Here's a great captioned video of a guy born blind who have no concept of what color is like and tries to explain to the sighted audience that it's fruitless for them to try and describe colors to him in the hope he'd understand the concept of what color is like. It simply goes nowhere. Reframe that thinking when trying to describe the concept of sound to a deaf person born completely deaf since birth who have not worn a hearing aid or cochlear implant at all, and never heard what sound is like. The idea is the same which is why the concept of sound is so important for those who can hear and discriminate the differences. You don't know what you have lost if you have never experienced it in the first place.
Concept of Color vs Concept of Sound
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Special Edition: Hazing History of Kappa Gamma
Do Greek organizations ignore their own history of hazing, especially the paddling part? It doesn't help when paddles are proudly displayed on the walls inside the lair of a fraternity house. Seeing a paddle hanging on a wall is a stark reminder of past physical abuse that have produced many bloodied and bruised buttocks in the name of "brotherhood" pledging process. You might ask yourself why someone is willing to sell their own original, vintage wooden pledge paddles on eBay? Embarrassed to have one around knowing its dark, secret history?
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Kappa Gamma's history is filled with getting caught for hazing but did they ever step up to the plate and apologized to all the pre-pledges, pledges and current members for the physical and mental abuse in the past? Maybe it's high time that they collectively as a group or least somebody with the balls to step forward and do their "mea culpas" acknowledging the errors of the organization's hazing past onto others and publicly apologize on the campus of Gallaudet University for their organization's past misdeeds? Like a publicly apology on the campus of Gallaudet University from current president of Gallaudet University Dr. Hurwitz who is the 83rd Congregation Kappa Gamma brother as a start? Not all members, pledges or pre-pledges made it through completely unscathed. Some may still carry emotional, physical and/or mental scars as a result.
It's not just the mere paddling with a couple of easy whacks. It's the handling of a paddle wielding it like a baseball bat and exacting the full force of contact squarely on the buttock turning it red, purple and blue. The goal is to injure and humiliate.
Paddling victims could receive severe injuries on their buttocks looking like this here.
Anytime you see paddles hanging on the walls of a sorority or fraternity house means they are proud of their paddling and hazing history. Why else would they display them in the first place? A paddle represents physical, mental and emotional abuse. Hazing manifest into a gang-like mentality by members in the effort to weed out the so-called "weaker" ones through physical and mental abuse in the pledging process.
Hazing comes in all shapes and sizes in terms of subtlety and obviousness with paddling being the very obvious kind of hazing exercise which is a no-no in fraternities nowadays. But it still continues elsewhere. However, there is one international fraternity on the campus of Gallaudet University, the Kappa Sigma, who believe in the simple honor and respect of their fellow human beings. From the 1990 Tower Clock Gallaudet University Yearbook, page 324:
Here's a quote to remember from a piece called, "What is a 'Real Man?' ":
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"Men belonging to a fraternity live at the contested border and boundary between acceptance and rejection."
In a 1993 People magazine article "Their Brothers' Keepers?" it referred to one incident at Gallaudet University of a pledge who experienced extreme hazing.
In 2006 another pre-pledge incident (pre-pledges are those who go through the interviewing process first before becoming a pledge) experienced the type of hazing described below has been actually corroborated by others who experienced the same thing:
According to one commenter in the 2006 Washington Post article he or she talked about how president I. King Jordan was ceremoniously paddled by a Kappa Gamma brother to become an honorary member of Kappa Gamma after he became president of Gallaudet University.
History is replete with references to hazing in the old days of Kappa Gamma back in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s seen in the old Buff and Blue archived news letters but how hazing was done and the severity, if any, is subject to discussion.
Right.
But the question is how extreme were these hazings back in the older days compared to 1980s and 1990s? I'm sure that might be a surprising find.
From an interview in the Buff and Blue about KG during the late 1940s:
Torture Period? What exactly was hazing like back in the 1940s and 1950s compared to what was documented in the 1990s onward? More references to freshman hazing from the 1960s,
Another question, why did it take nearly 80 years before Kappa Gamma was caught hazing and the organization suspended as a result? How come Gallaudet University president Dr. Hurwitz, and prior president Dr. Davila, who are both KG brothers (honorary)? Why did that take place?
Even as recent as the 106th Congregation at the March 3rd, 2005 Kappa Gamma Fraternity Trivia Bowl there is a Powerpoint slide acknowledging with pride proclaiming that the worst paddling incidents occurred during Kappa Gamma's 55th, 81st, and 83rd Congregations (1955, 1981, and 1983) as seen on slide number 65. Incidentally interesting about the 83rd Congregation is that the current president of Gallaudet University, Dr. Alan Hurwitz who is a Kappa Gamma honorary brother, also came out of the 83rd Congregation per the Kappa Gamma website. I bet there are some interesting stories that president Hurwitz could tell had he gone through the pledging (he didn't go through it) during the 83rd Congregation had he been there which is recognized as being one of the worst paddling incidents according to Kappa Gamma Fraternity Trivia Bowl document.
Slide #76 ask the question on what happened in 1981,
Slide #78,
Which confirms that some of the paddlings were so severe it caused the pledges' buttocks to turn purple and bloody. We can only imagine how pledges must have felt when they had to endure one of the worst paddling incidents in the 83rd Congregation with a bloody buttock. Imagine the stain on their underwear and I don't mean skid marks.
On slide #82 a trivia question on when Kappa Gamma received their first suspension and what was the cause of suspension. The first suspension was in 1990 when Kappa Gamma was found guilty of paddling the 90th congregation (slide #83).
Kappa Gamma was suspended the second time in 1992 on accusations of "racism" (slide #85) by a black pledge when one of the Kappa Gamma brothers attempted to act like a "black brotha" using exaggerated, offensive mannerisms of a black person. Yo! Dig me? Wha'sup? Instead of calling it like it was supposed to be, a hazing incident, it appears that this was a cover up and was called it as a racism incident instead.
On slide #86 it asks the question who was the pledge (de-emphasizing the word "pledge" in extremely small font as their way of insulting the person soon to be announced in the next slide) that started the suspension proceedings of Kappa Gamma from 1993 to 1997. Slide #87 with the answer "Kevin Clark" in a font so small you'd have to zoom in close enough just to see his name. On slide #108 it ask a trivia question to list as many probation events with slide #109 listing about 70 events such as the "48 Hour Period," "Goat Night," (which reminds me of the movie Revenge of the Nerds with the goat scene and some condoms for the pledges) and so on. The list of probation events ends menacingly with "Z-4, (your asses will be sorry!!)" which sounds very much like a paddling expectation despite Gallaudet University's strict policy on hazing.
In my opinion, there were three incidents where Kappa Gamma got caught hazing rather than just two. History has shown repeated references to hazing attempts and how the organization was caught multiple times for hazing suggest the need to repeat such a pattern. Let's hope not.
But here's a good thing. Kappa Gamma no longer supports hazing in any form.
What is the Kappa Gamma Fraternity’s stance on hazing?
Current and past Kappa Gamma leaders and brothers ought to stand up and make a public major mea culpa announcement and officially apologize to all of the people they have harmed through their antics, intimidation tactics, and hazings that could have caused physical, emotional, and/or mental pain. They should be at least show remorse and concern over their own Kappa Gamma's past extreme hazing instead of glorifying KG paddles hanging on their walls.
A public apology is in order.
This is the only way to get a clean slate as a fraternity with a new face and mission of no more hazing. Choosing to stay silent and not apologize disrespect those who continue to carry physical, emotional and/or mental scars. Current Gallaudet University president Dr. Hurwitz need to step up and apologize on behalf all those who cannot or unwilling to apologize to those who have suffered in their hazing experiences under the auspices of Kappa Gamma. Not apologizing means the leaders (current and past) and brothers of Kappa Gamma are not serious about moving forward and be the bigger man. Another former Gallaudet University president, Dr. Robert Davila, is also a Kappa Gamma brother who became a member in 1950 (50th Congregation), could also join along with president Dr. Hurwitz and do a joint public announcement on the campus of Gallaudet University along with many of their brothers and make a public apology asking for forgiveness. Doing that will give those who were harmed by their hazing activities the chance to forgive them for their years and years of hazing.
But will they ever come clean?
My poll results suggest that people want to hear from Kappa Gamma leaders (past and present) and brothers to publicly apologize for their Kappa Gamma's sordid hazing past for the physical, mental and even psychological harm they have caused to pre-pledges (interviewees), pledges, and brothers and those who are currently ostracized for whatever reason. It is simply not enough to have a statement on their Kappa Gamma website saying that they support Gallaudet University's anti-hazing policy. A public apology is in order.
What's more, having a statement of supporting no hazing while paddles continue to hang on the walls of their fraternity house shows total hypocrisy in light of their now anti-hazing approach in line with that of Gallaudet University's anti-hazing policy. A paddle hanging on a wall represent emotional, mental and physical abuse. Those paddles in any fraternity hanging on a wall represents a shameful history that need to go into the dust bins.
Here's a last interesting tidbit about the "H.O.S.S." It stands for "Honorary Order of Secret Society. Some say it means "Honorable Order of Silent Surds." H.O.S.S. was an early Greek organization at Gallaudet University that was founded in 1864 and disbanded in 1894 when the Gallaudet administration discovered that the dues of H.O.S.S. were used to purchase wine. Later the same group renamed their new fraternity in 1894 as the Xi Phi Sigma fraternity. It lasted until 1900 before it was disbanded again because the XPS fraternity refused to have a faculty supervise their probation activities (i.e. hazing). That same group finally formed an independent fraternity called Kappa Gamma in 1901.
And what about "H.O.S.S."? Did you ever see the scene in one of the Harry Potter movies where Harry Potter with the rest of the Gryffindor members utters a password, "Fortuna Major," to the Fat Lady in order to get inside of their own secret society within the walls of Gryffindor Tower?
Yeah?
Whatever the case, I think it's time that current and past Kappa Gamma leaders and brothers ought to own up and make a statement by publicly apologizing to all those who have suffered under their hazing practices. Only then will the healing actually begin. It takes a much bigger man to admit their own mistakes and feel bad about what they did in the past and the mistakes of their own fraternity organization. It takes a very big man to admit that and go forward for the better of all brothers and the fraternity itself.
I feel that the Kappa Gamma fraternity is still great and honorable fraternity that means good but only if they do the right thing. It's the few wayward brothers who got drunk with power and those who followed their instructions without questions are the ones that sullied the name of the Kappa Gamma fraternity organization. They are the ones who have harmed some of the pledges and past brothers with their hazing antics and physical abuse. But as an organization itself the fault lies in more ways than one.
It's time, KG. Stop stalling and do the right thing, and be a man for once. Recognize your brothers, past pledges who didn't make it, and pre-pledges as human beings. They deserve more than your century long silence on past hazing practices.
UPDATE: Why did I blog about Kappa Gamma?
