MEDIA WATCH: The Certainty Principle
Americans have the Grand Canyon. The British have the Lake District and the Yorkshire Moors. Australia has the Blue Mountains, where we lose unsuspecting tourists [implantees, oralies, and their friends] and leave them to their fate. Wandering, dazed and confused, amidst the wilderness teeming with Bunyips, red backs, funnelwebs, wombats, dingoes, taipans, red bellied black snakes, scorpions, lyre birds, wallabies, boxing kanagroos, dogs, and cats, and kokaburras.
It is there, I took a trip last Thursday [10 April, 2008], to visit an old mate of mine. He is hearing [yes, I know what you are going to say. But, as perfect as I am, and as lofty as my ideals are, I like to slum it! How often,depends on my mood. Who better to slum it with than with a hearing person. As is the usual, it involved glasses of AUSTRALIAN wine and some civilised conversation, peppered with some character assassination [smug smile].
Me and my mate, we don’t talk, so much as pyschoanalyse. And from our conversation that alcohol induced murk, two themes emerged: Post Modernism and The Certainty Principle.
The discussion about Post Modernism became quite fascinating as I began to link it to the D/deaf experience; pertinently to the oral deaf experience. It became quite surreal, and a few chickens certainly came home to roost, but that’s a blog post of a different magnitude and for another time.
For now, I want to talk about The Certainty Principle.
The Certainty Principle as defined by me and my mate [or my mate and I], is where a person assumes and holds a position, belief, view, faith, or perspective, that is definitive. Irrespective of reality, direct experience, or facts . Much like the oralist position of not wanting to limit themselves and wanting to become part of a worldwide community. People who adhere to The Certainty Principle, cannot [or will not] see any other position, belief, view, faith, or perspective as valid. Theirs is the position, belief, view, faith, or perspective. Irrespective of reality, direct experience, or facts.
More than this, The Certainty Principle is utilised by people whose modus operandi is to create a world in their image, working under the guise of “working for the betterment of all”. Working for the betterment of all, is a serious delusion that our governments suffer, which without The Certainty Principle, their real intentions would be laid bare for all to see.
The Certainty Principle can be best exemplified by the people behind the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFEB), the media portrayal, and the various responses across the internet and in print. Of course, the media can be accused of having no scruples in their treatment of the issue, and the journalists who approached the Stop Eugenics team, as Snake Oil Salesmen! Still, all this is guided by the Certainty Principle.
Steve Emery, the Good Doctor, points out in his post, Telegraph on ‘deaf babies’ we are still failing to get the message across,and as can be seen from the Department of Health’s response to 19 March meeting with representatives of the Deaf community, inspite of the good work that the STOP EUGENICS team and their supporters are doing, we still keep hitting obstacles:
“…the [Telegraph] heading is actually quite a disappointment as far as I am concerned. We are not out to create deaf babies, how many times do we have to make this clear before the message gets through? Maybe it probably never will..”
It’s a foregone conclusion that headlines like these are going to generate further expressions of The Certainty Principle [which gave rise to my reinterpretation of history. 10,000 BC Age of The Knuckle Draggers, and 2008 AD, Age of The Brain Laggers, of which my research has failed to shed light on events between 10,000 BC and 2008 AD, that would explain humanities failure to progress].
Everytime the subject of deafness rears it’s head, hearing people automatically pull out the line [amongst many other asinine comments]: we have ears, therefore we are meant to hear. A line that is so patently self explanatory, and coupled by The Certainty Principle, is used to further entrench ignorance and justify prejudice: [just follow the appropriate links] Media Watch: Hearing People Still Don’t Get It! Media Watch: Hearing People Still Don’t Get It! Part Two.
This line of thinking bears all the hallmarks of the one of the most asinine arguments presented against homosexuality: God made Adam and Eve, Not Adam and Steve! Der! As if that one line [or couplet] is so self explanatory, and that it encompasses the entire range of human sexual experience: don’t ask me to link or quote here. It induces more severe cases of headshaking, than the ignorance of deafness does.
In both instances, The Certainty Principle blinds the adherent to any other modes of reality. And I am very hard person to convince, that this is not the prevailing infestation of thought, that infects the thinking of Hearing people, all around the globe. I’m not that glib, just indulge me, like you patronisingly indulge your Hearing betters. Or like they, RNID [anyone], AG Bell [anyone], [insert your favourite anti-deaf organisation or people here] anyone, patronisingly indulge us!
All I can surmise, is that The Certainty Principle, has nothing to do with
cold, hard facts, or reality. Nor does it accommodate any actual brain
activity we call thinking! Least of all, Baroness Deech [now what word does that rhyme with], whom I have trouble reconciling her faith with her expressions of humanity. Meow!
So what more can I say, except leave you with more readings on The Certainty Principle, some of which are no doubt saner than others:
- Deaf To Reason [Would You Vote For This Guy?]
- Deaf Couples Choosing Deaf Babies Is Sick A So Called Thinker, whose political leanings are centre-right.
- Deaf To Reason Catchy Title
- Reproductive rights, d/Deafness and the social model of disability
- Deaf Designer Babies: Brave New Britain Gets Newer and Braver A Picture of Certainty, that is Certainly Certain.
- Different ways to see the world
- UK: Couples Could Win Right To Select Deaf BabyTraditional Anglicanism in America [Mine Eye's are cast Heavenward. I don't think I will be turning the other cheek anytime soon]
- Deaf Couples In Great Britain Could Win The Right To Make Their Child Deaf As Well
- You’re deaf, not retarded
- Catholic pressure on fertility bill
- Creating a deaf child IS immoral and no parent should be allowed to choose this for their child
- Genetic DisEnhancement — Does reproductive autonomy extend to choosing a disability?
- Couples could win right to select deaf baby
- NEW POLL: should deaf couples be able to select deaf babies?
Further [and Saner] Readings:
Why I Might be More Libertarian Than I Originally Thought!
Hearing Beethoven
The Right To Remain Silent
Telegraph on ‘deaf babies’ we are still failing to get the message across
Stop Eugenics
ANALYSIS: The HFEB & Clause 14(4)(9) Media Feeding and Talkback Frenzy: Part 4
ANALYSIS: The HFEB & Clause 14(4)(9) Media Feeding and Talkback Frenzy: Part Three
ANALYSIS: The HFEB & Clause 14(4)(9) Media Feeding and Talkback Frenzy: Part Two
ANALYSIS: The HFEB & Clause 14(4)(9) Media Feeding and Talkback Frenzy
Deaf People & Genetics: Media Coverage, Part 2
Deaf People & Genetics: Media Coverage
MEDIA WATCH: A Cacophonous Din of Ignorance & A Sane Voice [More Linx]