Coalition and Alexander Graham Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) conferences in Milwaukee.

Here is several email address -

General letters to editor - jsedit@journalsentinel.com to express your appreciation and thoughts to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel news reporting people.

Please do not send any kind of threatening or intimidating email message. Just be brief and concise and specific what you write. The newspaper editors have such rights to edit and shorten your message. Keep in mind. Okay?

Also send c.c. of your letter of appreciation or criticism via email to Tom Koetting, Deputy Managing Editor for Local News - tkoetting@journalsentinel.com and Mark Katches, Assistant Managing Editor for Projects and Investigation - mkatches@journalsentinel.com

You ought to contact several major and local television news reporting outlets to alert them about the presence of Deaf Bilingual Coalition and Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf conferences -

WTMJ Channel 4 (NBC) - News tip phone number - #414 963 4444
FAX #414 967 5378

WITI Channel 6 (FOX) - I already left message on FOX News Tips. I urge some of you keeping to send your email message to urge the WITI FOX 6 station to send out TV newsreporters

WISN Channel 12 (ABC) - wisntvnews@hearst.com
414 937 3310

WDJT Channel 58 (CBS) - newsdesk@cbs58.com
414 607 8140

Drmzz of "Oh I See" deaf blogger/vlogger recently exposed Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD)'s sinister ploys of requesting the Hyatt hotel and Midway Center to close off the walkway between those public places. AGBAD would do anything to spew its own ideology and belief to clutch into unaware parents of deaf youngsters and babies from opening their own eyes what is really going on with cochlear implant and importance of language acquisition thru visual means.

We must do diligently and intellectually without the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf (AGBAD) successfully distort and smear deaf people as some kind of Neathederals or anti-progress movement.

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

New York City Residents Less Audistic Than DC Residents

From what my latest experience with New York City residents being less audistic than DC residents. Real surprise for me in many ways since the city of New York have the long history with oralism in its own bastiness from the presence of Lexington School for the Deaf and other school of the deaf with combined educational philosophy.

The majority of hearing people in DC, tend to expect deaf people to lipread or speak, despite of the presence of Gallaudet University in their own backyard.

Kinda annoying of many hearing DC residents being clueless about the importance of making such a request for communication preference than imposing their given beliefs and societal attitudes toward deaf people from all walks of life - oralists, CI and hearing aid users and manualists.

New York City people resorted to less paternalistic and forthcoming attitude like happily oblige to jot down written conversations right away or being more helpful toward me as "culturally deaf" person.

No questions about how much changed the New York City people have been since the 9/11 incidents. They are more responsive and considerate unlike of the past New York City I had known of.

Look forward more to frequent New York City trips due to the real bargain bus rides like the Megabus - http://www.megabus.com/ That only cost me $3.50 (three dollars and fifty cents) to ride the round trip from Washington, DC to NYC last two weeks ago. I also made another reservation for round trip from DC to NYC for $2.50 (two dollars and fifty cents) next week.

Megabus also offer the bus rides from NYC to Boston for less than five dollars or one dollar on particular bus schedules. It do offer the bus rides from NYC to Philly for one dollar or four dollars. Ten dollars to Toronto, Canada!

Megabus charter buses are really perfect with roomy legrooms, non-hassle security checkpoints, cheaper fares and free Wi-Fi uses. Who want more than dealing with the depressing airline flights?

Easy drop-offs at the Penn Station, 32nd Street from the 11th and G Street, NW (Metro Center), Washington, DC.

Foods in NYC are more splendid now due to trans fat ban within the city limits. Less tourists in NYC due to the shaky economy we are in. Tourists are treated like kings and queens now in NYC for spending our tourism dollars. Don't blow off the lifetime opportunity of going to NYC at very bargain rate. I dearly love NYC very much. DC is too socially conservative right now due to the Bush Administration's presence in DC area for past seven years.

I feel much liberated in NYC than DC. I breathe much easier in NYC than DC. Yes, I already spend more than $400 dollars during my latest visit to NYC and brought nothing. I did not regret at all for spending $400 in NYC which made my visit worthwhile.

I recently learned about the discovery of the 1600s tavern in NYC back in 1979. This execrated tavern discovery is covered with durable plexiglass to take look inside the tavern in the ground. I didn't have a chance of going there last time.

I feel more safer in NYC than Washington, DC. I am telling ya, all the truth! Of course, most important is to follow your own gut instincts and common sense for not blazing into any dangerous terrains and abandoned sites and dark alleys.

I had one disappointment with NYC was the Museum of Sex. I somewhat felt ripped off in many ways. I did not know about the special coupon to shave the five dollars off the admission fee in the first place. This museum was really great with the idea of displaying the historic sexual items like the medical device to stimulate the female part back to the 1920s, but the security guard turned off the film footage of earliest stag and sex films 40 minutes before the closing time.

I strongly believe that the "Museum of Sex" could improve in many ways. Before closing this blog posting, I also am disappointed with the Guggenheim Museum's declining state like closing two entire top floors. The latest exhibitions were not really impressive.

I always enjoy the Metropolitan Museum of Arts! This place never cease to amaze me since the childhood years in the late 60s and 70s.

NYC is more sanitized than ever. I somewhat miss the seedy days of New York City and all-out sexual escapades on the street or in bars. At least, New York City still have their own go-go boys with undies on unlike DC. No male entertainment left in DC right now due to the new professional baseball stadium construction on the "gay" Southeast block.

Male entertainment - male strippers usually get totally naked without their undies in DC, but the Williams administration (Mayor Anthony Williams) changed the DC norms of letting the male strippers dance without their underwear or Speedos. *sigh*

What a country we are living in now? I ever enjoy the female bursquelene shows, too. I love their artsy props and striptease acts. I could not help this whole stuff since I have very liberal parents and upbringing.

One more thing before closing this blog posting. There is a cheap Megabus ride from Chicago to Milwaukee. Some of you could go to the Deaf Bilingual Coalition conference and counteroffensive rally next two weeks. Okay?

ASlize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)