UPDATE II: Why is Hurwitz listed on the KG website as being in the 83rd Congregation and called a brother and never attended Gallaudet University as a student? Is he an honorary brother? Yes. The website does not mention the honorary title which is a mistake on the KG part. The 83rd Congregation and the date of his birth would make him about 41 or 42 years old at the time. Yet, the 83rd Congregation carries the distinction as having experienced one of the worst paddling incidents. See previous blog on that one. And if he's an honorary meaning he never went through that terrible hazing incident which is good. But bad to carry the 83rd Congregation title as an honorary brother.
Kappa Gamma's history is filled with getting caught for hazing but did they ever step up to the plate and apologized to all the pre-pledges, pledges and current members for the physical and mental abuse in the past? Maybe it's high time that they collectively as a group or least somebody with the balls to step forward and do their "mea culpas" acknowledging the errors of the organization's hazing past onto others and publicly apologize on the campus of Gallaudet University for their organization's past misdeeds? Like a publicly apology on the campus of Gallaudet University from current president of Gallaudet University Dr. Hurwitz who is the 83rd Congregation Kappa Gamma brother as a start? Not all members, pledges or pre-pledges made it through completely unscathed. Some may still carry emotional, physical and/or mental scars as a result.
Paddling is one of the oldest traditions in Greek organizations, and was adopted by many Black Greek organizations. Although receiving a swift whack to the backside with a wooden paddle may seem harmless, it is possibly the most dangerous ritual. Paddling can cause blood-clots, kidney damage, blood in urine, Rhabdomyolysis, and death in many cases when symptoms go unnoticed.
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Paddling victims could receive severe injuries on their buttocks looking like this here.
Anytime you see paddles hanging on the walls of a sorority or fraternity house means they are proud of their paddling and hazing history. Why else would they display them in the first place? A paddle represents physical, mental and emotional abuse. Hazing manifest into a gang-like mentality by members in the effort to weed out the so-called "weaker" ones through physical and mental abuse in the pledging process.
Hazing comes in all shapes and sizes in terms of subtlety and obviousness with paddling being the very obvious kind of hazing exercise which is a no-no in fraternities nowadays. But it still continues elsewhere. However, there is one international fraternity on the campus of Gallaudet University, the Kappa Sigma, who believe in the simple honor and respect of their fellow human beings. From the 1990 Tower Clock Gallaudet University Yearbook, page 324:
The benefits they had to offer, frankly, were unequaled by any other organization I knew of and the concept of a warm, strong brotherhood that these men had shared caught my fancy. another valuable plus about them: they don't haze. Their stand against hazing and the belief that pledging should be any enrichness and education of character rather than abuse and strict "training and re-education" of minds and bodies only served to further reinforce my initial hunch that this fraternity was the one for me.Whoever wrote that hit the nail on the head. But a question must be asked. Is hazing, however subtle, still continuing somewhere in the dark recesses of the Kappa Gamma's building (or any fraternity for that matter) in their super-secret effort to somehow stay connected with their long tradition of hazing going back to perhaps the early 1900s? According to Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking the possibility of some level of hazing may still be continuing out of habit and connection to their own history which I hope that this is not the case for Kappa Gamma at this point.
School administrators also find it hard to halt the actions of alumni who haze (or who encourage undergraduates to haze), because penalties such as school suspension that deter students are no threat to alums. Another problem is the unevenness of enforcement across schools. In particular, many noncriminal pledge activities (wearing "dinks" or beanies, silly clothing, or pledge pins; getting members to wear undergarments; lining up without being subjected to verbal or physical abuse) are considered hazing by authorities at one institution, while the same actions are tolerated at another. Yearbooks at Gallaudet University in the '80s and early '90s carried pictures of student club members being hazed, for example, and these "harmless" initiations were vigorously defended by some Greeks. After the ex-wife of a Kappa Gamma fraternity pledge sent photographs of her ex-husband's bruised buttocks to the author and to Chuck's Eilen Stevens, Kappa Gamma officers Brian A. Bippus and Paul R. Rutowski defended their hazing activities performed behind closed doors on the Washington D.C. campus of Gallaudet.
We are not in this alone?? What a great excuse to paddle! Like lemmings following other lemmings over a cliff using their own warped justification to physically, mentally, and emotionally abuse pledges with their elongated wooden paddles."Our paddling was based purely on a voluntary basis, and it was always done with a purpose. Paddling is a common practice among fraternities and sororities, as well as secret societies across the nation....We are not in this alone."
Stevens wants all schools to ban "harmless" activities that involve the dominance of a group over non-members who wish to belong. If you allow objectionable pre-initiation rituals, you increase the odds that a tragedy will eventually occur, she said. Talking to thousands of students and parents a an activist and speaker on the college circuit has convinced her that all hazing practices enslave the hazed and hazers alike. In a 1997 telephone interview, she said that hazing creates what is tantamount to a caste system at schools dedicated to ensuring equality for all. Hazing occurs when a group perceived to have power over a new comer requires someone to do any of the following:The list continues on for another page.
*engage in servitude, run errands, and perform so-called favors
*participate in intimidation; use derogatory terms to refer to pledges; terrorize; use verbal abuse or create a hostile environment
*engage in acts of degradation such as required nudity, partial stripping, rules forbidding bathing, and games played while someone is in a state of undress
*engage in rough rituals involving physical force, paddling, electric shocks, beatings, calisthenics, and sexually demeaning behavior.
Here's a quote to remember from a piece called, "What is a 'Real Man?' ":
"Men belonging to a fraternity live at the contested border and boundary between acceptance and rejection." In a 1993 People magazine article "Their Brothers' Keepers?" it referred to one incident at Gallaudet University of a pledge who experienced extreme hazing.
The punishment was both tedious and cruel. Last February members of the Kappa Gamma fraternity at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf in Washington, D.C., reportedly ordered pledge Kevin Clark to stand in a meeting room for several hours without moving. Eventually Clark collapsed and was rushed unconscious to a hospital. He later recovered from head injuries allegedly incurred during his fall, and university officials suspended the fraternity for four years. Such pointless brutality is not unique to Gallaudet. Though colleges have tried to crack down on fraternity hazing in recent years, degrading and sometimes racist initiation activities are still common, In many schools hazing has gone underground, where it is more likely to be abusive," says Eileen Stevens, 52, who founded the Committee to Halt Useless College Killings after her son Chuck, 20, died of alcohol poisoning in a 1978 hazing incident at Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. A few students have broken the code of silence and offer a glimpse of this dangerous and demeaning rite of passage.Let me expand about the Kevin Clark hazing incident and how he successfully sued. In the 1993 People magazine article "Their Brothers' Keepers?" the incident that Kevin Clark experienced was never fully explained. During the pledging probation Kevin Clark was made to stand for several hours under the auspices of Kappa Gamma which caused him to faint and collapse on the floor or so the story goes. He was rushed to a hospital but my according to my inside sources he was taken to a children's hospital instead and was hastily dropped off at the emergency entrance like a wet rag doll before taking off into the dark of the night. This could be the case since I suspect in their panic they thought the children's hospital was the closest hospital which is approximately 2.9 miles away from Gallaudet University even though Howard University Hospital was only 1.9 miles away and much closer. It wasn't just that incident that helped win the suit (settled out of court) but pictures of severely bruised and bloodied buttocks and other documented items that helped sealed the indictment against Kappa Gamma. The Greek organization eventually got suspended for hazing.
In 2006 another pre-pledge incident (pre-pledges are those who go through the interviewing process first before becoming a pledge) experienced the type of hazing described below has been actually corroborated by others who experienced the same thing:
I did not appreciate KG for its antics back then. When they wanted to interview me, they put me in a room blindfolded and made me stay seated for a long time...then they opened the blindfold and I was shocked to find their swords aimed at my eyeballs.That was a shock test to see if these pre-pledges or interviewees were willing to go through the actual hazing pledge process and that they have the mettle and the "courage" to continue. Blindfolded in a seating and/or standing arrangement lasted anywhere from less than a few hours to several hours long according to a variety of accounts. The more well known the student is on campus the less standing or sitting he will experience. If a particular student is not "well known" on campus the longer he will stand or sit while blindfolded. This is believed to have been a common practice by practicing certain favoritism in turn for a lesser "sentence" when it came to hazing their own well known pledges.
According to one commenter in the 2006 Washington Post article he or she talked about how president I. King Jordan was ceremoniously paddled by a Kappa Gamma brother to become an honorary member of Kappa Gamma after he became president of Gallaudet University.
Many members of this fraternity work at Gallaudet as faculty and staff. Even I. King Jordan was paddled in as an honorary member after he became president. Of course, they were thrilled when two of their own made it to the final three of the presidential selection process, but dismayed when a woman was selected.If so then that would be a rare acknowledgement by a university president in 1988 that paddling pledges was seen as an acceptable hazing practice on the campus of Gallaudet University during those days. I was told that there is a picture of president I. King. Jordan posing while he was ceremoniously getting "paddled" after he became president of Gallaudet University.
History is replete with references to hazing in the old days of Kappa Gamma back in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s seen in the old Buff and Blue archived news letters but how hazing was done and the severity, if any, is subject to discussion.
As is the custom, hazing continues to be the chief interest at the present time. Painting the preps with lip-stick, making them propose to fair damsels of Fowler Hall are only two of the many situations affronting these new students. A common sight is that of an upperclassman explaining the tradition of our noted "coffin door" in forceful and authoritive language and what would result should that certain Prep chance to walk through it. It seems that at the rate they are going, the Freshmen, who were Preps themselves only yesterday, had spent their summer vacation not working in defense plants, but in thinking up new ways with which to make the life of the lowly Prep "miserable." Contrary as it may seem, the new students are apparently enjoying every bit of their hazing. The question, then, is, are the Freshmen dealing out the usual castor oil, or have they changed to honey? The Buff and Blue (newspaper), Vol. 53, no. 1 (October 27, 1944)Pledges actually enjoyed their own hazings when upperclassman figured out ways to make them feel miserable? Pledges enjoyed that?
Right.
But the question is how extreme were these hazings back in the older days compared to 1980s and 1990s? I'm sure that might be a surprising find.
From an interview in the Buff and Blue about KG during the late 1940s:
I have to say that the best memory for me was the Kappa Gamma Fraternity days. The whole experience really did it for me. It was the pledge process, the four weeks, the “torture period,” [this was before anti-hazing policies existed].
Torture Period? What exactly was hazing like back in the 1940s and 1950s compared to what was documented in the 1990s onward? More references to freshman hazing from the 1960s,
Another question, why did it take nearly 80 years before Kappa Gamma was caught hazing and the organization suspended as a result? How come Gallaudet University president Dr. Hurwitz, and prior president Dr. Davila, who are both KG brothers (honorary)? Why did that take place?
