Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Say Goodbye To ASL And Say Hello To Your Sign Language!
This is a response to a recent silly post on alldeaf.com I feel is best responded using sign language.
I'm a proud deaf person. I'm happy with myself and I'm happy with the language I use to communicate with other deaf people. If deaf people scream that my sign language stinks. Let them rant. They mean nothing to me.
What is American Sign Language (ASL) these days? There's plenty of evidence in the news, deaf literacy, the deaf novels, the deaf blogworld, and the deaf vlogworld that ASL has proven itself to be many things, many abominable things, that has nothing to do with communication.
Why should we keep ASL? Whats the worth of keeping ASL these days? What do we do with ASL?
Say goodbye to ASL and use your own signs. The language you sign with is your sign language.
My sign language is a mix of different sign languages and I'm proud of it and I dont care if other people scream about it.Be proud of your sign language and use it to communicate with other people.
Dont be afraid if they dont understand your sign language as they probably will understand.
If he chooses his sign language I'll respect it. If she choose her sign language I'll respect it. If you choose your sign language I'll respect you too.
What makes deaf people happy is not ASL, it's your sign language. So say goodbye to ASL and say hello to your sign language. Quit ASL and use your sign language.
Finally, I can quit ASL but ASL will never make me quit.
Richard
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yeah, i agree with you 101 percent. asl is NOT officially language in this world and never will be because it will not be good benefit in the haering world.
ReplyDeleteYour long v/blog post can be and is summarized into these observable truths:
ReplyDelete1. You quit ASL because you fail to become fluent.
2. Your failure has became the measure in and of which your fluency is therein observed.
3. The variations in signing styles are a combination of instances from or of: 1) characteristics, i.e. dialectal; 2) mannerisms, i.e. stylizations; 3) levels of fluency.
You fall in the third category. Have no shame of your failure; instead, own up to this lack of fluency, simply.
Hope you can turn this constructive criticism to some soul-searching rationalization or realization about yourself, linguistically-wise.
Good luck.
ZZzzZZzzZZzzZZZZzzzzZZZZ.
ReplyDeleteYou make me wondering, what about English? It has rules, structure to write/spoken English and generally society in America will correct the grammatical English.
ReplyDeleteI have met number of youth deaf students in LA, their signing often came from interpreter. Again its not their signing language. I am curious what your vision for signing language.
I always enjoy your unique point of view. Keep it up Richard.
Eyefang,
ReplyDeleteYour comment proves that ASL is indeed other things than communication.
Richard
Stupid video ever. You and Gary should hook up! Village idiots!
ReplyDeleteRichard,
ReplyDeleteI may be makig some assumptions, however, this is how I see it. You are a victim like so many who have grown up orally. You are between languages. You obviously haven't had the opportunity to study or be taught ASL which includes its own grammar and syntax. What you sign is what you were taught growing up in an educational environment run by hearing teachers, consumed by hearing peers, and taught in English only. You are a victim of an educational philosophy that English is superior and therefore deaf students must only be taught through coded manual systems made up by hearing people. Your attitudes are a protection mechanism to defend the only thing you know because that is how you were raised and educated. I hope you will soon start to open your mind to learning more about the true linguistical structure of American Sign Language.
Hearing in america, use ENGLISH. Deaf in america have different kind of sign language. Our goal to be one language which is ASL.... I believe if our children learn ASL from born.. FUTURE won't be problem with sign language because everyone will LEARN ASL FIRST. We'll have one sign language with ASL... Same idea with ENGLISH for hearing people. Strong disagree about good bye to ASL...
ReplyDeleteYour War Wounds Exposed?
ReplyDelete"They mean nothing to me."
If that were so, you'd refrain from such blog/vlog posts.
Getting it out of your system?
Find a bathroom, will ya?
your measurement of intelligence shows right on there on the blog...why dont you just type on this block, not an eyesore blot of yourself in video. Your signing skills clearly show that your teachers didnt care about you as a person but for themselves making a living out of you... I am truly sorry for you...
ReplyDeleteI cannot abide the sarcastic and hateful posts here. There is no war on, we can speak our own brand of "Sign Language", be it perfect ASL (whatever that is), or anything else. I have many, many deaf friends and they all speak their own version in their own dialect. So what's the problem? As long as we can communicate, it does not matter what dialect we use. "Perfectly spoken ASL" can be very boring. No personality there!
ReplyDeleteCan't we all get along??
Sign me, "Disgusted", Lantana, Lantana's Latitude
Deaf people use ASL just like hearing people use English to express their feeling. If everyone use his own language, I think there is no way to communicate.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell me your opinion at my blog deafloves.com/blogs
You do not seem to be able to derive much of any of my comments. They are all about the language.
ReplyDeleteTry not to be incompetent in both your fluency and comprehension; that indeed would be quite dire.
It is never too late to learn.
"me store go" is ASL language. English sign language is " I am going to the store". ASL language is second grade reading level. Writing in english is very important for the job and future.
ReplyDeleteThis country, sign language means ASL what else do you want to call?Manual Coded For English(MCE) is not a language but coded for an instruction of English! Signed English is no such a thing but still coded for an instruction of English not a language in itself! Anything has to do with coded sign language will never be a real language but only a real language is ASL! You express in ASL did you know that remember that ASL is very broad just like English in another word!
ReplyDeleteblah blah blah blah so stupid vlog ever!
