For all those who may have a hard of hearing or deaf children or those the readers who are HoH or deaf that is considering a Cochlear Implant may want to consider the problem that may associate to the side effects and health problems as a result of the implants.
Cochlear Implants Bacterial Meningitis
by Yizuman 16 Replies latest social physical
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Yizuman
On a side note, I'm totally against Cochlear Implants as a manitory need for children who are born deaf or hard of hearing. Basically what this means is that this can lead to a total eradication of the Deaf Culture as a whole.
The Deaf Culture has been around with mankind since from the beginning with the first deaf individual person born. We've spent centuries getting to where we are today. The deaf world is unique in a class by itself. If doctors push for this kind of implant to the parents of the newborn deaf child, it will deprive the child the right to be part of the Deaf Heritage as I am so proud to be part of.
The deaf society can function well just as much as a hearing society can. I may be speaking from the perspective of Deaf Pride, but that's who I am and I see nothing wrong with being deaf.
If a scientist discovered a serium that can change a black person's skin to a white skin and then it becomes manitory for every black child to take this serium, is the black child being deprived from being part of the Black Culture as a whole? My arguement does sound silly and in no way, shape or form that could ever happen. But just for the sake of the arguement, would anyone agree to this idea at all? Of course not, this would be an insult to the entire black community to have this kind of thing being enforced upon them.
This is how I view this type of implant if made manitory for every deaf child around the world.
In any rate, this implant does have a bad side effect and has resulted in some deaths. In my opinion, one death is too many.
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Xander
NINE deaths?
Out of SIXTY THOUSANDS implants?
My gods, those are better odds than taking an aspirin gives you. Are you mad?
(Well, alright, not so much, but those are still damn good odds)
Basically what this means is that this can lead to a total eradication of the Deaf Culture as a whole.
I'm sure this will come of as rude and/or insensitive....
WHY would you want to allow a disability to continue when it could be stopped? It would be more like scientists discovering a way to instantly mend broken bones, but you oppose it because it would 'destroy the culture of people with crutches'. Or opposing a cure for cancer because it would destroy the 'culture of victims of cancer'.
Being deaf is not a normal difference between humans (as skin color is). It's a defect or disability. If it CAN be fixed, it SHOULD be.
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Yizuman
Xander - NINE deaths?
Out of SIXTY THOUSANDS implants?
My gods, those are better odds than taking an aspirin gives you. Are you mad?
(Well, alright, not so much, but those are still damn good odds)
1 Death, 4 deaths, 9 deaths. All too many. They died unneccessarly. A loss of life should never happen in this case except for old age.
I'm sure this will come of as rude and/or insensitive....
WHY would you want to allow a disability to continue when it could be stopped? It would be more like scientists discovering a way to instantly mend broken bones, but you oppose it because it would 'destroy the culture of people with crutches'. Or opposing a cure for cancer because it would destroy the 'culture of victims of cancer'.
Being deaf is not a normal difference between humans (as skin color is). It's a defect or disability. If it CAN be fixed, it SHOULD be.
So you're saying that once a person becomes deaf, it's the end of the world?
And what's wrong with being deaf? I don't see anything wrong with it.
A person can live a normal life without hearing just fine. We eat, sleep, work just like everyone else and we live until the day we die.
Being deaf is not a life threatening situation as apposed to having cancer. Neither is being black a life threatening situation.
So being deaf isn't normal? Since when is anyone "normal" for that matter?
It's been fixed, we have sign language and we can read and write. We have computers and TDDs to communicate. We have bed shakers or flashers to wake up in the morning. We have a dog that helps deaf people answer the door or respond to a crying baby or a smoke alarm going off above the stove. (ladies, what's for dinner? Aren't you going to invite me? )
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Xander
1 Death, 4 deaths, 9 deaths. All too many. They died unneccessarly. A loss of life should never happen in this case except for old age.
But, that's unrealistic. 95,000 people die in the US every year from what is considered malpractice. People going in for routine surgeries, operations, whatever. 95,000 a year.
So you're saying that once a person becomes deaf, it's the end of the world?
Never said that. I said if it can be 'cured' it should be.
Being deaf is not a life threatening situation as apposed to having cancer.
Fine, bad example. (Actually, it still does increase the likelyhood of accidental death - all land based animals evolved hearing for a reason, but that's besides the point).
