Today we watched a very powerful clip about a Deaf family that decided to go ahead and travel to Brazil for a very expensive surgery that would make their child Deaf just like them. They wanted to feel that special connection that all families have. Now, I know this was very hard for you to watch and stirred many emotions, but think about this for a minute. Really think about it. How is this any different from hearing parents implanting their children with Cochlear Implants to make them hearing? Hmmmm.... Shouldn't a child have the right to be just what they are...Deaf without the pressures to be molded to fit into the "norm"?
Deaf people are a part of a culture that share a very unique and beautiful language, traditions, values, folklore, and so much more. They can be compared to a language minority in the United States. Yet, the majority believes that Deaf people need to be hearing to be happy, adjusted, successful, educated, and social. Isn't this the same as believing one race is better than another or that people who are gay or lesbian should be straight?
Please read this article and ponder on the story we watched today. What do you think? What are your "two cents"? (be honest, I want you to feel you can share your thoughts and opinions freely here)
We will continue our discussion next week.
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/cont28.shtml
I strongly believe that you are born a certain way for a reason. I don't think that the parents should have changed their child from hearing to deaf. That was the way he was born and they should love him for who he is. Once he gets old enough to understand then let him make the decision for himself, but he seemed very against the surgery and I don't think he should've been forced to do it for his parents satisfaction. This video made me almost sick to my stomach to watch because that child was too young to understand what was going on, and they took something away from him that he can't just get back. I think it's wrong that they can't accept their child even though he isn't deaf, just as I think it would be wrong if someone didn't accept thier child if their child was deaf and they were hearing. It takes work and getting used to i'm sure, but I believe that having your child and seeing them happy is what really matters.
ReplyDeleteDuring the video we watched in class, I also had a sick feeling not just because the child didn't want the surgery but also because the parents didn't care what the boy wanted. He told them that he wanted to hear cartoons and music and talk to his friends but they still went through with the surgery. The boy is 4 years old, which I think is old enough to have some say in what your body is capable of doing. Granted I do understand where the parents are coming from, wanting to have the bond of having an all deaf family because they would have a deeper connection all being on the same level. But when the boy grows up there is a chance that he won't have a good relationship with his parents because he will always remember how they made the decision to take away his hearing. If that is the case, than the deep bonding that the parents wanted is gone. Like one of the parents in the article, who gave the implant to their child, said,"If they were born without an arm, wouldn't I give them a prosthetic arm?" That is my same feeling towards the situation. You can still teach them sign language even though they can hear. When I become a mother, I will love my child no matter what, but I want them to be able to experience everything that they can. My goal is that I will have happy children who can enjoy life no matter what their situation. Katelyn Geib
ReplyDeleteAs we watched the video in class about the little boy who was four years old and born into a family of deaf parents I felt disgusted. In the delivery room when the parents were told that their son was not deaf they started to cry and were very disappointed, and I find that very sad that they could not accept their own son how he was born. For the parents to go through all the trouble of going to a different country, paying millions of dollars and for them not to think about how his future will be and when he grows up how his relationship will be with his was just horrible and selfish. For someone to let their child hear for four years and then all of a sudden making such a huge change in his every day life and not to even consider how he felt about the whole situation just broke my heart. Since he was still young they could have taught their child how to sign so he could communicate with his family but they just thought about how they wanted their family to be and not how this would affect him. I still can not believe his parents and in all honesty if parents can not accept their child how they are when they are born then they should not be parents, that is just cruel to do. Nikki Darker
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ReplyDeleteI am still in awe of that video, and how the parents could just do that to their little boy. I don't really think parents should get their kids cochlear implants either if the kid cries and doesn't want one. The most disturbing part of the video is the fact that the parents didn't love their son for the person he is. Why couldn't they let the kid grow up, living a normal life and if he ever wanted the surgery let him decide. Basically the emotion the video made me feel is disgust towards the parents. Coyer Mackner
ReplyDeleteVideo:
ReplyDeleteWatching the video in class stirred many emotions in myself and the majority of my peers. I couldn’t believe that the parents of the hearing child were so upset by the fact that their child could hear. It was as if they were disgusted, which made me feel terrible. I’m not saying that I do not understand why they would want to. I just don’t understand why they feel the need to do the surgery even though they communicate very well with their son because he knows sign language. They were making the decision to have him able to only speak with his parents easily and have a very hard time speaking to his peers and many other people in his life. I don’t understand why they couldn’t accept their son for who he is and love him no matter what. What bothers me most is that he didn’t want the surgery to be done but they went about it anyway. Just because he is four does not mean he cannot think for himself. They were taking away his rights by conducting this surgery.