Even as recent as the 106th Congregation at the March 3rd, 2005 Kappa Gamma Fraternity Trivia Bowl there is a Powerpoint slide acknowledging with pride proclaiming that the worst paddling incidents occurred during Kappa Gamma's 55th, 81st, and 83rd Congregations (1955, 1981, and 1983) as seen on slide number 65. Incidentally interesting about the 83rd Congregation is that the current president of Gallaudet University, Dr. Alan Hurwitz who is a Kappa Gamma honorary brother, also came out of the 83rd Congregation per the Kappa Gamma website. I bet there are some interesting stories that president Hurwitz could tell had he gone through the pledging (he didn't go through it) during the 83rd Congregation had he been there which is recognized as being one of the worst paddling incidents according to Kappa Gamma Fraternity Trivia Bowl document.
Slide #76 ask the question on what happened in 1981,
"Why did the 81st Congregation go through one of the worst probations (if you were a part of that Congregation, you chicken-shits would've died after the first Hell Round!)?"And the answer was,
"Brother Fear of the T-4 had previously been Brother Death and so he whacked the suppliants as Death. The other T-4 members were forced to whack harder than him, which meant the suppliants were receiving Hell Rounds each time they were whacked."Of course, all this means they were paddled mercilessly. The next slide confirms that.
Slide #78,
"How many bloody asses were there in the 81st Congregation?"Answer:
"13 Bloody Asses."
Which confirms that some of the paddlings were so severe it caused the pledges' buttocks to turn purple and bloody. We can only imagine how pledges must have felt when they had to endure one of the worst paddling incidents in the 83rd Congregation with a bloody buttock. Imagine the stain on their underwear and I don't mean skid marks.
On slide #82 a trivia question on when Kappa Gamma received their first suspension and what was the cause of suspension. The first suspension was in 1990 when Kappa Gamma was found guilty of paddling the 90th congregation (slide #83).
Kappa Gamma was suspended the second time in 1992 on accusations of "racism" (slide #85) by a black pledge when one of the Kappa Gamma brothers attempted to act like a "black brotha" using exaggerated, offensive mannerisms of a black person. Yo! Dig me? Wha'sup? Instead of calling it like it was supposed to be, a hazing incident, it appears that this was a cover up and was called it as a racism incident instead.
On slide #86 it asks the question who was the pledge (de-emphasizing the word "pledge" in extremely small font as their way of insulting the person soon to be announced in the next slide) that started the suspension proceedings of Kappa Gamma from 1993 to 1997. Slide #87 with the answer "Kevin Clark" in a font so small you'd have to zoom in close enough just to see his name. On slide #108 it ask a trivia question to list as many probation events with slide #109 listing about 70 events such as the "48 Hour Period," "Goat Night," (which reminds me of the movie Revenge of the Nerds with the goat scene and some condoms for the pledges) and so on. The list of probation events ends menacingly with "Z-4, (your asses will be sorry!!)" which sounds very much like a paddling expectation despite Gallaudet University's strict policy on hazing.
In my opinion, there were three incidents where Kappa Gamma got caught hazing rather than just two. History has shown repeated references to hazing attempts and how the organization was caught multiple times for hazing suggest the need to repeat such a pattern. Let's hope not.
But here's a good thing. Kappa Gamma no longer supports hazing in any form.
What is the Kappa Gamma Fraternity’s stance on hazing?
The Kappa Gamma Fraternity follows and respects the Gallaudet University Hazing Policy and abides it fully. Fraternal growth should be facilitated through positive encouragement and instruction of intellectual lessons that strengthens the whole soul, not through hazing.If that's true perhaps then it's time to burn those old wooden paddles hanging on their walls which graphically represents their hazing history of emotional, mental and physical abuse and apologize to past pledges (especially those that didn't make it), pre-pledges/interviewees and even some of their own ostracized brothers for their hazing past on them who still feel the pain today.
Current and past Kappa Gamma leaders and brothers ought to stand up and make a public major mea culpa announcement and officially apologize to all of the people they have harmed through their antics, intimidation tactics, and hazings that could have caused physical, emotional, and/or mental pain. They should be at least show remorse and concern over their own Kappa Gamma's past extreme hazing instead of glorifying KG paddles hanging on their walls.
A public apology is in order.
This is the only way to get a clean slate as a fraternity with a new face and mission of no more hazing. Choosing to stay silent and not apologize disrespect those who continue to carry physical, emotional and/or mental scars. Current Gallaudet University president Dr. Hurwitz need to step up and apologize on behalf all those who cannot or unwilling to apologize to those who have suffered in their hazing experiences under the auspices of Kappa Gamma. Not apologizing means the leaders (current and past) and brothers of Kappa Gamma are not serious about moving forward and be the bigger man. Another former Gallaudet University president, Dr. Robert Davila, is also a Kappa Gamma brother who became a member in 1950 (50th Congregation), could also join along with president Dr. Hurwitz and do a joint public announcement on the campus of Gallaudet University along with many of their brothers and make a public apology asking for forgiveness. Doing that will give those who were harmed by their hazing activities the chance to forgive them for their years and years of hazing.
But will they ever come clean?
My poll results suggest that people want to hear from Kappa Gamma leaders (past and present) and brothers to publicly apologize for their Kappa Gamma's sordid hazing past for the physical, mental and even psychological harm they have caused to pre-pledges (interviewees), pledges, and brothers and those who are currently ostracized for whatever reason. It is simply not enough to have a statement on their Kappa Gamma website saying that they support Gallaudet University's anti-hazing policy. A public apology is in order.
What's more, having a statement of supporting no hazing while paddles continue to hang on the walls of their fraternity house shows total hypocrisy in light of their now anti-hazing approach in line with that of Gallaudet University's anti-hazing policy. A paddle hanging on a wall represent emotional, mental and physical abuse. Those paddles in any fraternity hanging on a wall represents a shameful history that need to go into the dust bins.
Here's a last interesting tidbit about the "H.O.S.S." It stands for "Honorary Order of Secret Society. Some say it means "Honorable Order of Silent Surds." H.O.S.S. was an early Greek organization at Gallaudet University that was founded in 1864 and disbanded in 1894 when the Gallaudet administration discovered that the dues of H.O.S.S. were used to purchase wine. Later the same group renamed their new fraternity in 1894 as the Xi Phi Sigma fraternity. It lasted until 1900 before it was disbanded again because the XPS fraternity refused to have a faculty supervise their probation activities (i.e. hazing). That same group finally formed an independent fraternity called Kappa Gamma in 1901.
And what about "H.O.S.S."? Did you ever see the scene in one of the Harry Potter movies where Harry Potter with the rest of the Gryffindor members utters a password, "Fortuna Major," to the Fat Lady in order to get inside of their own secret society within the walls of Gryffindor Tower?
Yeah?
Whatever the case, I think it's time that current and past Kappa Gamma leaders and brothers ought to own up and make a statement by publicly apologizing to all those who have suffered under their hazing practices. Only then will the healing actually begin. It takes a much bigger man to admit their own mistakes and feel bad about what they did in the past and the mistakes of their own fraternity organization. It takes a very big man to admit that and go forward for the better of all brothers and the fraternity itself.
I feel that the Kappa Gamma fraternity is still great and honorable fraternity that means good but only if they do the right thing. It's the few wayward brothers who got drunk with power and those who followed their instructions without questions are the ones that sullied the name of the Kappa Gamma fraternity organization. They are the ones who have harmed some of the pledges and past brothers with their hazing antics and physical abuse. But as an organization itself the fault lies in more ways than one.
It's time, KG. Stop stalling and do the right thing, and be a man for once. Recognize your brothers, past pledges who didn't make it, and pre-pledges as human beings. They deserve more than your century long silence on past hazing practices.
UPDATE: Why did I blog about Kappa Gamma?
UPDATE II: Why is Hurwitz listed on the KG website as being in the 83rd Congregation and called a brother and never attended Gallaudet University as a student? Is he an honorary brother? Yes. The website does not mention the honorary title which is a mistake on the KG part. The 83rd Congregation and the date of his birth would make him about 41 or 42 years old at the time. Yet, the 83rd Congregation carries the distinction as having experienced one of the worst paddling incidents. See previous blog on that one. And if he's an honorary meaning he never went through that terrible hazing incident which is good. But bad to carry the 83rd Congregation title as an honorary brother.
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Why did I blog about Kappa Gamma?
Why did I blog about Kappa Gamma?
For one, it's the despicable hazing and intimidation they have committed in the past and continued even after getting caught a few times for hazing. Did any of them learn anything at all after all those years even after getting caught repeatedly for hazing and getting repeat suspension? Sometimes I doubt that after seeing the number of hazing victims and the number of people that were intimidated in their wake. Although I'm naturally an optimistic person I leave you that with an open mind.
Secondly, the fraternity paddle represents the power to exert physical, mental and emotional abuse on their intended victims. To me, the paddle symbol does not represent brotherly love or respect for their fellow human beings but power. The power to exert control over their "lowly subjects" through physical and mental punishments during initiation rites. The kind of rites that have left lasting scars on many pledges whether they made it through the initiation or not. Seeing a paddle is really a reminder on who the real bullies are. Why continue hanging proudly the fraternity paddles on the walls? Is that what bullies do when they put their trophies of past victims on their walls?
Thirdly, despite the organization cleaning up their act and publicly supporting a vigorous anti-hazing policy the problem is the number of hazing victims they have left in their wake spanning decades. Kappa Gamma or any of their brothers have refused to publicly apologize for causing physical, mental and emotional pain on their subjects seeing them as less than human beings.
Kappa Sigma is the one fraternity at Gallaudet University that best exemplify the philosophy of brotherly respect and seeing their pledges as true human beings and as equals and not some "lowly scum" subjects who deserve to be hazed and intimidated. That is an example that all fraternities and sororities should strive for without the need to have any kind of hazing, no matter how subtle.
Of course, in any fraternity organization you have your few bad apples who insist on using their influence and power to intimidate and bully other people long after they have graduated and made a name for themselves in the working world. If they think they are safe in their place of power from their own past misdeeds, then they better think twice about that. History has a way of catching up. Yet, they continue to be the bullies they are and set bad examples and name for their own fraternity long after the fraternity has cleaned up its act of no more hazing and acts of intimidation. It is the fraternity's responsibility to confront their brotherly bullies to clean up their act and stop targeting their victims and other people through intimidation and fear.
You see? This is what hazing creates. For some victims it can create lasting emotional and psychological pain long after the initiation was completed. It is really a fraternity's own fault for creating that kind of an atmosphere that is still being felt today by some of their victims. Even though many fraternities have cleaned up their act and instituted a strong anti-hazing policy stance the problem is the many victims they left in their wake because of their own stupidity and ego.
It's time that brothers and the KG fraternity do a public apology for their intimidation and hazing practices over the years. It is the only way that will help with the healing process between them and their victims whether they are already brothers or former pledges who didn't make it. This would be a true act of unity in action rather than continue with a divisive attitude and acts of intimidation. In fact, some fraternity brothers have done exactly that by apologizing for their past misdeed and naïve behaviors like this one fraternity brother who wrote an apology letter to all the victims that he helped create simply because he was young and naive:
I support the victims. They have no voice because they were effectively silenced through acts of intimidation by instilling fear in them for even daring to speak up about past transgressions against them.
