anonymous1234

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3831. We could always have it deleted and then just start the next page correctly.

3823. So we're counting the double?

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This is pretty awesome, too bad I can't drink :P

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First of all I would rather sign to my husband, as it is simple to see sign language but hard to hear whispers depending on the environment. Do you think that Navy SEALs use whispers to communicate in enemy territory? They use hand gestures. Also deaf people have bed vibration devices to wake them up like alarm clocks, and these are usually tied into the home security system aswell. Light based alarms are also common. If you want to communicate with a friend in a loud room you dont have to shout. If you are trying to sleep on an airplane you wont be disturbed by a crying baby. If everybody was deaf you could fart in public. Not having to deal with the sound of jackhammers outside your window, or noisy neighbors, or telemarketers. You have less distractions when trying to concentrate on a mostly visual task. Google something like "perks of deafness" or benefits or something. Read from the Deaf themselves how many common annoyances they are glad not to have in their life. Most of these can be solved with noise canceling headphones, or sign language. The farting in public is just stupid, because people still have a sense of smell. Basically, it's better to have bother hearing and sign language, than to have no hearing and sign language. I'm fairly sure thw majority of the Navy Seals can hear, so why don't you list examples where the inability to hear is helpful, in situations where you won't have noise canceling head phones?

Crossing a street without looking both ways is stupid enough, but adding in the fact that you'll be purposefully disabling yourself leads me to think that the death would be attributed to stupidity. and not the ability to hear. I see this is where we will have a problem, because you seem to think the deaf and hearing are equally disadvantaged. I don't find this to be true, or evolution wouldn't have made the majority of the human population with the ability to hear.

I could honestly say the same thing about Deafness. If we all knew ASL I doubt deafness would be considered much of a disability. You should really inform yourself on some deaf culture literature and I think you will be suprised to find out how the deaf feel about their place in society. I agree, if everybody knew ASL, deaf people would have a much easier time. Unfortunately, not every part of hearing is just verbal communication. That's why it's a disability. Edit: Racheya beat me to it.

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The only way being a Black or a Jew is a disadvantage is if other people use discrimination to make your life difficult, so let's drop that subject. I think what certain people are not getting here is what is considered a disability. Yes, not being able to bench press 400 pounds is disabling to me, but only in very uncommon circumstances. What determines a disability is how often this trait of yours will be affecting your life negatively. For deaf people, it will be more often then someone who is say, tall, because short people could simply not do sports that require height, while the deaf simply cannot avoid all of the daily activities that hearing enables. Also, I find it hard to believe one can clearly make out signs from 200 yards away.

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I'd agree with you on the tallness, strength, and speed, but I'd ask why you'd think eye ad hair color would affect anything.

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Paraplegics can't jump. Blind people can't watch TV on mute. Ok, and your point is? People are called disabled for a reason. They aren't able to do everything that an average person would be able to do.

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Paraplegics can't jump. Blind people can't watch TV on mute.

you get to park in handicap parking here, if you're deaf, or have a deaf person in the family: that's sign of what is legally termed a "disability" here at least. would you say blindness isn't a disability either?` I don't know enough about cochlear implants to comment on how they should be used, but marginalizing or normalizing those with disabilities is a disservice to them, and to the loved ones giving them the extra care they need. I'm not advocating victimization, on the other end of the spectrum: deafness is definitely one of the disabilities that reduce your quality of life the least. I have met and conversed with probably around 200 deaf people using ASL. Some had cochlear implants that they enjoyed, some had cochlear implants that they hated, some were hard of hearing, some used hearing aids, some were completely deaf. None of them resented their deafness or considered themselves handicapped. The only reason there is any "disability" is just because hearing people see no need to learn sign language. How many deaf have you talked to? All of the ones I have come in contact with would be insulted if you said their quality of life was lower than our quality of life. Hell, I might go as far to say that the Deaf culture quality of life is BETTER than hearing culture. Deaf culture is very friendly, welcoming, and accepting. They are open to everybody's ideas and have some of the most wonderful conversations about things. Deafness is more of a race/ethnicity than a disability. Calling Deaf disabled is like calling white people disabled because we cant jump as high. Or calling black people disabled because their skin is a different color. Please either take my word for it, or go learn ASL yourself. Or even read one of the books I talked about above. (The best one is probably "Deaf Again" by Mark Drolsbaugh) It is a short and inexpensive read, too. Maybe then, youll see that your opinion has been formed by nothing but hearing the audist side of the story (this is what Deaf people call the opression they face from hearing people, like "racism" but "audism" instead) "Disabled" is an extremely general term. Deaf people are considered "Disabled" because in certain circumstances, they are at a disadvantage to the hearing. This is not to say they are always at a disadvantage, but the majority of the time they would be. In terms of your racial comment, I would consider "white" people to be at a disability to "black" people in terms of jumping ability, based on personal experiences. And people with black skin would be at a disadvantage on say, an extremely hot day, because darker skin absorbs more heat. Neither of these examples warrant the classification of "disabled," however, because there are very few instances where skin color affects daily life.