Article:
After having read the article I understand why people are against cochlear implants. It is hard to find the solution to this as a parent of a deaf child because it becomes a catch 22. Their child may end up hating them for doing the surgery or angry with them for not doing it during the prime time of learning as a child. I think people need to stop blaming the parents who are trying to do what is best for their child and personal family situation. I would say the child should choose whether they want the implants or not but in certain cases I think it is understandable for the parents to make the decision.
I was in shock after seeing the clip. The first thing that came to my mind was "How could someone do this to their child"?. I put myself in the child position and feel so remorse and pain. I would feel so much resent if my parents was to take away my hearing. Hearing is an important senses and if we are to born with it we should be grateful for it. I understand that the parents want a united deaf family where they can all be the same but they at the same time are being selfish. They had asked their child, and their child had refuse, yet they continue to pursue their desire. I know its hard for the child's parent to have their dream broken but they should think of the positive side of how their child was able to hear. Though i tried hard to understand why the deaf parents would do this, i just cant. Considering they wasted tons of money for the surgery when they could be using that money for their child, later in life, ie college. Therefore this is why I'm really disappointed by the action they done.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe children are born the way they were meant to be. To change who they are is going against the wish of their creator. I, myself, feel at times threatened when teachers, friends, lovers, or family try to change who I am. When I first watched that clip on Youtube, I was extremely upset. I was hurt and apalled that these parents would do this against their child's wish. I do not understand how they could be so heartless and stubborn to listen to their child. Yet I do understand why the parents would want a new deaf generation, but I find it selfish that they would pursue their wish and break their child's heart instead. The money they spent on this operation could of been spent on a much serious and much more needed future situation like college or life or death surgery like brain cancer. It breaks my heart to see parents like this and that is why I'm quite upset with the parent's actions.
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes, "You can't miss something you never had" seems to explain the stubborness behind the child's parents. They have every right to try and make their family as close and alike as possible, but every individual has their own rights, especially the rights to changes of their own body. If the parents don't want to hear, they don't want to have to change for other people, then that is their decision. When they start taking away a gift, I'm choosing "gift" because it is an ability the child enjoys and cherishes, then they are denying the rights of this child. He didn't want to lose the joy in being able to hear music. I always believed that the main goal of parents was to make their child happy, and not to make them seem like heartless tyrants; that wasn't their goal, but they took away what was not theirs to be taken away. Not only did they take his hearing away but also his natural born freedoms to choose how he wants to be. Oh, and one last thing. Even though I'm sure they researched the hospitals credentials and made sure it was completely safe, I believe that bringing their son to Brazil to have his surgery was not the safest of ideas. America has one of the best medical systems in the entire world and the fact that they refuse to perform a surgery such as this only goes to show just how irregular and inhumane it is to practice it.
ReplyDeleteThis video was very tough to watch. This child was taken away something that should not be taken away if possible. I belive the reason we where shown this video is that people are fine the way they are and we should not try to change them to make us all the same, because we are not. These parents are really doing what a parent with a deaf child would try to do too make them here. It is in reverse and we are not use to that in this way. One thing that was really out there is that they would go to a hospital in Brazil where this surgy is legal for some reason.
ReplyDeleteAnd put their son in the hands of these doctors who do not seem very trust worthy.
In Response to Katelyn:
ReplyDelete"the parents didn't care what the boy wanted. He told them that he wanted to hear cartoons and music and talk to his friends but they still went through with the surgery"
Like I mentioned in my post, this is what bothers me most about the entire video and story in general. The helpless four year old didn't want the surgery and he made it very clear to his parents. It hurts me to know that their little boy told them this and they went against his wishes when the matter concerned his life more than all others. It almost makes me wonder whether the parents can legally do this even if it is conducted out of the country. Is it not a violation of human rights? Just because the child is young does not mean he isn't human or capable of making decisions.
Michelle Fischer
The clip we watched was absolutely disgusting to me. It changed my mood for the whole day. I can't believe a family can't accept the senses their son was given. They aren't putting themselves in his spot to see how he feels about it. What was most disturbing to me was that they didn't give him an option. They forced him. They said he was crying and didn't want it to happen. He just wanted to listen to music and watch cartoons like a normal four year old. I would like to force the parents to give up their eye sight or sense of smell to see if they would argue this. Its only fair to take something away to realize how much it means to you. This is such a cliche saying, but it really is the truth. This makes me upset just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteJosh Kellner
In response to meghan's quote: "I, myself, feel at times threatened when teachers, friends, lovers, or family try to change who I am."