I am challenging you, Kappa Gamma, to finally do the right thing.
President Hurwitz (a Kappa Gamma brother of the 83rd Congregation who is now the university president of Gallaudet University - he is listed on the KG website as being in the 83rd Congregation and called a brother and never attended Gally as a student but is an honorary brother), do you support the victims or the few wayward brothers who continue to intimidate people into silence? Do you understand the price tag of hazing spanning decades on the human psyche and what it does to the victim's moral and self esteem? Did you also watched and did nothing? Do you not feel remorse or concerns? Do you wish to finally unify all of your brothers and past pledges and other past victims of hazing? Do the right thing, president Hurwitz and set an example.
These victims will not be silenced!
For one, it's the despicable hazing and intimidation they have committed in the past and continued even after getting caught a few times for hazing. Did any of them learn anything at all after all those years even after getting caught repeatedly for hazing and getting repeat suspension? Sometimes I doubt that after seeing the number of hazing victims and the number of people that were intimidated in their wake. Although I'm naturally an optimistic person I leave you that with an open mind.
Secondly, the fraternity paddle represents the power to exert physical, mental and emotional abuse on their intended victims. To me, the paddle symbol does not represent brotherly love or respect for their fellow human beings but power. The power to exert control over their "lowly subjects" through physical and mental punishments during initiation rites. The kind of rites that have left lasting scars on many pledges whether they made it through the initiation or not. Seeing a paddle is really a reminder on who the real bullies are. Why continue hanging proudly the fraternity paddles on the walls? Is that what bullies do when they put their trophies of past victims on their walls?
Thirdly, despite the organization cleaning up their act and publicly supporting a vigorous anti-hazing policy the problem is the number of hazing victims they have left in their wake spanning decades. Kappa Gamma or any of their brothers have refused to publicly apologize for causing physical, mental and emotional pain on their subjects seeing them as less than human beings.
Kappa Sigma is the one fraternity at Gallaudet University that best exemplify the philosophy of brotherly respect and seeing their pledges as true human beings and as equals and not some "lowly scum" subjects who deserve to be hazed and intimidated. That is an example that all fraternities and sororities should strive for without the need to have any kind of hazing, no matter how subtle.
Of course, in any fraternity organization you have your few bad apples who insist on using their influence and power to intimidate and bully other people long after they have graduated and made a name for themselves in the working world. If they think they are safe in their place of power from their own past misdeeds, then they better think twice about that. History has a way of catching up. Yet, they continue to be the bullies they are and set bad examples and name for their own fraternity long after the fraternity has cleaned up its act of no more hazing and acts of intimidation. It is the fraternity's responsibility to confront their brotherly bullies to clean up their act and stop targeting their victims and other people through intimidation and fear.
You see? This is what hazing creates. For some victims it can create lasting emotional and psychological pain long after the initiation was completed. It is really a fraternity's own fault for creating that kind of an atmosphere that is still being felt today by some of their victims. Even though many fraternities have cleaned up their act and instituted a strong anti-hazing policy stance the problem is the many victims they left in their wake because of their own stupidity and ego.
It's time that brothers and the KG fraternity do a public apology for their intimidation and hazing practices over the years. It is the only way that will help with the healing process between them and their victims whether they are already brothers or former pledges who didn't make it. This would be a true act of unity in action rather than continue with a divisive attitude and acts of intimidation. In fact, some fraternity brothers have done exactly that by apologizing for their past misdeed and naïve behaviors like this one fraternity brother who wrote an apology letter to all the victims that he helped create simply because he was young and naive:
Yet, if I truly want to be a Revolutionary Man, I have to be ruthlessly honest with myself. I have to own up to mistakes I’ve made, people I’ve pissed off, and most importantly people I either took advantage of or caused unnecessary harm to. Above all, I have to be honest about where I stepped out of my own integrity. This process requires that I leave no stone unturned.
The purpose of this post is to publicly apologize and to own up to three key mistakes I made while I was an undergraduate:
1. I watched and did nothing as others were hazed, knowing inside that it was wrong.
2. In turn, I betrayed my own integrity and hazed others. I manipulated, misled, shamed, and verbally and emotionally hurt other men.
3. When I changed my tune and realized hazing was wrong, I “came out” against hazing in a very unskillful fashion.Grow a conscious. Grow some gonads. Be revolutionary and apologize to your victims. Show yourselves to be real men by exemplifying what fraternity brothers are really like and that is to show true respect for their fellow human beings whether they are brothers or not. Move away from a boy-like mentality and finally become men with pride and respect.
In college I took part in hazing other men with the aim of unifying each pledge class and “making” pledges active members of my fraternity. A guy had to “earn” his way in, and dammit, I was going to make it hard for him. After all, I reasoned, I went through it, now he has to go through it too. I think the members achieved the desired outcome of unifying the pledge class, but the means with which we did it were plain wrong.
I had many justifications for my behavior. “It’s not really real.” “I didn’t mean the things I said to him.” “It was just a joke, all BS, just for fun.” “If this guy didn’t go through hell week, he’d still be an arrogant asshole. I put him in his place.” “It made him a man” and many, many other such rationalizations.
Not until I became President of the fraternity did I begin to fear the repercussions of my actions. My good friends called me “God squad” to imply that I was abusing my power as I tried to balance old traditions with my new responsibilities. I began to slowly speak out against hazing some, but pretty weakly and was too scared to really stand up.
When I began to work for my fraternity headquarters as a leadership consultant after college, I really changed my tune. There, I heard a man speak by the name of Dave Westol who spoke of the atrocities of hazing. I got it at that speech. This is when I began to piss a lot of folks off: “Who’s the hypocrite telling us what to do?”
Now, years later and with a master’s degree in psychology under my belt, and having studied trauma extensively, I understand the price tag of hazing on the human psyche.
When faced with a threatening situation, we humans respond in one of four ways: Fight, flight, freeze or submit. In college, I witnessed men go through all of these. Men cried, men fought back, men left the fraternity forever, men “took it,” and men just simply shut down—they would get silent for hours, days, and weeks.
I traumatized other men, period. Yes, I was young and naïve, but that is no excuse for immature, hurtful behavior. I was a boy initiating other boys.
I support the victims. They have no voice because they were effectively silenced through acts of intimidation by instilling fear in them for even daring to speak up about past transgressions against them.
I am challenging you, Kappa Gamma, to finally do the right thing.
President Hurwitz (a Kappa Gamma brother of the 83rd Congregation who is now the university president of Gallaudet University - he is listed on the KG website as being in the 83rd Congregation and called a brother and never attended Gally as a student but is an honorary brother), do you support the victims or the few wayward brothers who continue to intimidate people into silence? Do you understand the price tag of hazing spanning decades on the human psyche and what it does to the victim's moral and self esteem? Did you also watched and did nothing? Do you not feel remorse or concerns? Do you wish to finally unify all of your brothers and past pledges and other past victims of hazing? Do the right thing, president Hurwitz and set an example.
These victims will not be silenced!
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In bowels of the Kappa Gamma dungeon
I'm not sure where the main lair of the Kappa Gamma (K7) took place as their official headquarter over the years but I'm sure it has moved a few times. I believe College Hall was a previous K7 headquarter. What would be interesting if not shocking is where did some of the hazing take place under the auspice of Kappa Gamma where in two cases the organization got suspended as a result? One "dungeon" would be the Krug Hall basement. If initiation did take place then hearing people living or visiting the dormitory hall would have certainly heard the blood curdling screams and cries emanating from deep below in the basement of Krug Hall.
What about hazing through the forcing of drugs? Alcohol? Cocaine? Marijuana? Pills? Did drugs play an important role in the hazing process? Does the fraternity atmosphere promote or encourage misogynistic attitudes toward women? Did it ever manifest into the form of rape? Did anyone commit crimes that people in high places were able to protect them from the finality of judicial reviews by escaping punishment with some of their brothers sitting in the seats? Who knows? There are all kinds of questions about influence and power.
Who knows what happened in the past in the bowels of the Kappa Gamma dungeons? The pledge victims whether they made it through the initiation rites or not will continue to suffer until one day they will have the courage to speak out about the pain and travesty that shames their own organization for their past, cruel transgressions who are unwilling to apologize for what had happened in the past in the bowels of the dungeon of their K7 lair. Sometimes all it takes is for one brave and courageous brother to apologize and the rest will follow.
All it take is just one.
When will the victims get their day? When will they get their dignity back? It may never happen unless somebody stand up for once and all and help end the misery of the past. Not just for one victim's peace of mind but for the many others who are kept silent out of fear may someday see an opportunity.
K7 had (not sure where they are situated now) their headquarter in Krug Hall back in the 80's and there was one hearing student majoring in Interpreting who lived in Krug. I happen to know him very well. He would tell me how he could hear horrible sounds coming from the basement of Krug. This happened often. As a result, he was scared because he knew they knew he was hearing and could hear stuffs. His words: "The screams were blood curdling screams."Blood curdling screams? Maybe they were screams of pain while pledges got their bottom paddled? Was the basement of Krug Hall the only place of meeting? Maybe they took place in underground tunnels under the campus of Gallaudet University to ensure their cries would be muffled or simply dared K7 to leave their K7 graffiti symbol?
I worked at PPD as Electrician maintenance. I confirm 100% I witnessed and visited all Gallaudet Tunels [sic]. The very most tunel [sic] I used to use was the one connecting MSSD to Gallaudet President's house. The Entrance in MSSD down basement near electrical or gas and heater machine. Another tunnel I secondly used connect MSSD-HMB-SAC. I confirm that I have visited all off the Gallaudet Secrete societies and fratenities organization room located in ELY building. I saw some of the simbole [sic] from those secretes societies gratified [sic] in the tunnels.Who knows where these hazing events took place? But their history betrays them that the "dungeon" appears to be their preferred choice. From the 1945 Buff and Blue newspaper:
Kappa Gamma Taps 10 Candidates From out the flaming vortex of the swirling and turbulent river, Styx, looms Kaoosa, the Scourgo of Probation. Unleashing one of the earliest probations in years, the Kappa Gamma Fraternity has surrendered to the stern hands of the Tetrad Terrible Four, eleven untried and trembling candidates for admission into its subterranean and rubicund portals:
Herman Johnson, '46; Edmund Witczak, '46; Joseph Broz, '48; Carl Barber, '48; Michael Cherniawski, '48; Myron Lee, '48; Darwin Younggren, '48; Gwendel Butler, '49; Mark Carter, '49 and Delbert Erickson, '49.
Alumni Brethren who desire to pay homage to VISHNU are welcome at any time to view the neophytes as they undergo the trials and tribulations under the drudgery of the Pawheeves, and await the taciturn and austere judgment of SHIV on the terrible DAY OF DAYS. Remember the date and place where, O Beloved Brethren, we are to gambol en masse with those who have successfully defied the tortures of the Underground.And exactly what did those tortures entail? Who knows? Only the victims and brothers of power know.
