Eugenics, Sterilization and Genetics

Kia Ora! (Maori for Hello) Last week, we were very fortunate to have the company of Mr Joe Murray, the former President of the WFD Youth Section, currently on the WFD Board and now slogging out his PhD on Deaf – Deaf Marriages in Norway. Our minds were expanded in ways that contradict with the making of the world’s largest Roti. I have bunged together some of the topics we talked about.... apologies for topic hopping!

History lesson
Signtalk was centred on one of the wonderful figures in our history, ooh la la the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. Even I thought he was so wonderful, I featured in a movie about his life when I was er 10.

Bell advocated for legislation restricting marriage among the Deaf, as he was concerned that a "deaf variety of the human race" was being created. This idea of Eugenics was one of several similar concepts circulating the globe in the 1800’s. Through a chain of people and ideas, this would have snowballed to Hitler writing his beloved Mein Kampf, and gleefully eradicating seven million Jews. Och, Bell did not directly hand Hitler the idea of “off with the Deaf” on a silver platter, but STILL!

Sterilization of the Deaf originated in the United States of America with multiple trickle effects. I have bundled together some facts on Sterilization of the Deaf by Horst Biesold – see http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/WorldAroundYou/holocaust/in-der-nacht.html

• 17,000 Deaf out of the 45,000 Deaf in Germany had been sterilized BEFORE World War II began.
• No anaesthetic was used.
• 33 percent of those Deaf were under age 18 and 20 percent were under age 16.
• In 9 percent of the cases, women who were sterilized also underwent forced abortion, most beyond their fifth month of pregnancy.
• Biesold's research has shown that about 37 percent of the deaf people sterilized in Germany were turned in by teachers or schools for the deaf, and another 47 percent by the public health office.
• A deaf Nazi organization, the Reichs Federation of Deaf, was established, and called for deaf people to sacrifice themselves for the Fatherland by being sterilized.

Chilling. I also saw a theatre directed by Tomato Lichy about a Deaf womans experience of not being able to have children. Heart wrenching.

While Sterilization is a thing of the past, (me hopes so) here are some facts on genetics.

Genetic bits and DNA pieces…

• Ooh! Along with 6300 special individuals who have already done so, you can donate your temporal bone for scientific research at www.tbregistry.org Basically, this website says that if you have hearing loss, a balance problem, or facial nerve paralysis, you can help find new treatments and cures for ear problems by donating.
  
• Deaf Mice have had their deaf gene removed, but unfortunately this type of gene had a dangerous, tentacle-like attachment to the gene that affects balance. So these now hearing mice ran around in mad, dizzying circles for the rest of their life. There’s something about “going around in circles” that has an uncanny association with the physical malformations of these mice. Are we destined to go around in circles? First this schmuck with Eugenics…then Oralism, now Genetics? All coming back to the same point. *imitates machine gun*
  
• Have you ever Googled “Genetics and Deafness” ? If not, try it! You wouldn’t believe the amount of information or conferences or thesises that are out there… also have a look at www.gendeaf.org

Political Lies

A discussion was had on how we could ‘save’ the Deaf community aka political arguments for why we should continue to exist.

We could say that we are an endangered species…(idea canvassed by the Australian)
Look at the Panda or the Orangutan. So much attention, for a worthy cause. Just bung a Deaf person or two into cast iron cages and get people to pay to echo cries of sympathy. Instant economic stability for those struggling Deaf organisations.
Hell, we even have an affinity with those Orangutans who sign. Did you know that 98% of our genes are the same as those of an Orangutans’, a specie of the Great Ape group? Points finger at Deaf. Points to Ape. Points to Deaf again. Points to Ape – Deaf – Ape – Deaf – Ape – Hearing – Ape – Hearing… aren’t we all the same? *belly laughs*

Picture: Mr Ape. Ooh you cuddly thing you little wee you! Cuddly pictures…the animal activist groups have mastered this art of sympathy down to every last detail.

Affiliation with the Church (idea canvassed by the New Zealander)
If Abortion is OK for some people, i.e. 15 year old girls, then how can genetically modifying the Deaf gene for some parents who do not want to see their child ‘suffer,’ not be okay? I know! Lets join forces with the Church! Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church would be our new best friend. Technically, we have a strong ally here.

Annihilation

We split into 3 groups to annihilate one academic article each. My group’s article focused on whether we could use the disability movement to boost our cause.

You can see a summary of the Douglas Baynton, “Beyond Culture: Deaf studies and the Deaf body”, 2004 article at page 4 of http://www.frontblog.dk/Weekly%20Reports/Week%2011/Week%2011%20Report.pdf

One group’s article was on the Deaf as an Ethnic group and this group was conveniently picked to pitch their case against us in a class debate. There were valid points from both articles, but one thing was misunderstood. The other group thought we were saying that we accepted the Deaf being labelled as a disability group. But what the Douglas Baynton article really said was that being disabled is a “product of social oppression.” This means:

“According to the social model of disability, deaf and Deaf people are disabled not because they do not hear, but because society is structured and everyday business is conducted in ways that exclude them…”

Hmm.. valid point. But why shouldn’t we just accept that we ARE disabled and be done with it? Ha ha ha. Woops perhaps Im taking this cynicism too far *smiles*