Still - it's similar to opposing the 'instand bone mending' treatment because it destroys the 'crippled culture'. Or opposing a spinal repair treatment because it destroys the 'paraplegic culture'.
Or....a far better analogy...opposing technology to allow bling people to see - as it would destroy the 'blind culture'. You can see, no? What of those who cannot? You can thus measure - would losing the solidarity they have, being a community who cannot see, not be worth the ability TO see?
It's been fixed, we have sign language and we can read and write.
So, you would accept all those 'fixes', but not one that actually helps you HEAR? Why? Why are those 'fixes' okay, but not the ability to hear?
So being deaf isn't normal?
Ummmm....NO. Of course it isn't! That's why it's called a 'disability'. Yes, there may be some ways around some of the limitations. But, could you really comment on the musical quality of Metallica's latest works as compared to their earlier ones? Even on a more serious tone, what a tornado came through? Not hearing the warning sirens would seem to be something of a problem to me. Honking horns from a car about to hit you if you don't move NOW? Kinda miss those?
I don't understand why you'd oppose a way to fix that?
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Pork Chop
Implants worked for Rush, my hero.
This "deaf" advocacy business gives me the hives.
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Yizuman
Xander - But, that's unrealistic. 95,000 people die in the US every year from what is considered malpractice. People going in for routine surgeries, operations, whatever. 95,000 a year.
My mother was one of them. She's a victim of malpractice as well. She died 67 years too young. 95,000 a year is too many as well. In fact, my best friend and I talked about this subject. His Father-in-Law died from the same kind of malpractice. We did some research on the internet and we discovered that doctors are more dangerous than handguns anywhere in the world. Moreso, doctors are playing god on people's lives (that's what happened to my mom). They view old age to be something a waste of time to practice medicine on.
Never said that. I said if it can be 'cured' it should be.
And why should it be?
Fine, bad example. (Actually, it still does increase the likelyhood of accidental death - all land based animals evolved hearing for a reason, but that's besides the point).
Still - it's similar to opposing the 'instand bone mending' treatment because it destroys the 'crippled culture'. Or opposing a spinal repair treatment because it destroys the 'paraplegic culture'.
Or....a far better analogy...opposing technology to allow bling people to see - as it would destroy the 'blind culture'. You can see, no? What of those who cannot? You can thus measure - would losing the solidarity they have, being a community who cannot see, not be worth the ability TO see?
All? Not entirely my friend. I had a dog that was born deaf and he did fine. In fact, he watches out for his hide using his eyes. In fact, there are some animals that are naturally born deaf. That's a research I need to look into. I know bats are born naturally blind and so are some other animals. Moles don't see well either.
I know of friends who are born blind and in fact, I know of one person at work at Wal-Mart who is blind and deaf. She's a cotten candy maker. Darn good one too. She uses her hands to measure the ingredients in a measuring cup, then feel the cotton being made in the machine. She then stuffs them in a bag, ties the bags and marks the bag with a price gun.
Blind people are better cleaners too. Visit a blind woman's home sometime. Check out how clean her home is and DO check out the toilet bowl. They use their hands in the bowl to feel the grime in the bowl and cleans it all out. I'm telling you, the bowl is white as a sheet.
So, you would accept all those 'fixes', but not one that actually helps you HEAR? Why? Why are those 'fixes' okay, but not the ability to hear?
Sure man, they're my ears. Isn't technology great?
Ummmm....NO. Of course it isn't! That's why it's called a 'disability'. Yes, there may be some ways around some of the limitations. But, could you really comment on the musical quality of Metallica's latest works as compared to their earlier ones? Even on a more serious tone, what a tornado came through? Not hearing the warning sirens would seem to be something of a problem to me. Honking horns from a car about to hit you if you don't move NOW? Kinda miss those?
We can't avoid being hit anymore than a hearing can avoid being hit. BUT, check out the BMV or whatever it is called in your country if you are not from the US. Check out the deaf driver statistics. You will discover that deaf drivers have far more fewer accidents than hearing people. For this reasom, we watch out on the road using our (drum rolls) EYES! Heck, even insurance companies knows the statics (let alone a few idiots that never bother to read the statisics) and they love us. We get much of a lower insurance rates than hearing people do (and they still do measure our driving maturity too like hearing people, but at age 23 and up, the rates drops far lower than a 23 year old hearing person!). Plus we have a rear view mirror habit like a bad habit, we constantly watch our behinds for anything, that includes watching for cops and ambulances.
