A rally took place recent in Washington, D.C., with dozens of deaf activists. The activists at the rally opposed “audism” — that is, the ability for the deaf to hear.
The activists have a website opposed to the deaf hearing: audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com.
The deaf activists marched to the Lincoln Memorial calling “for the end of the social disease of audism.”
A flyer distributed at the march says:
We honor our history, our culture, our language (ASL), our allies, and deaf people from all walks of life. We march to combat Audism (attitudes and practices based on the assumption that behaving in the ways of those who speak and hear is desired and best) particularly in the media, education, and medical profession.
Special scorn was reserved for the miraculous cochlear implant — the device that now can allow the deaf to hear. For example, Rush Limbaugh uses this technological miracle to hear.
Because of this amazing device, they claim:
Deaf children who are not exposed to sign language are at risk for experiencing language deprivation which leads to cog native, psycho/social, economic and medical challenges.
The dream that the deaf could hear is thousands of years old. The Gospel of Mark says:
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Watch this amazing video of a child hearing for the first time after receiving an implant:
Join the conversation as a VIP Member