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with this. As much as people say they are just helping you by giving you advice, they come across as forcing you to be who you are not. No one can change who you are at heart. They can only try to form you into what society wants you to be.
I was shocked after watching that video. I completely disagree with the way they went about doing things. Who are they to say that a wonderful child should have their hearing taken away when it is such an amazing part of being a human being. That makes no sense to me whatsoever that they would take away their own child's hearing. If he can do sign language and know how to communicate with his parents then I believe he should have every right to have his hearing. I don't believe that their child needs to be deaf to have that family connection all families have. His parents should be so thankful that he has the ability to hear without having to have a cochlear implant."Hmmmm.... Shouldn't a child have the right to be just what they are" that says it all right their...every child should have the right to be just the way they are. I understand where you are coming from when you say that people shouldn't have pressures of fitting into the "norm" but I also think that the person themselves should have the choice. I personally believe that it does not matter what other people think, if a person is deaf and wants to be that way then they will and if a person wants to have an implant then they will get one. I think that parents would get their child/children implants because for most cases I would think that the child would want to hear and have that ability. Their are thousands of different cultures and ways of living so every situation goes both ways no matter what, whether your gay or straight or religious or not. Their are so many things that can be controversial but ultimately I think that it is up to the human being because everyone has a right to their own bodies no matter what age.
ReplyDeleteKrista York
When we watched the video in class last week, I was just so shocked and felt my stomach turning. I don’t really understand how the parents where so sad and upset that their son could hear. Wouldn’t they be excited for their son to be able to experience what they couldn’t at the moment? I know his parents wanted to be closer to their son and start a new deaf generation, but I really don’t get why they couldn’t except their son as who he was and just be glad that he was healthy. I really think it should of been the boys choice to have the surgery or not. However when the parents confronted him about the surgery he started to cry and say will I not be able to hear music or my cartoons, but his parents went along with it anyway. I just think that is completely wrong. I know the boy is only wrong but they should want what is best for him not for themselves. Its just wrong what these parents did and I thought they where being very selfish!
ReplyDeleteMaggie Dolan
I thought it was so cool that Katelyn’s goal is that she will have a happy child who can enjoy life no matter what their situation is. I think thats all a parent should really want for their child and no matter what, our parents will always be there for us. No parent should wish for their child to be different because there is always a reason the child is like that.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how Krista said every child should have the right to be just the way they are. No one should ever try to change someone because no matter how hard you try to change someone they will always remain to be true to themselves. Yes, sometimes others can lead you in a different way, but in the end its up to you to choose your own path.
Maggie Dolan
Response to Kthomps:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything you have said about the video. The thing that I mostly agree with is your last statement about how inhumane it is and the fact that they had to go to a different country to do that. That is a horrible thing to do especially if it is against the child's wishes. I think that everyone mostly agrees how sad and horrible the video was to watch.
-Krista York
In response to ndarker, the child already knew how to sign since he was communicating with his parents. I understand where you are coming from, how changing someone because you want them to change is wrong (I agree), but you also have to realize that this happens all the time, in various situations. When a child is forced to get cochlear implants, they also have to go through a lot of surgery and change. It's not so different. Just remember to think about all sides, that's all I can say.
ReplyDelete-Mary
It is within my nature to be completely honest, even when the truth doesn't satisfy the majority. What I was thinking as I watched the clip in class was probably different than what most of my classmates were. The point that Monica brought up really delves into what was on my mind: "How is this any different from hearing parents implanting their children with Cochlear Implants to make them hearing?" I understand that it seemed disturbing to many of us to see parents want to have their child lose their hearing. Many of us probably consider lack of hearing to be debilitating, but I don't see it that way. People may think me strange for feeling this way, but it's the truth. How were those parents any different than the parents of deaf children who are forced to get the implant? The truth is, they aren't. Children who are deaf don't usually get to make the choice & neither did the child of these parents (overall, the lack of choice for all these children, deaf or not, is a problem that should be addressed). As Monica said, there is a rich deaf culture, but as I see it, most of us act as though being deaf is a horrible deficiency. I think that is something we should truly reconsider. I've always had this ability to see people as who they are, not as "how" they are (I don't think about what creates people [physical aspects/outward appearances], I think about what people create of themselves [inward aspects]). This leads me to better understanding the way others view the world (their perspectives). What I mainly felt from the parents was true excitement at being able to connect with their child. It seems that the father (& maybe even the mother) went through the experience of having a cochlear implant & did not like it. I felt like there was a great disdain the father had for the reaction of the family to the news of the child being deaf. He seemed to be irritated because they must have forced him to hear & he had to accept that. So why wouldn't they accept his decision to do just the opposite? This is what people need to start considering...We're practically hypocrites if we believe one way is right if forced, but the other way is wrong if forced. Personally, I believe that although the early years of a child's life are crucial to the development of language, the child should be able to choose, perhaps a little later on. As the article said, many adults choose to get the implants later in life, when they can truly CHOOSE. Parents with children who are deaf (or vice versa, as in the case of this family) may feel as if they are facing extreme hardship, but they need to remember that they should let the child choose what works better for their own selves. There is a psychological factor within this & that is where it is exceptionally important for a child to be able to make the decision that will help them feel like they belong to one "way of life" or the other. (My post is too long again so I'm splitting it.)
