DeafHopeFollowUp.mov

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click this link to view the video:Deaf Hope Follow Up

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Play Quicktime version

(5:23 minutes) this video was made several days after my latest post and before the Deaf Hope Tea Party.

rough translation:
After posting the open letter to Deaf Hope, I went to the Deaf Hope website and clicked on the email links to the Board members and the CEO and left messages there. Waited a few days. Nothing. After sharing this with a few people, I was contacted by the CEO who explained that they never received my message through the website and referred my message to the Board President.

I am not happy with the responses. The President simply told me that I am welcome to attend a Board meeting to discuss the matter. They meet monthly on the 2nd Wednesday. As an organization that specializes in domestic violence and being familiar with other kinds of violence such as abuse, molesting, exploiting, slander, and cyberbullying, I expect them to constantly think and dialogue about how to raise the bar in the Deaf community, especially in our area, the CA Bay Area.

They are claiming they are doing something about problems in the Deaf community and on the internet by paying Benjamin Vess’ way to Bay Area where I reside for their Tea Party. Ben lives in Virginia, on the other side of US.

Ben become renowned the past summer for his part (among a few people) in the “community violence” against certain Californians and the Deaf Bilingual Coalition which included the 700 participants and the 6 generous skilled presenters at the conference.

Fortunately, many of us still are able to rise above the “violence” and continue work and support for Deaf babies’ right to ASL from the start in order to get the best bilingual education possible. Yet, there are also many people who were shattered from all that was said on Deaf Read which framed DBC in very negative and false way.

In spite of all this “violence against the community”, Deaf Hope still thought it was fine to support this behavior by bringing one of those leaders of this to their event. Deaf Hope has given several “excuses” such as saying that Ben Vess will be made to apologize, etc.

Nevertheless, their decision and action are wrong. I feel hurt and violated by this. They did not show me any compassion, nor any willingness to critically examine their decision and action and make appropriate changes, i.e. canceling Ben’s trip.

Another concern is their website. Access to them through their website isn’t working. Suppose someone is desperate for help from them, suppose someone is upset with the staff and needs to talk with the Board members, they will probably have to wait and probably get no immediate response.

To this day, I am still waiting for an appropriate response to my open letter. They apparently chose to ignore my explicit message and act as if nothing happened. I also understand that they brought in Ridor. That doesn’t make sense to me. I was told they are planning a kind of agreement to make peace on the internet. However, I have doubts about this idea. Several reasons:

1) The Tea Party is at a private residence. Not open to the public.
2) It costs each person $40 to get in.
3) They process each person who attends the party to maintain control of who goes..one needs to pay and be approved before given the address of the party, from what I understand.
4) Evidently, it will be a small crowd, no more than 50 people and probably the max will be 100. A very small part of the huge Deaf community here in the Bay Area, denying many many more Deaf people of this community of the chance to debate and process the idea of cyberbullying for Deaf blogosphere out in the open.

Also, they never officially announced in their flyers or website about the party that this topic would be discussed there.

I am uncomfortable with all this. The reason I am bringing this up here is because I worry about our community that Deaf Hope is supposed to serve. They are a leader here. I expect more from them. I expect them to provide the best possible service and support to us. I expect them to be fair and courageously stand up for justice for Deaf people. So far with this Tea Party decision, I do not feel that. They seem willing to make people like me feel extremely vulnerable. They seem to shift blame on others, including me. In reality, they are the ones who have the control here and can make the appropriate changes.

Again, I am still waiting for a proper, respectful response from them, recognizing my hurt, and showing that they are willing to stand up for the Bay Area community by not recognizing or endorsing any known abusers. For example, despite my open letter, they have not changed their plans regarding Ben Vess. By the way, they have claimed that many people wanted Ben Vess to come here. If that is true, it disappoints me that the community are also willing to openly endorse abusers, especially choosing them over DBC and people who have truly fought hard to bring justice to Deaf people past, present and future.

I will wait and see what happens after this.

However whatever happens, I truly cherish our people, community and language. Thank you.

(update: Since the Tea Party has happened over a week ago, I have learned a few more things, but basically my viewpoints are the same.)

comments are welcome, but only if the email addresses are real. I prefer actual names, but will tolerate pseudo names or anonymous comments as long as I am able to reach you via private email. I reserve the right to not post comments contrary to this request as well as those that indicate no intention for honest and healthy resolution or clarification