ReplyDeleteYou born in America and you use sign language therefore you are America Sign Language user!
ReplyDeleteStay away from young children. They don't need your silly exposure about needing to quit ASL. I have an advice, take an ASL class, structure of ASL. You'll see why ASL is a language. Do research before ranting about ASL.
ReplyDeleteI need to remind our wonderful commenters that I will not approve profanity infested comments. We have youth learning from this blog.
ReplyDeleteRichard
ASL is a wonderful language and..... I still can read and write in English! Got it? Heh hehehhe ... I don't know why Richard still watches our ASL thru the vlogs here -- He shouldn't be watching us if he opposes ASL. Tsk tsk! Hushie Richie! *shoo you away*
ReplyDeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteTo you ASL appears the a sweet language for you. However through my eyes and through the careers of other deaf futurist trailblazers, its something else that has nothing to do with communication.
Richard
http://tar2006.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/respond-to-the-orange-deaf-richard/
ReplyDeleteLook at that!
Tar,
ReplyDeleteTake a hard look at the scope into the future. Where will ASL fit in? You think its worth the Mea culpa?
Richard
Richard,
ReplyDeleteHere's the fact. English is number 1 used language in United States, Spanish is second most used language in United States. Guess what? ASL is THIRD most used language in United States. In fact, ASL is growing fast that College/university are having hard time to have some availability for hearing students to learn about ASL. Furthermore, many psychologist encourages hearing parents to learn ASL to be able to talk to their babies. Therefore, ASL is the future language. There is no way to deny that.
You are so nuts! Couldnt believe how your brain works that way you communicate with us. Feel sorry for your brainless!
ReplyDeleteRichard,
ReplyDeleteI find this funny.. You're still using ASL even you want to remove it? Ohhhhh, did it just hurt you? Don't give me crap already..
It is just sad to see 19 years guy have to correct more than 40 years guy right now.. Since, you're in deaf organization and you gave your biased favorism side and it is conflict of the interesting with your position. I am requesting you to resign your position from the Orange Deaf organization for the best interesting of the Deaf community.
You failed advocacy this deaf organization by remove ASL from the image. If I were on board of this organization, your ass is gone before I get that job. Grow up guy! Time for you to go!
Failed? I think not. We're getting a lot of positive comments from people who have a good grasp into the future of deaf society.
ReplyDeleteIf a 19 yr old ASL militant want to wail, let him/her do it.
It's all about evolution and haves becomes havenots.
Richard
THERE WONT BE A SIGN LANGUAGE... WITHOUT ASL! WAKE UP WHERE DID YOU LEARN ALL THOSE SIGN? HOW? I AM CURIOUS WHAT IS YOU "SIGN LANGUAGE" HISTORY WHERE DOES IT COME FROM... I BET YOU IT COME FROM ASL ... I FELT SORRY FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF OR PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH YOU... THOSE PEOPLE DISGRACE DEAF COMMUNITY AND THEIR HERITAGE!... EXCUSE ME, I HAVE TO GO TO BATHROOM AND THROW UP..*GAG*
ReplyDeleteEvolution is made up of 70% praise and 30% panic.
ReplyDeleteRichard
After analysis of your vblogs, I noticed your views are “too extreme” concerning Deaf culture, their practices, their languages (ASL, Bi-Bi and etc) and their ways. There is no way you can “force” the Deaf culture to comply with your extreme ideals. Everyone are unique to each of their own, sometimes they are not compatible to others like oil to water. Compare that to English speaking people, whether they are deaf, blind or hearing, they are sometimes not compatible to each other as well. They can be right-wing extremist or liberal, having Southern accent or Northern accent, low or high education level, immoral or moral point of view or whatever that can be. Those things don’t give us the right to become authoritative on what things are supposed to be or not to be. They are just the way they are, period.
ReplyDeleteASL is my choice of sign language, simply because it enables me to communicate efficiently with majority of deaf people. I can select to use SEE or PSE as a tool to be able to communicate with others who are not familiar with ASL. I am sure a lot of deaf people out there also have that ability to do so in order to help others like you. In one of your vblog entry concerning ASL harming deaf people, I do not see how that can be possible, they are just different. You are using PSE and that you are not compatible with ASL world therefore stop blaming Deaf culture based on your personal difference.
A lot of us deaf folks are successful in what we aim to achieve. I am currently working as Technology Coordinator as one of positive role models to others whether they are hearing or deaf. There are deaf professionals out there that have been my role model that enabled me to achieve my career goal as Technology Coordinator and the way I am. I would suggest that you change your attitude towards Deaf culture right now and to become a positive role model like the rest of us. I can see that you are providing equipment necessary for the Deaf culture to adapt with the hearing world, and that is a good start. Please do not ruin your reputation that you already have right now; work amongst us as part of deaf world as a team player.
Now about AllDeaf, I fully support all forums, whether they are AllDeaf, GLBT Deaf Forms, DeafNotes and what’s what. They exist for a reason and we need to leave them be. Instead of saying “AllDeaf trashing people”, just leave that forum and find other one that you feel comfortable with. Saying that is childish thing to do and since we are adults, it’s time to grow up and act like one.
LinuxGold,
ReplyDeleteYour comments makes yourself very extreme.
Rich
I made my statement in an attempt to help you and you chose to decline my offer. You're now our mome rath from Jabberwocky.
ReplyDelete