ReplyDelete. My personal reaction to the video was a want to support both the family & the child in such a hard decision. We have to be sensitive to everyone’s way of thinking as well as respectful. All I can say is, think about everyone’s perspective if you truly want to understand one another. I’ll end with one of my favorite quotes, “…and made you into nations and tribes that you may know and honor each other (not that you should despise one another).” (This is the second part of my post)
ReplyDeleteI could hardly stand to watch that video in class the other day. It made me sick to my stomach that they would take a little boys privelage of hearing. People should just be accepted the way they are. If a child is born def then let them be def. If they can hear let them hear. The parents are so selfish for takinh that away from a child who doesnt want it to happen and has established part of his life already with his friends and other family. He can communicate just fine with his parents already. its just a selfish thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI think that what the parents did in that You Tube video was absolutely horrific. I don’t understand how someone could do such a thing to their child so that their child could be like them. The father talked about the reason that he did it was to preserve the culture of the deaf society, or something along those lines, and I believe that his reasoning was completely wrong from that perspective. The son does not have to be deaf in order to preserve the culture of the deaf. In my eyes, it would almost be better for preserving the culture because then the son could teach the non-deaf to sign and therefore he would be extending the signing culture out to other cultures. As for the article about the cochlear implants, I think that is wrong for people to think that being deaf is something that must be corrected, such as getting for glasses for blurry vision. If deaf people are comfortable the way they are why must we force them to be someone who they are not?
ReplyDeleteKatelyn you bring up a good point about how the boy will probably resent his parents for making him go deaf. I don’t know that I would have the best relationship with my parents either if they forced me in to something that I didn’t want to do. I don’t understand why the parents thought that there son needed to be deaf like them in order to build their relationship because no matter what condition their son was under he would have loved them just the same.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kyork
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, i was in disbelief seeing how the two parents would do that to their kid. I mean i understand they want a united family but I feel like that was just selfish of them to do that. Plus you made a great point of how if the boy can communicate with them, why must they make him lose his hearing. A parent should be grateful that their child is born with hearing rather than being disappointed.
mcalso8-
ReplyDelete" The son does not have to be deaf in order to preserve the culture of the deaf. "
This statement is so true, I didn't even think of it this way until i read this. He will be able to follow the steps of his parents even though he's not deaf himself. He can teach others about the hardships and greatness of deafness without actually being deaf.
In response to Mary,
ReplyDelete"Personally, I believe that although the early years of a child's life are crucial to the development of language, the child should be able to choose, perhaps a little later on. As the article said, many adults choose to get the implants later in life, when they can truly CHOOSE."
I agree with that statement because, If the boy decided he wanted to be like his parents and share that connection, his parents would be more than willing to do the surgery when he was older.
Katelyn Geib
Tlindber I agree with you and you are born a certain way for a reason. And I also do agree with you on how they should have waited till he was old enough to make the decision for himself, he was four years old and he was crying because he would not be able to watch his cartoons and I thought that made it clear that was his decision that he would not want to get it done. Pretty much just his parents should accept him as he is.