What about hazing through the forcing of drugs? Alcohol? Cocaine? Marijuana? Pills? Did drugs play an important role in the hazing process? Does the fraternity atmosphere promote or encourage misogynistic attitudes toward women? Did it ever manifest into the form of rape? Did anyone commit crimes that people in high places were able to protect them from the finality of judicial reviews by escaping punishment with some of their brothers sitting in the seats? Who knows? There are all kinds of questions about influence and power.
Who knows what happened in the past in the bowels of the Kappa Gamma dungeons? The pledge victims whether they made it through the initiation rites or not will continue to suffer until one day they will have the courage to speak out about the pain and travesty that shames their own organization for their past, cruel transgressions who are unwilling to apologize for what had happened in the past in the bowels of the dungeon of their K7 lair. Sometimes all it takes is for one brave and courageous brother to apologize and the rest will follow.
All it take is just one.
When will the victims get their day? When will they get their dignity back? It may never happen unless somebody stand up for once and all and help end the misery of the past. Not just for one victim's peace of mind but for the many others who are kept silent out of fear may someday see an opportunity.
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When a journey is unique and special
Here's an actual discussion about "deafhood" that took place on a forum a few years back in 2011. See line below where the discussion begins. Notice how people tried to define what my journey should or ought to be instead of saying, "Certainly, it's your journey." But they continue to define what it should be for me and how mine cannot possibly be a special one. It's the whole "deafhoodism" trappings because in reality it becomes a fantasy that anyone with a hearing loss will be embraced. No politics, politicization or political correct. Honest Injun!. But it's actually voodoo deafhoodism. Only because they say since your journey is a personal but, but!, you have to understand something else first in order validate your own special journey as Paddy Ladd once emphasized.
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koko: I see XX as a forum for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people who deal with hearing loss. There is no rule requiring deaf and hard of hearing people who must embrace "deafhood" in order to participate. A bunch of bs using the same "why are you here?" spiel. Sounds pretty darned territorial. Reason why I have no need for labels of that sort. I accept my hearing loss. I acknowledge it. What more do YOU want? I simply accept people with hearing loss for who they are. I don't need to bring a microscope for each one of them to see if they "qualify." I'd say, hell with that, let's just go to a sports bar and enjoy the company.
>G: a Classic mainstreamed denial.
>>M: Koko still doesn't get it. Again, Deafhood is not a GROUP. It is a personal journey...
(note from koko - I never said it was a group and have been saying for years since 2006 it's a personal journey without the need for a label to define what my journey is supposed to be).
>>>T: Actually I think Koko gets it and pretty much agrees with you. I think the issue he is stating is that some tend to pervert that journey into something akin to deaf culture. Koko is certainly choosing to live with his hearing loss his way. I don't think there is any question he has accepted is and coped with it. It is just a different path than many others took.
>>>>J: nope. He does not like the "Deafhood's" label and its political ideology and group think. no one's journey is same anyway. His journey is nothing more or less unique than ours. I dunno but it sounds like he thinks his journey is "special."
>>>>>T: As for thinking his journey is special.....I would hope he thinks that.
>>>>>>M: I think J meant that his (koko) journey is not unique...everyone's journey is special.
>>>>>>>koko: Fine but I say my journey is unique. Think of it as a thumbprint. It's unique but they all may seem identical but when you look at it closely it is definitely unique. Your journey is unique.
>>>>>>>>B: I personally think you are rejecting the quality of Deafhood as a part of you because you are rejecting the journey. Therefore you insult it by calling it a label.
>>>>>>>>>koko: When it becomes an ideological and politicization labeling game then I have no need for it. I prefer to keep it simple. My journey is a deeply personal one yet there is no rejecting my own journey. You've attempted to define what my journey should be.
>>>>>>>>>>B: I'm (sic) not commented on what your journey should be, I'm simply saying I don't think you taking one. I think you are sitting on the crossroads refusing to budge.
>>>>>>>>>>>koko: Yes, you've attempted to define what my journey should be when you said this - "I personally think you are rejecting the quality of Deafhood as part of you because you are rejecting the journey."
>>>>>>>>>>>>T to B: Seems to me he (koko) is on that journey..... You don't have to be part of the crowd to experience a personal journey. Koko seems to accept his deafness and cope with it quite well. Of course that is actually wrong for me to say too as I am judging his journey as well....even if it is in the positive. How about we let Koko decide for himself and we decide for ourselves about OUR journeys? I think that is the best idea.
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Indeed. And that, my friends, is what I've been saying for years. My own journey is unique and special. It's also private. In their ego they attempt to judge my journey. This is what some deaf people do by telling what my journey should or should not be, and that my journey cannot possibly be a special one. Sure it is. Each of our own journey is personal, private, special and unique. No two are the same. Just like the whorls on our fingerprints. Just get rid of the ugly politics and idiotic deaf political correctness.
The concept of colonialism is central to understanding Deafhood, to understanding what has been done to us. And both also helps us point us towards some models of what to do and what to avoid.I see this "us" as generally those belonging to a class of people with greater hearing loss versus those with less hearing loss. One class of people may feel that oppression is indeed real and does occur (or have occurred or continue to occur) to them while others may see little or no oppression issues. It probably has to do with the ability and ease to communicate with the hearing society.
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koko: I see XX as a forum for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people who deal with hearing loss. There is no rule requiring deaf and hard of hearing people who must embrace "deafhood" in order to participate. A bunch of bs using the same "why are you here?" spiel. Sounds pretty darned territorial. Reason why I have no need for labels of that sort. I accept my hearing loss. I acknowledge it. What more do YOU want? I simply accept people with hearing loss for who they are. I don't need to bring a microscope for each one of them to see if they "qualify." I'd say, hell with that, let's just go to a sports bar and enjoy the company.
>G: a Classic mainstreamed denial.
>>M: Koko still doesn't get it. Again, Deafhood is not a GROUP. It is a personal journey...
(note from koko - I never said it was a group and have been saying for years since 2006 it's a personal journey without the need for a label to define what my journey is supposed to be).
>>>T: Actually I think Koko gets it and pretty much agrees with you. I think the issue he is stating is that some tend to pervert that journey into something akin to deaf culture. Koko is certainly choosing to live with his hearing loss his way. I don't think there is any question he has accepted is and coped with it. It is just a different path than many others took.
>>>>J: nope. He does not like the "Deafhood's" label and its political ideology and group think. no one's journey is same anyway. His journey is nothing more or less unique than ours. I dunno but it sounds like he thinks his journey is "special."
>>>>>T: As for thinking his journey is special.....I would hope he thinks that.
>>>>>>M: I think J meant that his (koko) journey is not unique...everyone's journey is special.
>>>>>>>koko: Fine but I say my journey is unique. Think of it as a thumbprint. It's unique but they all may seem identical but when you look at it closely it is definitely unique. Your journey is unique.
>>>>>>>>B: I personally think you are rejecting the quality of Deafhood as a part of you because you are rejecting the journey. Therefore you insult it by calling it a label.
>>>>>>>>>koko: When it becomes an ideological and politicization labeling game then I have no need for it. I prefer to keep it simple. My journey is a deeply personal one yet there is no rejecting my own journey. You've attempted to define what my journey should be.
>>>>>>>>>>B: I'm (sic) not commented on what your journey should be, I'm simply saying I don't think you taking one. I think you are sitting on the crossroads refusing to budge.
>>>>>>>>>>>koko: Yes, you've attempted to define what my journey should be when you said this - "I personally think you are rejecting the quality of Deafhood as part of you because you are rejecting the journey."
>>>>>>>>>>>>T to B: Seems to me he (koko) is on that journey..... You don't have to be part of the crowd to experience a personal journey. Koko seems to accept his deafness and cope with it quite well. Of course that is actually wrong for me to say too as I am judging his journey as well....even if it is in the positive. How about we let Koko decide for himself and we decide for ourselves about OUR journeys? I think that is the best idea.
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Indeed. And that, my friends, is what I've been saying for years. My own journey is unique and special. It's also private. In their ego they attempt to judge my journey. This is what some deaf people do by telling what my journey should or should not be, and that my journey cannot possibly be a special one. Sure it is. Each of our own journey is personal, private, special and unique. No two are the same. Just like the whorls on our fingerprints. Just get rid of the ugly politics and idiotic deaf political correctness.
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NAD 2020 Vision: Corrective Lens Needed
NAD 2020 Vision is purely about the culturally deaf agenda and nothing more. They have consistently served most of their interest to the side of the culturally deaf community (estimated population 600,000) rather than the deaf and hard of hearing communities at large that make up 98% of all people with hearing loss (est. 35 million). NAD should be titled "NACD" or National Association of the Culturally Deaf because members and staff are culturally deaf.
None of their vision outlines the right of deaf and hard of hearing people to speech and sound. Although they do outline an objective to protect every individual's right to visual communication in the U.S. which can include captioning, Cued Speech, and even Signing in Exact English but that's just a guess because for all we know they probably only support the captioning part (i.e. real time captioning, CART, movie captioning, etc).
The Vision 2020 do not even acknowledge that there are educational programs that combine signing and speech. And what's more they blatantly left out the rights of parents to make an informed decision regarding their children with hearing loss whether it's bilateral or unilateral mild, moderate, severe or profound hearing loss.
I'd say every child born with a hearing loss has a right to visual communication access which can mean Cued Speech, ASL, SEE, PSE, lipreading, captioning, etc. Just as well there are many children born with both hearing and visual loss that they should have a right to both visual and verbal/sound communication access as well. There are babies born with one of the condition and may gradually lose the other condition such as late deafened or late vision loss. So, in reality every individual's right is to both visual and verbal communication in the U.S. because frankly nobody is born with the exact same condition . NAD's 2020 Vision is purely a culturally deaf agenda promoting only one visual communication access, ASL, as the only acceptable language. There are visual and spoken language that every child born with a hearing loss should have access to. The rest is up to the parents to make an informed decision on what to do for their child.
NAD continues to play the game of political correctness to the whims of culturally deaf people and their ideals.
None of their vision outlines the right of deaf and hard of hearing people to speech and sound. Although they do outline an objective to protect every individual's right to visual communication in the U.S. which can include captioning, Cued Speech, and even Signing in Exact English but that's just a guess because for all we know they probably only support the captioning part (i.e. real time captioning, CART, movie captioning, etc).
The Vision 2020 do not even acknowledge that there are educational programs that combine signing and speech. And what's more they blatantly left out the rights of parents to make an informed decision regarding their children with hearing loss whether it's bilateral or unilateral mild, moderate, severe or profound hearing loss.
