What Can We Do For Our Deaf Community?
Hi!
MishkaZena had a great idea, and in light of the demoralizing
discussions of late, we would like for everyone to please put aside
our differences, and work together for Deaf Unity. It is time for us
to look forward. So here is her idea – all of us to blog or vlog on
Thursday, the 22nd, opening with this modified quote by JFK:
Ask not what your Deaf Community can do for you; ask what you can do
for your Deaf Community.
Then list your personal accomplishments that you have done for the
Deaf Community. Like volunteering for a deaf services agency, coaching
a deaf sports team, being part of DPN, UfG… You get the idea. Big or
small – it doesn’t matter, as long it is a positive contribution to
the Deaf Community. We ARE the Deaf Community, so let’s show the world
that.
Then close your vlog or blog with this quote: Know that your people
will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those
who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of
dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we
will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. – Barack
Obama
We want as many people to be part of this – both on DeafRead and
DeafVideo.tv, and start this movement on Thursday – the 22nd. We hope
you’ll join us! 
A Deaf Pundit
P.S. the title we agree would be a good one for this project: We Are Deaf: One & Many
An additional note: This will show hearing parents of Deaf babies and children that Deaf people can be very productive and contributing members of the society. We do give back to our communities. Most importantly, these blogs and vlogs will indicate that we are not helpless or dependent on others to do things for us. MZ
A request: for those who cannot find anything positive in this post, please do feel free to go elsewhere. Thanks 
MZ
Hi!
MishkaZena had a great idea, and in light of the demoralizing
discussions of late, we would like for everyone to please put aside
our differences, and work together for Deaf Unity. It is time for us
to look forward. So here is her idea – all of us to blog or vlog on
Thursday, the 22nd, opening with this modified quote by JFK:
Ask not what your Deaf Community can do for you; ask what you can do
for your Deaf Community.
Then list your personal accomplishments that you have done for the
Deaf Community. Like volunteering for a deaf services agency, coaching
a deaf sports team, being part of DPN, UfG… You get the idea. Big or
small – it doesn’t matter, as long it is a positive contribution to
the Deaf Community. We ARE the Deaf Community, so let’s show the world
that.
Then close your vlog or blog with this quote: Know that your people
will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those
who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of
dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we
will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. – Barack
Obama
We want as many people to be part of this – both on DeafRead and
DeafVideo.tv, and start this movement on Thursday – the 22nd. We hope
you’ll join us!
A Deaf Pundit
P.S. the title we agree would be a good one for this project: We Are Deaf: One & Many
An additional note: This will show hearing parents of Deaf babies and children that Deaf people can be very productive and contributing members of the society. We do give back to our communities. Most importantly, these blogs and vlogs will indicate that we are not helpless or dependent on others to do things for us. MZ
A request: for those who cannot find anything positive in this post, please do feel free to go elsewhere. Thanks MZ
January 21st, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Let’s not forget the Deaf people who tirelessly hold together the organizations that we go to: clubs, committees, churches, annual meetings, card groups, bowling tournaments, etc. These people don’t make great changes or create movements; they just make it possible for us to get together and be a neighborhood. Even in recreation, we grow in unity and cohesion.
And the movers and shakers draw upon these groups for their energy!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Exactly, Dianrez
All of us make contributions to the Deaf community
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 am
MZ,
Thank you and I’m going to make one. Hopefully make it tomorrow!
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:57 am
i’ve already made mine but don’t wanna be the first to post it lol
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:11 am
Ecnarb… great. I’ll be looking forward to yours.
Ben, please go ahead and post yours
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:12 am
I wanna make one when I have more time! This is so exciting!!! Thanks for coming up with this wonderful idea.
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:22 am
yep, i went ahead and did it. It’s being processed at youtube!
And guess what?! After nearly three hours, I believe I got the closed captioning down pat…
well, let’s hope so! hahahahahahaha
Mishka, thank you for thinking this up–this is an excellent project! Excellent!
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:32 am
[...] More info on this project, check out MishkaZena’s Blog. [...]
