BUG: Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution

Let’s Bring Back “Deaf and Dumb”

198 C H R I S T O P H E R J O N H E U E R Let’s Bring Back“Deaf and Dumb” Why do you want to get rid of the label “Deaf and Dumb?” We’re surrounded by all kinds of stupid Deaf people—it’s the perfect label for them! Case in point: Just last week, I was arguing with this Deaf guy. In ASL, he signed, “Hate English, me! Why? Stupid hearing language! Oppress Deaf, hearing! If English learn, me, encourage hearing oppress! Refuse!” English translation (roughly, anyway): “I hate English because it’s the stupid language of hearing people! Hearing people oppress Deaf people! Therefore if I learn English, I am encouraging the oppression of my own people! I refuse to do that!” See what I mean? Dumb as a friggin’ brick. Let me specify something. In my experience, you can divide Deaf people who refuse to learn English into two general groups. One group is comprised of people who were never exposed to a primary language of any kind before the age of two— either English or ASL—thus it’s not even a question of “refuse to.” They can’t learn English because they lack the linguistic foundation to do so. And what’s more, they know this. So they cover it up with false pride. The other group was exposed to ASL early on and thus does have the linguistic foundation to master a second language: English. Nonetheless they won’t learn English because they actually believe the horseshit argument given above. That’s the group I’m talking about here. B U G 199 Tell you what: Let’s reconstruct that argument using substitute premises. Instead of “hearing people,” we’ll use the label “White people.” Instead of “Deaf people,” we’ll use “Native American Indians.” Instead of “language,” we’ll use “weapons.” And instead of “English,” we’ll use “rifles.” Now the argument becomes: “I hate rifles because these are the stupid weapons of White people! White people oppress Native American Indians! Therefore if I use rifles, I am encouraging the oppression of my own people! I refuse to do that!” Hmm. Not bad, so far as the logic is concerned. Some of the points are even true! But think for a second. . . . If Native American Indians had started out possessing just as many ri- fles as the White settlers, would White people currently rule America? And if the Native American braves of yesteryear had actually made it a practice to ignore the fallen rifles of dead White settlers (rather than picking those rifles up and using them), would our current population of Native American Indians be as big as it is? I’m not arguing that English is superior to ASL in the way that rifles are superior to bows and arrows (quickly, if you had to pick, which one would you rather be shot with?). But if I were in for the fight of my life—and make no mistake about it, Deaf people living in the twenty-first century most definitely are in for the fight of their lives—I would use anything I could to win. I would study the ways of my enemy inside out and use them against him, even if he didn’t want to be my enemy. Anything that made me that much tougher to beat, I would take advantage of . . . no question about it, and no shame in it. What, do you think the CIA isn’t currently recruiting every American-born Arabic- or Korean-literate college student it can get its hands on? 200 C H R I S T O P H E R J O N H E U E R The bitter irony of this whole thing is that the above question is actually moot. The very people that it was meant for chose not to learn enough English to answer it. Sometimes Things Break Off I had a good job at the time. I had a lot of friends to hang out with. I had a girlfriend and a car that ran. It was a full life. I want you to understand this. I also had a relatively decent roommate. He was late paying the phone bill once in a while, sure; but he was a ferocious birdie-racket wielder—a good guy...