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Is this picture not badass?! Perhaps it is my half-delusional mind as a result of finals week, but I greatly enjoy it.
Peace.
Elaine
P.S.
This is definitely my best work to date, and I’m not talking about the photo because I totally stole it off a free layout example.
Over the past couple of months I have been introduced to a new culture. Experiencing such a thing is quite, what’s the right word for it, organic. Learning anything new is always a rich experience, but when it comes to culture, it is more profound. The process is rather predictable; (1) start with total ignorance, (2) become aware of said ignorance, and (3) lose/lessen that ignorance. As a newcomer to this particular culture, I feel almost like an ambassador between two worlds. That might be rather precocious of me, but it is truly how I feel. I think it is only natural to feel loyalty to that which we respect and value, so if you have come to value two cultures, you should feel loyalties to both and want both to peacefully coexist.
At this point you may be wondering what specific culture I’m talking about, or you may be totally disinterested and drifting your cursor closer and closer to the key which will exit you out of this blog. In case of the latter, I am now going to capitalize the name of the culture which I have been referring to in an attempt to catch your attention:
AMERICAN DEAF CULTURE!
Did it work? Yeah, probably not. However, many of you may not even be aware of such a culture’s existence. Many of you may think American Deaf Culture is no different than American Culture. Many of you may think that Deafness is an unfortunate disability that only limits those individuals who possess it. I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.
American Deaf culture does exist, it is entirely separate from American Culture, and the only “disability” which may be associated with Deafness is that which the hearing world forces upon it.
Now, you may be feeling offended, confused, or downright dumbfounded at that statement, but hang tight and I promise you it will get better.
I should start by saying that “Deaf” and “deaf” are two different things. Being “deaf” is being without hearing. Being “Deaf” is being a member of a culture. Not all who are “deaf” are “Deaf,” and sometimes being “Deaf” does not mean you’re “deaf.” Have I thoroughly scrambled your mind yet? Let me elaborate. Some people who are born deaf do not acknowledge their culture and are therefore not part of the Deaf culture. The Deaf culture mostly consists of those who have a serious hearing loss, but some hearing people are included too.
Within the Deaf community, deafness is not viewed as a disability. It is simply a gift. They do not feel like they are missing out on anything by not being able to hear. In fact, they think we, the hearing folk, are the ones to pity because we are so easily distracted by noise. With the invention of the Cochlear Implant,
many children (very few adults go through with the surgery) are being taken out of the Deaf world they were born into and being placed in between their old world and the world of the hearing. This is a very controversial topic as most Deaf people think the Cochlear Implant will be the death of Deaf Culture. On the flip side, many parents feel that getting the C.I. will give their children more opportunities in life. Both sides have valid points, but I cannot see any reason to get a C.I. unless you think that being Deaf is an inferior quality which should be fixed at any and all costs.
I realize I could go on and on detailing the intricacies of A.D.C., but perhaps I should save that for another blog. The lasting effect I want to get across to you, my reader, is to change your mindset towards Deaf individuals. They are not a burden on society, they are not disabled, they are no different than you or I in the sense that their deafness is simply a quality they possess, just like some of us are gifted with athleticism and some of us are not. Should those of us who are not athletic be made to feel inferior? No. Should we be treated less like humans? No. The same goes for the Deaf. They are perfectly fine the way they are, they do not need to be changed or “fixed,” and we should make an effort to reach out to them and bridge the two worlds in a harmonious coexistence.
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I recently had a conversation with a woman who expressed to me her fears concerning the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to a prison in Illinois. To loosely quote her, “When they were in Gitmo they were surrounded by water…now they can escape into America.” It took some restraint on my part to not explode with a rebuttal, but I tried my best to listen to what she was saying. I’m glad I did because I soon realized that the invalidity of her facts really wasn’t that important, what mattered was the sentiment she was trying to get across.