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:59 am
Natl APWU committee/ contributions {seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/XkxKDAyCTH_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”Natl APWU committee/ contributions ”}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/R1bWfpxz6f”}}}
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:54 am
Wonderful idea, and I had put up a blog. I do believe that people can work together, only if they understand that each one has the right to their own opinion and respect each other, even if one disagrees with the other’s view respectfully.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Yay! I’m working on it. What a wonderful idea!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
In fact, our Deaf Community do not have their own virtue, which meansno pursing of their own value because they have altruism very deep!!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:12 am
I agree with all above – this is an excellent project!
I’m still thinking about it… but I want to remind others that however small it, is IS a significant contribution you’ve made for the Deaf Community.
Show ‘em!
I would love to see what others have been doing in the Deaf Community whether they are inside, outside, or both – and this is a wonderful opportunity, like MishkaZena said, to show the world how we live our life as productive citizens.
To be honest, I am a little nervous… :p
Ben, if you are up to captioning my vlog, I’d welcome that very much.
Looking forward to everyone’s contribution to this project!
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Good Project for us all! {seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/9C5I9JcDpz_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”Good Project for us all! ”}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/xPflei7ZGY”}}}
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Modified for myself and other individuals that might consider this: Ask not what the Deaf Communities can do for you; ask what I can do for our Deaf Communities.
The reason for the modification is that we are in various deaf communities not just one that is localized. As technology advances are noted, we become more globalized therefore we reach out to more deaf communities than just limited to our local/regional deaf communities.
What I have done for those deaf communities over the years? I have done many volunteer work for a deaf church group, participated and assisted in teaching deaf immigrants learn English, ASL, and prepare them for citizenship exams, volunteering for local deaf not for profit organizations’ events, interacting with my peers at large scale events such as Deaf Expo, exchange ideas and opinions thru blogs, vlogs, and chat rooms, foster advocate movement for deaf individuals to become more independent and take in opportunities when offered, and finally, what can the deaf communities can do for me is to provide love, faith, trust, unity, harmony, networking channels, and a reason to live our life to the fullest as possible. Make it a close knit family and come to the defense of many when crisis strikes. We, deaf community, are a family within families, if you can see this vision this way, great!
Closing this as requested by the blogger who initiated this topic with a quote derived from Barack Obama’s inaugural address delivered last Tuesday:
Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. – Barack Obama
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
iammine,
I can do it. You want me to translate your signing or you want to do that yourself??
I have the subtitling thingy and i think i got it down pat
9 hours of educational experience!
-Ben
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I’d love it if you could translate my signing… and if it’s too much with the subtitle thing, perhaps you could show me how to do it?
I may not be able to finish today, but by tomorrow for sure!
Thank you so much, Ben!
Hugs!
Pssst, Shawn – Wow, that was quite some contributions you’ve made! *handswaving*
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I’ll try to post what I’ve done for the Deaf community at my Xanga site,..tommorrow. My husband has recently had a stoke and it is hard for me to get online sometimes!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
NICE!
Did not do much except being my children’s advocate, helped start up a centralized support system for deaf mainstreamed students at a middle schools so none of them would be solitaires at local middle schools, donated $$$ to a bunch of deaf causes, hmmm…
Soon my daughter and I will be mentors for a hearing family with a deaf child to help the family become comfortable with ASL…
Hmmm… that is pretty about it…
;o)
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Oh yes… I did blog and vlog for DeafRead and DVTV, as well as leaving comments to help enrich the Deaf Community
)
And I was one of the judges for ISD’s Hands Alive’s section of written poetry two years ago.
Hmmmm… I am sure there were more contributions, small ones, yup, but that is good for now…
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I would like to answer for Brance er, Ecnarb *wink*….
I would think that this is something that is ongoing… I was thinking about some of the good things I contributed to the Deaf Community yesterday and then this morning I remembered something else that I did… So, yes, this is an ongoing project!
And actually, it’s not really a “project” I would think. Personally, I want it to be an ongoing lifelong series… like try to do a good deed for the Deaf Community every day or every week.
Because I know some people will feel like maybe they didn’t do enough and perhaps this will compel them to want to contribute MORE to their Deaf Community. I’m still reeling… what a wonderful idea! MZ, what do you think?
