The DBC Hercules and the AGB Hydra
There has been some discussion on Deaf Read recently about whether or not DBC should have made AGB Assn. a focus of their efforts to spread the message that all children deserve the right to have access to sign language. Here I take a look at how AGB operates and show why DBC was/is right to put the focus on AGB.
DE said,
July 6, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
RRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTT OOOOOONNNNNN! Thanks, Dr. Don!!!
Loved your “monopoly” picture insert… very effective.
Your points… amen!
DE
Platonic's Eye said,
July 6, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
AH! Beautful messnge and staightforward fact. AGBELl has the power because of money that can buy political for their power!!! DBC is here will become very powerful voice for all Deaf babies and children in the future that will worry AGBELL in a long run I love your story of Hercules and Hydra of oralism!
Candy said,
July 6, 2008 @ 8:15 pm
You need to give us cites of many examples you gave us, because right now it is your word against theirs. I think you are exaggerating. AGB has earned the clout and power that they have. It’s time for some ASL organization to get ahead and be on par with AGB. HLAA have done a lot of lobbying work for the deaf community. Deaf community have largely been passive. Many of the bills/laws that benefit the ASL community is due to organization like HLAA.
DBC would do great to get rid of those deafhood advocates within that organization. And, then, they’d do well by ensuring that the baby screening law gets passed. Then, they’d do well by focusing on follow ups on these parents who have discovered their child is deaf. AGB knows what they need to do, so they have gotten ahead because of the strategy they have in place.
If DBC is going to be focusing on AGB, they are NOT going anywhere.
And, they just might as well continue as they are because they are nothing but a deafhood cover. So, in some ways I hope they continue to be as they are, for that very reason.
DrDonG said,
July 6, 2008 @ 11:33 pm
Candy,
If you just open your eyes and look, you can find the information.
Steve Nover has done some work on AGB’s influence through the Council on Education of the Deaf and their requirements for teacher training, curriculum, and we all know about the methodologies.
It is undeniable AGB has political influence. They have the money, and they have had the time to build those influential relationships. And just look at what they did with the Pepsi commercial. And they helped to kill the “Through Deaf Eyes” exhibit that was supposed to be at the Smithsonian about 10 years back (?)
We can see their influence on parents every day. And, the examples of what Deaf have said about themselves, their education, and language, all that can be derived from AGB’s influence.
Think about it.
MM said,
July 7, 2008 @ 3:38 am
Could it be A G Bell is getting the support because of the apparent negativity of their campaigns against everything but ASL ? People will see it is divisive, and the Gallaudet thing is still fresh in many people’s minds too,which via medias,suggested the ‘Deaf Way’ limited deaf advancement. we are presumably talking about deaf children, so perhaps better you left the politics of deafhood out of it. Every attack on A G Bell simply strengthens their argument. Their message of ‘choice’ is one you will find difficult to counter,given the many arguments we see with deaf online…. I think any aggressive ASL stance, even if positive in promoting deaf culture, is going to look non-inclusive to many, deaf culture hasn’t the advocates with the right ‘message’ softly, softly, is the better approach. You need an entirely new set of campaigners, with no axes to grind, someone more open to LISTEN.
Candy said,
July 7, 2008 @ 7:31 am
Open your eyes and look. lol
Well, if I were to try to make points on my post, I’d leave a link that cites these points. You say you’re a professor? If you were to ask your student to turn in a paper, you’d require cites or in other words, bibiliography.
DonG, I grew up in the deaf world since the day I was born and grew up in a big city deaf culture. And based on my experience, I think all this attention to AGB is misdirected. It’s not gonna get you or anyone, anywhere. Mark my words.
DrDonG said,
July 7, 2008 @ 7:53 am
MM –
AGB has had this support WAY before anybody organized any direct action against them.
Candy –
You have a point about evidence. The evidence is there, through observable means, but except for Nover, I don’t know of direct, “hard” evidence. I’m going to start working on that.
heiey said,
July 7, 2008 @ 10:30 am
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Lindsay Dunn said,
July 7, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
Funny, but I recall my first boss after grad school was an active Oral Deaf Section of AGB member. Guess what? while she was good enough a lipreader to get contracts from TV networks to “fill in the blanks when audio died”, she was a comfortable and very fluent signer who never ever questioned the place of ASL in the program she directed. Her husband was also an active member of this section of AGB and they have deaf/hard of hearing kids who also are fluent signers. I also know Alan Hurwitz and several others who were members and yet all of them were comfortable with ASL and many of them passed it on to their children. I wonder if anybody is actually offering these people a chance to tell their side? You know, life can be a paradox. Things are not always the way we think they are.
But I concur with MM and would like to add that AGB just might be thrilled at getting all this attention from us. Honest, I had never really given them much attention except for when discussing Bell’s scam (oralism), his murderous inclination (eugenicsm) and the fact he fended off over 600 patent lawsuits against his company AT&T.
Can the DBC/NAD make a dent in the AGB armor? I don’t think so. I think they are just enjoying the free publicity we are giving them and perhaps giving them the kick they need to get out of the lethargy of not having a serious opponent who can really force them to revisit their policies. Their argument probably is a broken record now. Choice. This is a free country and it is about choices offered and choices made.
Barb DiGi said,
July 8, 2008 @ 12:24 am
I would like to add that DBC got AG Bell’s attention meaning some of the curious parents actually crossed over and engaged in a dialogue as explained by Patti Durr.
Lindsay, while I respect your point of view, please go to the DBC conference so that you can make a better conclusion. I left the conference feeling confident that parents of AG Bell are revisiting themselves and exploring more about the benefits of bilingualism. We all know very well that AG Bell has overgeneralize the term, choices, shaping the media to buy their philosophy while we know that they are not for choices when it comes to ASL.