It brought to my attention the growing number of Americans who have a real, if not slightly irrational, fear of terror attacks on American soil; a fear which is not entirely dissimilar to the fear felt during The Cold War. Of course, it is only natural to have some lingering trauma from the acts of September 11, 2001. One of the main reasons 9/11 was so frightening was the shock felt at having an attack on “American soil.” Up to that point, we had been pretty spoiled in not having to live in a war-torn country in which stepping outside your door presented a fairly good chance of being killed. The closest and most recent comparison I can make to 9/11 would be Pearl Harbor. So, what, about 60 years in between the two disasters? To some, that seems like an impossibly long period of peace, so I think we’re pretty lucky.
What I’m really trying to get at is this message for Americans: DON’T GIVE INTO YOUR FEAR! The only thing that can come from doing so is irrational paranoia, ignorance, racism, distrust, and maybe, just maybe, another Cold War. I don’t know about you, but the thought of another Cold War is much scarier than the thought of another terrorist attack. I know it’s hard to break through that wall of fear, but you simply have to open your mind.
I have great hopes for this country. I truly believe we can change our ways and evolve into a healthier, more respectable country which can be admired for its hope, flexibility, and promise- as it once was.
Do you ever wonder what the point of this life is? You grow up, work your butt off in school in order to do what? To get a job. Why do we get a job? So we can buy food and shelter and all the other things we want. Again, why? So that we can live alone in that shelter, make that food for ourselves and do whatever else we do. Or perhaps we do it all to prepare for a family. Why do we want a family? To pass on our genes? To feel more fulfilled? To feel less alone?
At times this life seems so monotonous and pointless. And what if this is it? What if there’s nothing after this? No heaven, no hell, no reincarnation… Maybe we are all just animals with abnormally large brains who die and simply decompose into the earth and that’s the end of it. I can sometimes understand why people turn to religion; for comfort. It’s almost unbearable to believe that what I have previously stated is the whole truth.
Still, the rationalist side of me can’t deny the rather sensible notion that our own weaknesses are what create and expand religions. Maybe us humans think we’re just too darn special to be here on this planet for no reason. But why not believe in something more? If we truly are just earthly mammals with no hope of “afterlife,” then no harm can come from believing we are part of a much bigger picture. And if there does happen to be some sort of spiritual master, then kudos!
What scares me about religion and spirituality is the fact that some of the most “faithful” people sometimes exhibit behaviors that go against my own personal set of morals- morals which have been developed through my own life experiences. For instance, many religious people believe that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgendered is wrong and sinful and that people who demonstrate these behaviors are undeserving of equal respect. I happen to believe tolerance and love for all living things is very important. In fact, it seems like anything that spreads negativity just can’t be “right.” Also, so many horrible things are related to organized religion. Let’s look at Israel, more specifically Jerusalem. People are killing each other over a piece of land that is considered sacred only because of the particular religion they practice. How is that okay? It’s not. No part of earth should belong to any one human or any one group of people, especially if those people believe that God created the earth. Wouldn’t their God(s) want everyone to share the land? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming religion for the destruction of humanity, but I am saying that religion, put into the hands of us foolish humans is an INCREDIBLY powerful weapon.
To sum this mess up, I suppose everyone goes through a stage in life when they ponder the very things I speak (or type) of. What should we believe in? Is there a God or higher power? Were we put here? If so, was there a reason? Is there any hope for our kind? I, along with many other people, am completely torn. But I’m okay with that. I think it’s okay to admit that we don’t know and probably never will know the answers to any of these questions.
Yeah…..I can’t think of a good closer so, the end.
Whether we Americans realize it or not, most of our lives are spent making, spending, saving, gifting, you name it- money. Why do most of us go to work or school everyday? To make a “living.” It seems like such a silly thing to waste so much of ourselves on. I mean really, we center our lives around glorified pieces of paper? If we should worship anything, shouldn’t it be something more important? The ancient Greeks worshipped beauty and truth. Though that may seem frivolous to some, to me it makes much more sense than the current system- at least the truth part. There are so many wonderul things in this world and it seems like money just brings out the worst in us.
I suggest we start caring more about things like, oh I don’t know, each other? Or maybe this amazing planet we all take advantage of or the beatuy of sensual pleasures and everything around us which inspires us to grow into better individuals?