ReplyDeleteNikki Darker
I think that everyone is born a certain way for a reason. If God wanted the child to be deaf like his parents, the kid would have been deaf. It's really sad that the parents went against what not only the child wanted, but also what God wanted. The boy was so sad when he was told what would happen, and he clearly didn't want it. But four year old's don't know how to stand up for themselves. They don't really have a say in anything because their mom and dad still control everything in their lives. Which is understandable; but when it comes to something like this, I believe that the kid should have a say in it. It is a change that will effect his entire life forever. People accept their child if they have a disability, disease, or anything like that, so I just don't understand why these parents couldn't accept that their child could hear. All the child needed is love, and in a way, that's doing the opposite. It's not really showing the love for their son by not respecting or taking into consideration what he wanted. He likes music and cartoons and their taking both of those things away from him. I understand the parents wanting good things for the deaf, but the child could still support and help the deaf will still being able to hear. It's just sad to me that the boy's opinion didn't even matter to the parents when it was effecting the little boy's life the most. It seems kind of selfish to me. As for the article, I really don't think that deaf people need to become hearing to be accepted. It's sad if people think that.
ReplyDeleteKristin Sorensen
I completely agree with Krista when she says..
ReplyDeleteIf he can do sign language and know how to communicate with his parents then I believe he should have every right to have his hearing. I don't believe that their child needs to be deaf to have that family connection all families have. His parents should be so thankful that he has the ability to hear without having to have a cochlear implant.
The boy should and does have a right to keep his hearing. The parents just went against that. He could do sign language and communicate with his parents perfectly fine, so it shouldn't really matter to the parents. They just wanted him to be like them which is selfish. The family should be close without everyone in it to be deaf. Deaf and hearing family members can be just as close. They shouldn't look at their son and decide that they can't be as close or as loving with him just because he can hear. He was born with the gift of hearing and the parents shouldn't take that away from him.
Kristin Sorensen
This video was probably one of the worst videos I have ever seen! One, I couldn’t believe that a parent would want to make their child Deaf and two, how could the parents post the video to the whole world. People are born the way they are for a reason. It was definitely an eye opener to the extent that people would go in order to be satisfied. I guess I don’t even understand how that is satisfying though. I view our five senses as a privilege, and if you have all five of them, you are truly lucky. Why take any of that away from a young child who can’t even make his own decisions. When I look at most parents, they want what’s best for their kids and I’m having a really hard time understanding why this was best for the boy. This video irked me in every way possible and if I had the choice, I would never watch it again, but I feel that there is more to it than what we saw.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sher when he stated that the money should be used from something different. The family spent a lot of money between the actual surgery and the airline tickets. The son’s whole college education could have been paid for, which seems a lot more useful than making the son deaf, or even making life harder for him.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristin when she says “I understand the parents wanting good things for the deaf”. And the face how she was also sad that the little boy’s opinion didn’t even matter to the parents and it was effecting him the most, and that it was rather selfish on the parents part to do just that, and then basically come off on there family and say you either deal with it or you don’t bother us and our family.
ReplyDeleteJake Turkowski
To KyOrK:
ReplyDelete"There are so many things that can be controversial but ultimately I think that it is up to the human being because everyone has a right to their own bodies no matter what age."
I absolutely agree with this statement. People know what they want and what they do not want, and if they are wrong, it's the perfect way to learn from their mistake. Life is an experiment and we're not all going to get it right all the time, but we have the right to do what we want with our bodies. No one can force us to do otherwise.
In response to Josh's comment, "I can't believe a family can't accept the senses their son was given...What was most disturbing to me was that they didn't give him an option." I agree with his comments completely. The family has such a problem with most of society wanting them to change but aren't they just doing the same thing to their own son? He clearly didn't want the surgery and to force an innocent, helpless, child into something like this is horrible. If he had been bothered by not being able to hear he would've said something. Yes, parents can control their children in certain aspects of their life but this was something they shouldn't have been able to control. They're not God they don't have the right to take this gift away from him.
ReplyDeleteIn responce to what Tlindber said
ReplyDelete"I strongly believe that you are born a certain way for a reason"
This is a very true state ment how we are born is a big part about who we are.For people to want to change that for the child is expected but still should not happen as much as it does. Parents in todays world want there child to have it better then they have. but every one is different so it is tough to judge who really has it better. Every one is different and neeeds to be accepted for who they are.
When i was watching the video in class it made me sick to my stomach. I was dumbfounded that anyone would do that to there child. The kid has the privelage of hearing and shouldnt have that taken away. the parents here are way in the wrong to take that away from a child who has already made part of his life up. They communicate just fine with their son and their son can communicate with the other family just as well. The kid has the genes to have a deaf child when he grows up so if they want that to carry on just wait. It just made me sad and frustrated through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything Krista had to say in her commment. God has given us a gift to hear, dont take away something that he has given us. If he decides to take it, then so be it. Dont try to take action like that especially with a child who does not want it done and has a pretty good life so far. The parents are crazy.
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