I'd say every child born with a hearing loss has a right to visual communication access which can mean Cued Speech, ASL, SEE, PSE, lipreading, captioning, etc. Just as well there are many children born with both hearing and visual loss that they should have a right to both visual and verbal/sound communication access as well. There are babies born with one of the condition and may gradually lose the other condition such as late deafened or late vision loss. So, in reality every individual's right is to both visual and verbal communication in the U.S. because frankly nobody is born with the exact same condition . NAD's 2020 Vision is purely a culturally deaf agenda promoting only one visual communication access, ASL, as the only acceptable language. There are visual and spoken language that every child born with a hearing loss should have access to. The rest is up to the parents to make an informed decision on what to do for their child.
NAD continues to play the game of political correctness to the whims of culturally deaf people and their ideals.
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Deaf Hiker and the Appalachian Trail
Julio Rodriguez has an ambitious goal of hiking the 3/4 length of the Appalachian Trail from Harper Ferry, West Virginia to Maine. A travel that is planned to take 4 months traversing part of the 2,146 miles of trails covering in 11 states. It's a test of endurance as well as the mental challenge in hiking alone in total silence with his dog as his only companion makes his hike the more isolating because of his deafness. Lacking the full communication with hearing people he'll meet along the way will only temporarily break the monotony and solitude of his hike. This is where communication technology comes in handy that breaks the usual surficial but limited chit-chat communication in meeting new people along the way.
His hike began on May 24, 2013 but officially it was May 26 when he finally got going. He is now 2/3 of the way through his hike to Maine with 500 miles to go. You can follow Julio's Appalachian Trail Facebook and see the sights he recorded along the way and the people he met. For the first 40 days of his hike he communicated using pen and paper the people he met along the way. Though handy but not quite the same communication experience as in communicating with people in real time. On Day 39 he received a message from Jason Curry, CEO and co-founder of sComm, that he would be sending Julio a new 2nd generation UbiDuo.
Day 39On Day 40 he finally got his UbiDuo
Arrived Pawling, NY, sleep overnight on the sidewalk by the train- because it was night time when I arrived there. Next day, Jason Curry asked me if we can Skype and he got me a sweet surprise, that he’d send me Ubi Duo 2 that I can use to chat with anyone, oh man, sweet! So, I stayed one more night to pick up my Ubi Duo 2. I washed my clothes and sleep on the bench- by the Laundromat.
Ubi Duo 2 arrived! Yay, I used it to talk to a store- just to show him what Ubi Duo is, wow, it did make him want to chat me more- it really did make everything easier! We chatted very smooth and just wow, I will post video of me using Ubi Duo 2 sometime soon too. You definitely gonna buy one for yourself too, it is not just good for at work or stuff like that, it is our another tool. Something that we must have and carry everyday. You can type your Ubi Duo 2 up to 300 feet in radius. For more info, check it at www.scomm.com. Again, I will video telling you why you need it! Can’t wait to use it to chat with thru hikers by the campfire tonight. Now head back to the trail. HollaAs of today, July 15, he is in his 43rd day of his hike. He's currently near Salisbury, CT with some 500 miles to go. He has gotten so much use out of his new 2nd generation UbiDuo he was able to chat longer in real time communication, just like talking or signing, with new people he met. He even chatted 4 hours straight with one person only to fall asleep with the UbiDuo on his lap. More on that later.
Be sure to follow Julio's latest adventure and stories of generous people along the way on his Appalachian Facebook page or his personal Facebook page. And be sure to check out my blog for more stories about Julio and his communication adventures! And check out his first story on his journey with his UbiDuo chatting with a new person he met along the way recently a few days ago.
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When a fraternity does the Nazi salute
What would you think or for that matter what would other people think hearing upon about a fraternity who got together with their 35 fraternity brothers at an outdoor retreat to pose in front of a camera and does the unthinkable that no fraternity organization anywhere in the United States would in their right mind do that? What would people say upon seeing a group picture of 35 fraternity brothers wearing their Greek shirts doing the Nazi salute? An insult to the memory of the millions of Holocaust victims who were brutally tortured and murdered in World War II?
What would you do or say then? Speak up or stay quiet if it was your college's fraternity?
Now, would you even dare imagine a deaf fraternity group doing the Nazi salute for a group picture? What would you think? Before you blurt out, realize that we all make mistakes while young and did stupid things. That's forgivable. Something that happened years ago while in college. People do change for the better as we grow older and wiser. But what's not forgivable to is try and continue to shove hazing victims under the rug thinking their hazing story will never see the light of day. Pictures of fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute along and bloody bottoms of pledges who have undergone intense paddling during Rush week are one thing. But to have pledge hazing victims are another thing whose emotional and psychological scars can last a lifetime just so that the few immature fraternity brothers would feel important.
What would you do or say then? Speak up or stay quiet if it was your college's fraternity?
Now, would you even dare imagine a deaf fraternity group doing the Nazi salute for a group picture? What would you think? Before you blurt out, realize that we all make mistakes while young and did stupid things. That's forgivable. Something that happened years ago while in college. People do change for the better as we grow older and wiser. But what's not forgivable to is try and continue to shove hazing victims under the rug thinking their hazing story will never see the light of day. Pictures of fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute along and bloody bottoms of pledges who have undergone intense paddling during Rush week are one thing. But to have pledge hazing victims are another thing whose emotional and psychological scars can last a lifetime just so that the few immature fraternity brothers would feel important.
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The reward of unimpeded communication on the Appalachian Trail
Emma Curry is the mother of Jason Curry, CEO and co-founder of sComm, shared her thoughts with Jason and many other people in an email about Julio Rodriguez who is currently hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
If you have any questions about Julio Rodriguez hiking the Appalachian Trail or using the UbiDuo please visit his personal Facebook page and ask. I'm sure he's more than happy to answer your questions.
On Facebook, Jason has been following the "posts" of a young man who is deaf who lives in Florida. This young man decided to WALK the Appalachian Trail this summer from Florida to Maine. His name is Julio Rodriguez. As Jason watched the "posts" and saw that Julio was truly walking "alone" and missing the broad experience and fun of talking to people along the way -- Jason contacted Julio. Jason offered to send Julio a loaner UbiDuo for the rest of his walk. Julio was in a little tiny town. He went to 5 businesses and asked them if they would allow an overnight mail shipment to come to their business. 4 of them refused. The 5th one - a little tiny cafe owned by the man that Julio wrote his note to -- said: "Sure,." This is a picture of what happened the very afternoon that Julio picked up the UbiDuo.
Another man -- who is hearing -- walked into the little cafe. This man was clearly walking the trail also. Julio started talking to him on the UbiDuo. They decided to camp together that night and talked for 2 hours on the UbiDuo.
Now Julio is talking to lots of people that he is meeting along the Appalachian Trail. Changed his entire trip - ultimately will change his life!!!! He has now asked Jason if he might sell the Ubi in the South. His Facebook posts are being read all over the United States.........
This story does make me have tears. Takes lots of courage to be deaf......and often be isolated from everyone around you who is hearing.......but to see the difference that this Ubi makes in anyone's life brings me up straight in my seat with thankfulness. A great device. Good for David. Good for Jason.
A summary of one of Julio's private texts to Jason said this:
That's the difference between choosing pen and paper, gesturing, and/or lip-reading in the effort to try and get the full interactive and unimpeded communication with a hearing person that will ultimately fail each and every time. This sleek next generation UbiDuo solves that. No bluffing. No guessing. No embarrassment. Just real time conversation in a language that both people can understand and enjoy in a face to face communication environment. It's the exact same communication environment seen between two deaf persons signing to each other or two hearing persons talking to each other. But what about between a deaf and hearing person? The UbiDuo offers that real time communication environment between deaf and hearing persons."So many of us who are deaf didn't even realize how hard we were making it on our lives by not taking advantage of this new tool."
If you have any questions about Julio Rodriguez hiking the Appalachian Trail or using the UbiDuo please visit his personal Facebook page and ask. I'm sure he's more than happy to answer your questions.
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Karl White speaks
Karl White who is the Professor of Psychology at Utah State University and the founding Director of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) discussed recently with an ASL interpreter in the YouTube comment section of his TEDx video (currently over 10,000 views) regarding parental informed decision, deaf children, ASL, and cochlear implant:
KW: As noted in my TED talk, when CI users remove the CI, they are still deaf. I agree that sign language can be a useful "back-up" language in such situations and I agree that children need access to as much language as possible. It is very important though that parents be able to choose how they want to communicate with their child. The job of professionals is to fairly & completely inform and then support parents in their choice. We should never impose our beliefs on parents.
For newly identified deaf babies, well-informed parent choice is the primary goal. Parents should be educated about all options and then be given excellent programs no matter what they choose. It is not appropriate to say all deaf children should learn ASL any more that it is appropriate to say all deaf children should have cochlear implants — those decisions should be made by the parents after they have been fairly and completely informed about options, pros/cons, risks/benefits, etc.
ASL Terp: Hi! I agree we should not impose our beliefs. There needs to be a balanced, full disclosure approach that shows research on the bell-curve? of CI users. Some do not benefit, some remove over time, some do benefit and some thrive. In addition there needs to be a positive encouragement by professionals for consistent visual language access which is not detrimental to development...and is actually beneficial for bi-lingual, bi-cultural personhood of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind individual.
How about this...include in your talk an interview with a family who did approach with sign language from onset of deafness/hearing loss, who did implant, the implant was not successful (for whatever reason) and the family expresses gratitude for having fully met their child's needs by providing consistent access to language both auditory and visual. This would demonstrate the value of always have an underlying visual language accessible regardless of the success or lack of success of the CI.
I bring this up because I've seen families who do not do any signing with their kids...get the CI...spend several years trying to educate (up to age 6-7?) the CI is not successful, language is not developing and the parents express shock, grief and guilt that their child has such a delay that was in a sense imposed. Why have families go through that? I think professionals have a responsibility to ensure all kids are successful to the extent possible with fully disclosed current information.
KW: I agree completely that professionals have a responsibility to fully and fairly inform parents and to work to help children achieve their full potential. There are certainly cases where hearing technology is not successful, just as there are cases where ASL is not successfully used by the family. We need to continue to improve the way we inform and support families as they decide how they want to raise their children.
ASL Terp: I think this is the crux of the controversy around your presentation. What is the basis for saying it is not appropriate for all deaf children to learn ASL? It is readily available to learn, does not harm the child, provides access to visual language, supports interactions with other human beings, provides increased intellectual stimulation. Learning ASL is a win-win. Win for child: 24/7 full access to communication. Win for intellectual and educational bilingualism + CI option.
KW: Sorry, I didn't phrase that well. I don't have a problem with any deaf child learning ASL - IF that is what the parents of that child choose. The key is informed parent choice. Some parents do not choose ASL and they shouldn't be forced to have the child learn ASL. Just like parents who don't want their child to wear a hearing aid or a cochlear implant should not be forced to have their child wear one. Any deaf child whose parents want him/her to learn ASL should be given support to learn ASL.
