www.deafchildren.org
ically (staring at the walls and daydreaming, or reading books) or physically (going to another room to read, watch TV or do minor tasks such as washing dishes). And again, all too often, we were told to pay attention, or that our behavior (such as reading while at the dinner table or with guests present) was “rude.” This kind of double bind can be quite maddening, in both the literal and figurative senses. For more than 100 years, Deaf people like me have been trying to warn of the dangers of the socio-psychological violence inflicted upon Deaf students by oral-only methodologies (methodologies that purposely leave out sign language) and mainstreaming programs that do not have a critical mass of Deaf or hard of hearing peers. And for just as long, the auditory-medical complex and oral/aural organizations and proponents have pooh-poohed our experiences and warnings as things of the past. Yet, Quick has shown us that our fears and concerns are not obsolete or unfounded; instead, they are all too frighteningly real and present. I have at times wondered why, in our more than 30 years of sustained mainstreaming, we have not yet had any sort of violent rampage against peers by a Deaf person who experienced the same kinds of ostracism and bullying that I experienced, and what I suspect Quick must
also have experienced. One answer comes from a blog written by a 20-something orally-raised woman who self-identifies as hard of hearing (http://sayno2hate.blogspot. com/2012/02/ what-have-i-lost. html?m=1). She describes her feelings of self-hatred arising from living as a Deaf person in a hearing–dominated situation that culminated in harmful acts toward herself, including cutting herself and suicidal thoughts. Her story illustrates an important point that most Deaf people, despite undergoing this psychological trauma for something they ultimately have no control over, do break. Most of us do not break as dramatically as Dylan Quick, who obviously went over the edge into insanity, but break we do. Some of us act out in smaller, emotional, and more localized ways, which are often labeled as a temper tantrum or making a scene. Others may be more physical, engaging in fights. But more often, we seem to internalize, rather than externalize, our anger and frustration. Some engage in drug use, others cut themselves, and still others attempt suicide. Some may succeed in harming ourselves, while others merely move on past the hurts (identifying with the Deaf cultural community often does a lot for the healing process), but the net result is that our stories, feelings and 55