Politeness question for little people

[scotpens]

. . . No, the Deaf are not in treatment, they are not considered psychotic, and yes, they, by and large, would prefer to give birth to deaf children rather than hearing.

If hearing impairments were treatable or able to be eradicated, an unique culture would disappear, and the Deaf are militantly opposed to that happening.

But you really must understand, Deaf Culture is unique and viable, and the Deaf will defend it until their last breath.

None of that changes the objective fact that deafness is a disability. It‘s a handicap, an impairment, a deficiency, a pathology. As Abraham Lincoln said, a dog doesn’t have five legs just because you call a tail a leg.

And anyone who would wish their child to be born deaf has serious mental issues.

 

[Myasishchev]

Are those people in treatment?

What treatment?

Psychiatric treatment, one would assume. What sort of monster would wish that on a child? Would they want their child to be born blind, or without arms or legs?

But I get shit when I talk about circumcision.

Obviously, it shouldn't be permitted. But the impulse is understandable. That is, I can see the desire to raise a child who experiences the world in the same way as you do.

But it raises a serious question about how far one should be allowed to dictate a child's physical makeup. It's easy enough to draw a line at sensory perceptions, but--back to little people and short folks--what about height?

If every male is bound to be six feet tall, the one who's 5'5" has a severe disadvantage. Did he have bad parents?

I suspect our definition of disability, if not legally then socially and colloquially, is going to broaden very rapidly once we have that control.

 

[scotpens]

Obviously, it shouldn't be permitted. But the impulse is understandable. That is, I can see the desire to raise a child who experiences the world in the same way as you do.

If raising a child who “experiences the world in the same way as you do” means depriving that child of one of its major senses, then that desire is more than selfish — it’s sociopathic.

 

[captcalhoun]

wow, can't believe you Americans are all so short. i'm 6'1, i must be like fucking giant to all you 5'5 and unders!

 

[scotpens]

wow, can't believe you Americans are all so short. i'm 6'1, i must be like fucking giant to all you 5'5 and unders!

Hey, who you callin’ short? I’m just over 6 feet — about 6 feet 1/4 inch, actually.

And I prefer tall women. Except for Kylie Minogue.

 

[Deckerd]

Kylie's like a little pixie.

 

[scotpens]

Kylie's like a little pixie.

That’s one sexy little pixie!

 

[propita]

Funny thing? I’m white European stock and only 5’ 1”; Hubby is Mexican originally from Mexico (but his grandfather was Spanish blood) and he’s 6’ 1” !! His Mom is tiny, though. How that big guy came from that tiny woman .... well, Hubby was a big baby--11 lbs at birth.

You’d think that living in an area with so many short Hispanic and Asian women, there’d be clothes that fit. Not so much.

 

[B.J.]

wow, can't believe you Americans are all so short. i'm 6'1, i must be like fucking giant to all you 5'5 and unders!

Americans short? Not really. I'm around 5'9", and on the short side of average.

 

[Maestro]

None of that changes the objective fact that deafness is a disability. It‘s a handicap, an impairment, a deficiency, a pathology. As Abraham Lincoln said, a dog doesn’t have five legs just because you call a tail a leg.

And anyone who would wish their child to be born deaf has serious mental issues.

Except that the Deaf don't accept your fact. To them, deafness is NOT a disability. To some of them, the ability to hear is a disability.

Angering the Deaf is a bad idea. If you don't have a horse in this race, it's really unwise to attempt to place a bet.

 

[scotpens]

Except that the Deaf don't accept your fact. To them, deafness is NOT a disability. To some of them, the ability to hear is a disability.

Angering the Deaf is a bad idea. If you don't have a horse in this race, it's really unwise to attempt to place a bet.

The world is set up for people with five fully functioning senses. When one of those senses doesn’t function, that’s a disability. I’m deaf in one ear myself, and it’s definitely a handicap, although a minor one.

You don’t have to have a personal stake in something to call bullshit when you see it.

 

[JarodRussell]

Except that the Deaf don't accept your fact. To them, deafness is NOT a disability. To some of them, the ability to hear is a disability.

LOL, yeah right.

 

[Finn]

Except that the Deaf don't accept your fact. To them, deafness is NOT a disability. To some of them, the ability to hear is a disability.

Angering the Deaf is a bad idea. If you don't have a horse in this race, it's really unwise to attempt to place a bet.

The world is set up for people with five fully functioning senses. When one of those senses doesn’t function, that’s a disability. I’m deaf in one ear myself, and it’s definitely a handicap, although a minor one.

You don’t have to have a personal stake in something to call bullshit when you see it.

Not when that sense is not necessary for one to function at work and home. There are those who blissfully get by without the need to hear or see.

Disability is relative.

 

[JarodRussell]

Except that the Deaf don't accept your fact. To them, deafness is NOT a disability. To some of them, the ability to hear is a disability.

Angering the Deaf is a bad idea. If you don't have a horse in this race, it's really unwise to attempt to place a bet.

The world is set up for people with five fully functioning senses. When one of those senses doesn’t function, that’s a disability. I’m deaf in one ear myself, and it’s definitely a handicap, although a minor one.

You don’t have to have a personal stake in something to call bullshit when you see it.

Not when that sense is not necessary for one to function at work and home. There are those who blissfully get by without the need to hear or see.

It is a disability only when it keeps one from doing something or understand something. For some, it is not an issue.

Like... driving a car and playing basketball.
Or singing and playing music.



LOL, I can't believe we're right now debating that disabilities aren't disabilities. This must be one of the heights of ridiculousness on TrekBBS.

 

[Finn]

^your point?

 

[JarodRussell]

^your point?

That you talk bull. Just because there are some people who are perfectly fine with being blind or rolling around in a wheelchair doesn't mean it's not a disability.

 

[Finn]

^your point?

That you talk bull. Just because there are some people who are perfectly fine with being blind or rolling around in a wheelchair doesn't mean it's not a disability.

Yes, it does. Disability is meaningless when one still can do what one wants to do with very little barriers, especially in communities.

 

[JarodRussell]

^your point?

That you talk bull. Just because there are some people who are perfectly fine with being blind or rolling around in a wheelchair doesn't mean it's not a disability.

Yes, it does. Disability is meaningless when one still can do what one wants to do with very little barriers, especially in communities.

But still taking advantage of the extra parking place by being officially disabled.

 

[scotpens]

^your point?

That you talk bull. Just because there are some people who are perfectly fine with being blind or rolling around in a wheelchair doesn't mean it's not a disability.

Yes, it does. Disability is meaningless when one still can do what one wants to do with very little barriers, especially in communities.

Which is fine if the deaf want to live in their own isolated little world and never interact with the normal — excuse me, hearing world. The same goes for blind people or those who use wheelchairs. But most people with disabilities want, and need, to function in the world at large.

 

[JarodRussell]

That you talk bull. Just because there are some people who are perfectly fine with being blind or rolling around in a wheelchair doesn't mean it's not a disability.

Yes, it does. Disability is meaningless when one still can do what one wants to do with very little barriers, especially in communities.

Which is fine if the deaf want to live in their own isolated little world and never interact with the normal — excuse me, hearing world. The same goes for blind people or those who use wheelchairs. But most people with disabilities want, and need, to function in the world at large.

I wonder if a community of solely deaf or blind people could even survive alone.