And Ben, add “helping others with subtitling on their vlogs” to your impressive list!
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Hi.
There is no deadline for this project. It’s not my project, but Deaf Community’s project. I just came up with the idea and modified JFK’s quote. Deaf Pundit came up with the title and the quote from Obama. It is time to start anew along with our new President. Onward we go
I am so impressed with your contributions which are very significant. I know so many of us have helped the Deaf Community immensely
Karen, I hope some day you can share with us exactly what you did. It’s a big problem with many cities. You may want to talk to Mark D of Philly as he struggles with his son being the solitaire in his hearing school.
Shawn, kewl! I am hopeful you can vlog to expand further what you said.
Brance, I saw you on tv last august when I was in FL. I thought to myself.. hmm that guy looks like brance??? Peering closely at the TV screen *thudding* oh my god it is our brance!!! Great show by you, David R and others.
Ben, you have contributed so much already! I loved the pictures you took of UfG, as I wasn’t there except several times. The website you created for Deafhope is awesome… and your MC at the latest fundraising there along with Ricky was terrific along.
Deb Ann, Iammine, and Deaf Pundit, I definitely look forward to yours and others.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Oh, by the way, bloggers, vloggerss, and commenterss are also contributions to the Deaf Community!
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I will LOVE that! Let hope someone could put captioned for me? Ben? anyone? Putting captions i have not yet master or learn.
I will try to make one tonight after teaching a class 9:45pm. Vrooom home and make a vlog.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
I can do that. email me at me@benvess.com and we can figure out something
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
OK, It’s my DUTY to do so… I’ll make VLOG on this subject!
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 am
[...] to encourage the deaf community put aside differences, and work together towards greater unity, Deaf Pundit and Mishka Zena have suggested we each list our personal accomplishments and contributions that we have made to the [...]
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
Very good topic…
I have contributed a lot in Deaf Community all my adult life. I just couldn’t list down what I have/had done.
I know that I still continue doing my mitzvah.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
TTHHAANNKKK you for doing this unique project for us! I enjoyed this so much! It made my day, knowing that there are deaf people who are in ‘right side’ of the history. Kudos to you, all!
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
This has proved very interesting! It’s great to read more about what people are contributing!
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Wow, MZ…I got home a while ago and saw a lot more people joining this project.
Way to go, girl!
I have SO much to catch up!
January 24th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Hi, sorry my post is so late. But I would like to teach the deaf community Golf, it is a passion of mine next to becoming an interpreter. I figure someone here might know about how I would go about getting involved seeing as I just moved from Southern California and I was very involved in the deaf community in Riverside. I would even willing to help out if someone is already teaching deaf youth golf or adults.Have a good weekend everyone
January 24th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
[...] Summary: Regarding what I have done for Deaf community so I have choose four things to share my experience. Just in case if you have missed the whole thing of this point, check Mishka Zena’s blog a few days ago: What Can We Do For Our Deaf Community? [...]
January 24th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Hi. My son’s “seekgeo’s vlog” brought me here to yours. I think I have done a lot for the deaf community through Geo. I raised him to never use his deafness as an excuse but to take advantage of it and show the world “just because I am deaf doesn’t mean I cannot succeed in anything I choose” and to reach out to anyone that will listen to him spread the word! That is what he has done just that. I try to always reach out to ASL adults and children when ever I see them by going up to them and introducing myself. The shine in their eyes from their smile only is dimmer than mine. I so do love that I can communicate with people weather they are deaf or hearing. Many times I have seen stress on the face of a couple signing ASL and I go up to then to ask if they need help and they make me feel like I just lit the light on their Christmas tree.I am proud of my son and I am proud that he is of “The Deaf Community”. I am also proud of the way he is always there with a hand reached out to anyone in need! Thank-you for this vlog! Geo’s Mom
January 25th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
[...] the deaf community within the deaf cyberspace, individuals were inspired by a couple of bloggers who wanted to lessen the discord within the two major sites, Deaf Read and DVTV, by asking them to [...]