Now take a look at hearing people from all ages and sex. I see too many hearing idiots on the road yakkin' on the dang cell phone! Hearing kids blasting their stereos (I can feel the dang viberations when they pull up next to me), how the heck can they hear sirens and stuff if they have that going on? I've also seen female drivers (no insult intended ladies) applying make up while driving.
Guess what? A cop walked up to me one day years ago and he handed me a note stating he just came from an accident site recently. Some guy got killed by another driver because he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. A thought just occurred to him and he realized that in his 25 years of service, he has never seen a deaf person being involved in a accident nor has he heard about it. So he asked me about what I know of deaf drivers and how we do it. I told him to check out the BMV records on deaf drivers and told him about the statistics. He then wrote back thanking the deaf community for being safe drivers. Man, you can't beat that feeling.
I don't understand why you'd oppose a way to fix that?
I got a few good reason. One is being about the beauty of our deaf culture.
Can you scuba dive? How about watching a group of deaf scuba divers signing underwater?
Visit a deaf church where the entire congregation is deaf. Watch the choir sign songs of praises to God. Check this out, last Christmas we had a huge christmas special from the choir and the choir was wall to wall that day. They were all dressed in black and had worn white gloves. Here's the kicker, as the lights goes out, the gloves are actually glow in the dark gloves. Now imagine it in your mind seeing a choir full of hands signing in the dark!! BLEW ME AWAY!!!!
How about deaf politics? Well, check out this link here and see what we did at the Gallaudet University back in 1988...
Jesse Jackson made a comment in regards to the Deaf President Now movement that we did in 1988, he was so right on this one despite on many political views he had expressed that I totally disagree with, he said, "The problem is not that the students do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen!"
Here's another great quote, "God made the world in seven days and we have changed it in seven days." Charles A. Giansanti, Chemistry Professor Gallaudet University
We the deaf world can make a difference for the world in which we all live in. We can do anything we want, except hear.
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Yizuman
Pork Chops - Implants worked for Rush, my hero.
This "deaf" advocacy business gives me the hives.
Glad to be of service!
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ballistic
Yizuman, you acknowledge that what you say is going to be controversial when you said, "I may be speaking from the perspective of Deaf Pride".
Is your intention to start a debate on this subject or discourage us from having the implants? After all, you should be very aware of the number of us in need of such treatment.
If it is the former, surely this should be done on a more apropriate forum. This forum will be filled with people such as myself who do not consider being BLACK a disability just as much as we do not consider being DEAF a lifestyle.
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Xander
I had a dog that was born deaf and he did fine
But the species as a WHOLE has hearing - individual defects aside. Why do you suppose that is?
bats are born naturally blind
Bats are not blind - that's a common urban legend.
I know of one person at work at Wal-Mart who is blind and deaf
Okay, and if she had the choice at birth to have been able to see and hear her whole life instead of being blind and deaf, don't you think she would?
And, in fact, that isn't even a fair question because she has no point of reference. She doesn't realize what she is missing, so she may well still choose the known quantity.
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Let me phrase the question differently:
You know what it is to see. You can see just fine. Great.
Now, assume you couldn't. You were born blind. You've never seen a sunset or sunrise or beautiful woman. Never seen the majestic mountains, rolling clouds, the first snowfall in winter. Never seen any movie, TV show, or read - really READ - a book. Computers are next to useless to you. You DO know what you'd be missing if you couldn't see.
Now, what if you couldn't see because the treatment to enable you to see was denied you at birth? They COULD have treated your blindness, but someone didn't want to because it would diminish the 'blind community'.
What would you say to them? Knowing all you would have lost in this example?
How can you inflict a similar decision on somone else?
beauty of our deaf culture
And, you know what's amazing?
Absolutely everything you listed after that quote - HEARING PEOPLE CAN DO TOO. Only BETTER.
Why is inferiority something to be cherised WHEN IT CAN BE FIXED?
Again, think of your ability to see. Everything you've seen in your life, everything you've appreciated.
Let me assure you - the ability to hear perfectly is just as wonderful. If you don't think you need it - fine. If you want to appreciate the 'culture', as you call it, that has arisen from people trying to cope with a disability, fine.
I just think it is a serious error to force that on someone else.
Edited by - Xander on 20 December 2002 21:19:17