While I applaud grandly at Bobbie’s enthusiasm to move forward.
I find this very premature at this point.
Much healing has to be done before we all can get together and move forward. many deaf advocates have been scarred permanently by the actions of people who represented ‘the powers that be’ in the deaf society.
They cant easily forgive and forget. They’re scarred.
Permanent scars include sourge damage, trashed reputation, stolen ideas, loss of funding, loss of grant support, loss of jobs, loss of prized posessions, loss of marriages, loss of homes, loss of the lives of their close associates, and loss of their own lives.
Healing has to be completed first before we all can get together first and move on forward.
I challenege Bobbie to come up with a real plan to begin the healing of the scars that have been caused by deaf people who held positions of trust in deaf organizations.
Until then, we cant move forward together.
Respectfully yours,
Richard Roehm
The same sort of thing happens in hearing organizations--much more than in Deaf organizations, in my experience. Bobbie is right...move on--dwelling on the past and blaming former leaders and so forth does not benefit anyone. Hearing organizations do not waste time tryign to make everyone happy and reconciling all of the problems that happened in the past. they get rid of the problem and move on. I think tha'ts what Bobbie is trying to do. Let's move on!
ReplyDeleteAdmitting the problem existed is the first step in getting rid of the problem. And heal those who have been scarred. Many of the scarred folks are in power positions ready to use their clout to prevent healing and moving on unless the culprits atone for their misdeeds.
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