KW: As noted in my TED talk, when CI users remove the CI, they are still deaf. I agree that sign language can be a useful "back-up" language in such situations and I agree that children need access to as much language as possible. It is very important though that parents be able to choose how they want to communicate with their child. The job of professionals is to fairly & completely inform and then support parents in their choice. We should never impose our beliefs on parents.
For newly identified deaf babies, well-informed parent choice is the primary goal. Parents should be educated about all options and then be given excellent programs no matter what they choose. It is not appropriate to say all deaf children should learn ASL any more that it is appropriate to say all deaf children should have cochlear implants — those decisions should be made by the parents after they have been fairly and completely informed about options, pros/cons, risks/benefits, etc.
ASL Terp: Hi! I agree we should not impose our beliefs. There needs to be a balanced, full disclosure approach that shows research on the bell-curve? of CI users. Some do not benefit, some remove over time, some do benefit and some thrive. In addition there needs to be a positive encouragement by professionals for consistent visual language access which is not detrimental to development...and is actually beneficial for bi-lingual, bi-cultural personhood of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind individual.
How about this...include in your talk an interview with a family who did approach with sign language from onset of deafness/hearing loss, who did implant, the implant was not successful (for whatever reason) and the family expresses gratitude for having fully met their child's needs by providing consistent access to language both auditory and visual. This would demonstrate the value of always have an underlying visual language accessible regardless of the success or lack of success of the CI.
I bring this up because I've seen families who do not do any signing with their kids...get the CI...spend several years trying to educate (up to age 6-7?) the CI is not successful, language is not developing and the parents express shock, grief and guilt that their child has such a delay that was in a sense imposed. Why have families go through that? I think professionals have a responsibility to ensure all kids are successful to the extent possible with fully disclosed current information.
KW: I agree completely that professionals have a responsibility to fully and fairly inform parents and to work to help children achieve their full potential. There are certainly cases where hearing technology is not successful, just as there are cases where ASL is not successfully used by the family. We need to continue to improve the way we inform and support families as they decide how they want to raise their children.
ASL Terp: I think this is the crux of the controversy around your presentation. What is the basis for saying it is not appropriate for all deaf children to learn ASL? It is readily available to learn, does not harm the child, provides access to visual language, supports interactions with other human beings, provides increased intellectual stimulation. Learning ASL is a win-win. Win for child: 24/7 full access to communication. Win for intellectual and educational bilingualism + CI option.
KW: Sorry, I didn't phrase that well. I don't have a problem with any deaf child learning ASL - IF that is what the parents of that child choose. The key is informed parent choice. Some parents do not choose ASL and they shouldn't be forced to have the child learn ASL. Just like parents who don't want their child to wear a hearing aid or a cochlear implant should not be forced to have their child wear one. Any deaf child whose parents want him/her to learn ASL should be given support to learn ASL.
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Video: Julio on the Appalachian Trail and UbiDuo
Here is our UbiDuo user, Julio Rodriguez, Appalachian Trail backpacking star who went into the Sundog store in Kent, CT to buy some new boots. In this video he explains how he is amazed how much freedom he is able to have with the hearing clerk with the UbiDuo. He shows how flawless it was for him and the clerk to cover so much ground in their conversation on the UbiDuo. In his words he stated he doesn't have to explain he is deaf anymore and can just simply say hi and flip the UbiDuo open and snap up a conversation. He repeats over and over how the UbiDuo is making his life much easier and most importantly making his Appalachian trail venture an exciting one!
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The Death of Deaf Echo......
No rhyme, no reason on the somewhat "sudden" disappearance of Deaf Echo which ceased operations sometime earlier this year after. It was an editorial website similar to DeafDC which began in 2005 and has been defunct since 2010 hosted several culturally deaf writers for their many deaf-related articles. Just like Deaf Echo you can still see DeafDC in the archive section in the Wayback Machine. Deaf Echo began in 2007 but slowly and quietly, if not without a whimper, abandoned the editorial writing scene earlier this year after years of providing editorial articles written by culturally deaf people for culturally deaf people. No farwell fanfare. No long goodbyes. No explanations on why it decided to cease operations. Maybe it was best to not say anything and let it die a natural death on its own accord. Eventually all good things come to an end with the opportunity to seek better things in life.
Adios Deaf Echo. The reverberation has now stopped.
Adios Deaf Echo. The reverberation has now stopped.
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Matt Hamill vs Thiago Silva
Matt Hamill (11 - 4) is planned to fight Thiago Silva (15 - 3, 2 NC) on October 9, 2013 in Brazil. A recent poll favors Thiago Silva to win over Matt Hamill by roughly a 75% favorability rating. Who will win? Watch and find out.
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Greek Fraternity Doing the Nazi Salute
Here's a group photo of 35 Greek fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute. Other people have tried to explain away their salute as doing the "Bellamy salute" which was a popular Pledge of Allegiance salute to the U.S.flag prior to WWII. It was Hitler, hence the German National Socialists Party, who made the salute popular and recognized around the world. This forced the United States in 1942 to change their embarrassing salute with a hand over the heart instead for their Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. It was over 40 years since WWII when that group photo was taken with the 35 fraternity brothers doing the Nazi salute at a fraternity retreat. It'd be disingenuous to say that they were doing the Bellamy salute when that salute has ceased since 1942 for obvious reasons.
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This photo of the 35 fraternity brothers doing the obvious Nazi salute is so serious and egregious, not to mention totally stupid and embarrassing, I made the decision to cover up their faces and shirts with their Greek letters....for now.
But why did they do the Nazi salute in the first place? Was it peer pressure done as a lark? Was it a secret salute much akin to a secret handshake used to greet each other while safely in the confines of their fraternity building and elsewhere away from prying or curious eyes? Did fraternity brothers ever forced pledges to do the Nazi salute during Rush Week as part of the whole hazing routine? Why even bother taking a group picture doing the Nazi salute when a picture like that would become the most incriminating kind once it got out to the public? Why even bother doing a group photo with that Nazi pose in the first place?
That's the most mind-boggling and most stupid thing of them all.
This photo of the 35 fraternity brothers doing the obvious Nazi salute is so serious and egregious, not to mention totally stupid and embarrassing, I made the decision to cover up their faces and shirts with their Greek letters....for now.
But why did they do the Nazi salute in the first place? Was it peer pressure done as a lark? Was it a secret salute much akin to a secret handshake used to greet each other while safely in the confines of their fraternity building and elsewhere away from prying or curious eyes? Did fraternity brothers ever forced pledges to do the Nazi salute during Rush Week as part of the whole hazing routine? Why even bother taking a group picture doing the Nazi salute when a picture like that would become the most incriminating kind once it got out to the public? Why even bother doing a group photo with that Nazi pose in the first place?
That's the most mind-boggling and most stupid thing of them all.
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Captioned Video: Deaf Man's Passion for the Piano
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Selective Mock Outrage
Over the years I have blogged over a variety of deaf-related issues, subjects, and concerns (e.g. annual campus raping at Gallaudet University). I would address them specifically yet for some culturally deaf people would misconstrue my blog pieces as attacking the culturally deaf community or for their "cultural values." In short, grasping at straws.
Here's one example at grasping at straws was when one deaf person claimed the Pepsi parody video I did, "Uncle Bob's House" was an attack on the culturally deaf community simply because I chose Coca Cola at the end of the movie. Seriously, yeah. Note, there's a reason why I called my video a "parody."
And I did say at the end that the whole Pepsi commercial was pretty cool but prefer Coca Cola instead in the end. Which means what? I like Coke better than Pepsi as a soda drink. What else?
Discussing the problems of on-campus rapes (here and here and here) at Gallaudet University isn't an attack on the culturally deaf community which would be a weird charge since my blogs are about increasing awareness of the continuing raping problem each year and giving the victims a voice. What's astonishing is when some culturally deaf people would rather attack me for blogging about it and would prefer to sweep the whole rape issue under the rug. It is sad to see people who think I'm attacking the culturally deaf community in my blogs which isn't even close at all.
Another sad example on the constant misconstruing the things I've written in my blogs and saying that I think the deaf community is dumb can be seen in Deaf Jeff's "I wanna be like Mike" video. Or even the fact that I prefer to speak and listen with the help of my hearing aid do some portray that as an act of the "owdism word" thinking that I look down on deaf people who cannot speak or prefer sign language. Funny lot considering how ironic when you have people like Deaf Jeff and Tim Riker who have exclusively used their voice (for hearing people only) but never once got a backlash from the deaf community for using their voice instead of signing.
Why is that?
Oh, call it "selective mock outrage."
That has been an on-going theme ever since I began blogging and opining on deaf-related issues. Some culturally deaf people will insist that I blog solely to attack the culturally deaf community or put them down. Hardly the case if one even take the time to read my past blog posts. I have repeatedly challenged people to provide me an example in my blogs that I have done such a thing in all those years. Nobody has ever stepped forward.
Funny, eh?
Here's one example at grasping at straws was when one deaf person claimed the Pepsi parody video I did, "Uncle Bob's House" was an attack on the culturally deaf community simply because I chose Coca Cola at the end of the movie. Seriously, yeah. Note, there's a reason why I called my video a "parody."
And I did say at the end that the whole Pepsi commercial was pretty cool but prefer Coca Cola instead in the end. Which means what? I like Coke better than Pepsi as a soda drink. What else?
Discussing the problems of on-campus rapes (here and here and here) at Gallaudet University isn't an attack on the culturally deaf community which would be a weird charge since my blogs are about increasing awareness of the continuing raping problem each year and giving the victims a voice. What's astonishing is when some culturally deaf people would rather attack me for blogging about it and would prefer to sweep the whole rape issue under the rug. It is sad to see people who think I'm attacking the culturally deaf community in my blogs which isn't even close at all.
Another sad example on the constant misconstruing the things I've written in my blogs and saying that I think the deaf community is dumb can be seen in Deaf Jeff's "I wanna be like Mike" video. Or even the fact that I prefer to speak and listen with the help of my hearing aid do some portray that as an act of the "owdism word" thinking that I look down on deaf people who cannot speak or prefer sign language. Funny lot considering how ironic when you have people like Deaf Jeff and Tim Riker who have exclusively used their voice (for hearing people only) but never once got a backlash from the deaf community for using their voice instead of signing.
Why is that?
Oh, call it "selective mock outrage."
That has been an on-going theme ever since I began blogging and opining on deaf-related issues. Some culturally deaf people will insist that I blog solely to attack the culturally deaf community or put them down. Hardly the case if one even take the time to read my past blog posts. I have repeatedly challenged people to provide me an example in my blogs that I have done such a thing in all those years. Nobody has ever stepped forward.
Funny, eh?
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No Communication Barrier
How is that possible? How is it possible to have 100% no communication barrier between a deaf guy and hearing people and be able to communicate in real time just like signing or talking using voice? How is it possible to have 100% communication without signing or talking? Without writing using pen and paper? Without an interpreter 24/7 following you like an unwanted 3rd shadow? Take a look at this picture and figure out how it is possible and you tell me. How can a deaf guy translate his hiking experiences and other stories as a deaf person to a bunch of hearing person using this piece of amazing communication technology?
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If you want to follow Julio on his hiking quest on the Appalachian Trail click on the picture icon on the left column of this blog.
If you want to know more about the UbiDuo communication technology visit sComm, owned and operated by a deaf CEO and co-founder.
If you want to know more about the UbiDuo communication technology visit sComm, owned and operated by a deaf CEO and co-founder.
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Flipping a 620 lb tractor tire
Deaf man flips a 620lb tractor tire for fun. Who is this guy?
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Video: Deaf Athletes doing the Nazi Salute at Summer Deaf Olympic Games
Here's a shocking video with picture stills (see below) of deaf athletes parading around on the White City Olympic stadia oval track doing the Nazi salute at the Summer Deaf Olympic Games or known as the International Games for the Deaf at White City, London in 1935. Twelve countries and 221 deaf athletes participated in that event. One picture still from the video you can clearly see a deaf team from Great Britain doing the Nazi salute. Of course, the deaf German team was expected to do the Nazi salute while flying their Nazi Germany's Swastika flag. It's a grim look into the past seeing deaf non-German athletes "forced" to do the Nazi salute not knowing in a few years many of their deaf brethens in other countries and deaf Jews would be persecuted and/or exterminated during the horrors of WWII Holocaust by Nazi Germany.
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How ironic on finding this video while the Deaflympic Games is taking place presently in Sofia, Bulgaria, too.
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It's no fun seeing deaf people running around mimicking the Nazi-like salute whether intentional or not just like what the 35 brothers of Kappa Gamma of Gallaudet University did in a 1989 group photo shot.
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It's quite shocking that in 1989 Kappa Gamma brothers did not have enough intelligence to not incorporate their Nazi-like salute into their fraternity claiming it to be a type of a "secret handshake." This is a salute which can only be construed, as anybody would, as nothing but a Nazi-salute. There is no excuse for what Kappa Gamma brothers did when you factor in the horror and history of the Holocaust in WWII. And by saying that let's take a closer look at the history of 1935 Deaf Olympics and what the Holocaust did on deaf Jews in Germany.
Regardless, the Holocaust is a known history that took place during WWII where 5 to 6 million people were murdered in extermination Nazi camps. What's disturbing is that the current president of Gallaudet University is a deaf Jewish person with a strong Jewish heritage. In fact, president Hurwitz became the first deaf Jewish person to become president of Gallaudet University in its 145 year history. Also, in 1983 he was awarded as an honorary Kappa Gamma brother by Kappa Gamma. How will president Hurwitz and Kappa Gamma's own history of hazing where the Greek fraternity was suspended three times in 1980s and 1990s be able to rectify the Nazi salute photo to the American public? Can president Hurwitz explain away with a straight face to deaf Jewish people everywhere that the Kappa Gamma salute in the group photo is not a Nazi-style salute? But merely a type of a "secret handshake?" Will president Hurwitz continue to align himself with the Kappa Gamma fraternity as an honorary Kappa Gamma brother knowing their hazing past and their Nazi-like salute taken 1989 while continuing to attend Kappa Gamma's annual Grand March seen in this video here?
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How will Kappa Gamma and president Hurwitz of Gallaudet University rectify these problems that have come to light recently? Why would anyone want to join a fraternity who have refused to publicly apologize for their past behaviors and hazing practices on former pledges and who may still be suffering mentally and emotionally? Who will take the lead to rectify these past mistakes? President Hurwitz? The leaders of Kappa Gamma, current and past?
Keeping quiet is not the answer.
Who will have the balls and leadership to step forward and do the right thing? Why continue to ignore the whole Nazi salute snafu as if nothing happened, president Hurwitz? I'm sure the Jewish Deaf community and the deaf community as a whole would like know. Why continue to ignore the past persecution and murder against deaf people by Nazi Germany? Why continue the association with Kappa Gamma if they are unwilling to publicly apologize for their past hazing transgressions against deaf pledges and their careless indifference about the Holocaust history by doing the Nazi salute while their official Kappa Gamma robes are the blue hooded garments with human skulls on them?
What would deaf Holocaust survivors say to you, president Hurwitz? Kappa Gamma? Will you honor the memories of deaf Holocaust survivors and those who never made it out alive in WWII?
President Hurwitz, it's time to be "silent no more" and help preserve the institution's integrity, the Deaf Jewish community relationship and make a stronger and more respectful fraternity organization. It's time to be on the victim's side of history and do the ultimate mea culpa in public.
They are waiting.
UPDATE: What I have should have done was put into a pre-Nazi historical context with the salute. Prior to 1942 the Nazi-like salute was actually done in the United States as part of the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. This was called the Bellamy Salute, something that I discussed in an earlier blog in reference to the 1989 group photo. "It was actually the official American salute (in the Pledge of Allegiance) and then it became the official Olympic salute before it became the gesture of German socialism (see the new book "Pledge of Allegiance + Swastika Secrets" by Ian Tinny explaining the work of the historian Dr. Rex Curry). The Pledge of Allegiance was the origin of the Nazi salute and Nazi behavior. So, at the old olympic games there were more than just Germans doing the gesture. and the 1989 youngsters might have known more about the gestures roots in the USA and in the Olympics then those around them." Hat tip - Daniel Ruth.
Yet, it is still a shocking vid seeing them doing a Nazi-like salute even though that salute was invented around 1892 but 7 years later in 1942 Congress out of act of embarrassment and preservation out of the fact that Nazi Germany stole the United States' salute changed their salute to hand over the heart whenever we do the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
How ironic on finding this video while the Deaflympic Games is taking place presently in Sofia, Bulgaria, too.
We need research taking a look at what was going on with the so-called Deaf Olympics. There were international games for the deaf in Stockholm throughout the 1920s but in particular in 1935, and then in 1939 after there was almost a boycott of the regular Olympics in 1936, yet deaf people throughout the world participated in the Olympics in Stockholm. And of course, the Germans sent a team. There were no Jews, there were no Jews on the team but there was a team that went to the games in Stockholm, and of course, as you can imagine, the Germans won the most medals.
I apologize to the interpreters, that was a long aside.
If it’s difficult to determine precise figures for the number of deaf people the Nazis sterilized, as Dr. Heberer indicated, it is impossible to know exactly how many deaf people were murdered in the T-4 program. As she mentioned some of the records of this operation were destroyed, but even if there were complete documentation, gleaning the number of deaf victims from the files would be a delicate operation. Deaf people were never officially designated as subjects in the Euthanasia Pro... project, yet we know from Friedlander and Biesold that deaf infants, children, and adults were murdered in the asylums. Some were surely misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, cognitively disabled, sometimes as a result of staff failure to properly communicate with deaf people in sign language or in appropriate written German, and sometimes as the tragic result of societal prejudice about the intelligence of anyone who is deaf. When we recall that a patient’s dossier from an asylum often received only a cursory glance from the doctor, who could sign a death warrant, it’s clear that the diagnoses were often meaningless. Perhaps only a painstaking examination of extant hospital and asylum files, records from schools for the deaf, and the state-run killing centers will elucidate the treatment of deaf people in the T-4 program. The fate of deaf Jews in Germany, in Nazi-occupied Europe, is a story of tragic discrimination and heroic survival. There were very few deaf Jewish survivors from Germany.
Regardless, the Holocaust is a known history that took place during WWII where 5 to 6 million people were murdered in extermination Nazi camps. What's disturbing is that the current president of Gallaudet University is a deaf Jewish person with a strong Jewish heritage. In fact, president Hurwitz became the first deaf Jewish person to become president of Gallaudet University in its 145 year history. Also, in 1983 he was awarded as an honorary Kappa Gamma brother by Kappa Gamma. How will president Hurwitz and Kappa Gamma's own history of hazing where the Greek fraternity was suspended three times in 1980s and 1990s be able to rectify the Nazi salute photo to the American public? Can president Hurwitz explain away with a straight face to deaf Jewish people everywhere that the Kappa Gamma salute in the group photo is not a Nazi-style salute? But merely a type of a "secret handshake?" Will president Hurwitz continue to align himself with the Kappa Gamma fraternity as an honorary Kappa Gamma brother knowing their hazing past and their Nazi-like salute taken 1989 while continuing to attend Kappa Gamma's annual Grand March seen in this video here?
How will Kappa Gamma and president Hurwitz of Gallaudet University rectify these problems that have come to light recently? Why would anyone want to join a fraternity who have refused to publicly apologize for their past behaviors and hazing practices on former pledges and who may still be suffering mentally and emotionally? Who will take the lead to rectify these past mistakes? President Hurwitz? The leaders of Kappa Gamma, current and past?
Keeping quiet is not the answer.
Who will have the balls and leadership to step forward and do the right thing? Why continue to ignore the whole Nazi salute snafu as if nothing happened, president Hurwitz? I'm sure the Jewish Deaf community and the deaf community as a whole would like know. Why continue to ignore the past persecution and murder against deaf people by Nazi Germany? Why continue the association with Kappa Gamma if they are unwilling to publicly apologize for their past hazing transgressions against deaf pledges and their careless indifference about the Holocaust history by doing the Nazi salute while their official Kappa Gamma robes are the blue hooded garments with human skulls on them?
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| Simon J. Carmel’s lecture, “Silent No More: Testimonies of Deaf Holocaust Survivors” related the unheard stories of the persecuted deaf Jewish during World War II. |
What would deaf Holocaust survivors say to you, president Hurwitz? Kappa Gamma? Will you honor the memories of deaf Holocaust survivors and those who never made it out alive in WWII?
President Hurwitz, it's time to be "silent no more" and help preserve the institution's integrity, the Deaf Jewish community relationship and make a stronger and more respectful fraternity organization. It's time to be on the victim's side of history and do the ultimate mea culpa in public.
They are waiting.
UPDATE: What I have should have done was put into a pre-Nazi historical context with the salute. Prior to 1942 the Nazi-like salute was actually done in the United States as part of the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. This was called the Bellamy Salute, something that I discussed in an earlier blog in reference to the 1989 group photo. "It was actually the official American salute (in the Pledge of Allegiance) and then it became the official Olympic salute before it became the gesture of German socialism (see the new book "Pledge of Allegiance + Swastika Secrets" by Ian Tinny explaining the work of the historian Dr. Rex Curry). The Pledge of Allegiance was the origin of the Nazi salute and Nazi behavior. So, at the old olympic games there were more than just Germans doing the gesture. and the 1989 youngsters might have known more about the gestures roots in the USA and in the Olympics then those around them." Hat tip - Daniel Ruth.
Yet, it is still a shocking vid seeing them doing a Nazi-like salute even though that salute was invented around 1892 but 7 years later in 1942 Congress out of act of embarrassment and preservation out of the fact that Nazi Germany stole the United States' salute changed their salute to hand over the heart whenever we do the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
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