I found this movie to be extremely interesting and unfortunately I have seen a few movies with the same problem. It seems like everyone has it in their head that if a child is to grow up happy and successful that that person has to be hearing. People also seem to assume that if someone is deaf that they are missing out on something. I personally think that if I were to have a deaf child, I would choose not to give them the implant because the surgery is risky and there is an entire culture that they will have the opportunity to be a part of.
The surgery to get the implant seems so risky. I wouldn't feel right putting a small child through such a scary surgery and unfortunately that is when it would have to be done. People who receive the implant as an adult rarely get good results. Even if the implant is given to a child, they will never be able to hear completely normal. It will sound muffled, maybe even to a point where it frustrates them to have the implant. Also, if they get the implant, they won't be hearing or deaf so they may have some struggles with finding out where they belong.
Being deaf isn't just a form of abnormality, it is a lifestyle that has a culture to go with it. There are entire communities and schools dedicated solely to the hearing impaired. In my opinion it is truly beautiful to watch people speaking through sign language. They are able to communicate not just words and phrases but also passion and emotion behind them. Rather than just speaking through signs, it is speaking through body language. Along with having its own language, there is also a history that goes along with this culture. Hearing people and even people with the implant miss out on this culture.
If my child were born deaf, I would want to raise them as a deaf child and open them up to every possible opportunity given to them. I think its necessary for the hearing impaired to have a certain pride in who they are and the wonderful community and culture that they get to be a part of. Also, it would be safer than risking a surgery that might not even be helpful. While there are strong arguments for the implant, I believe that in my case I would not give my child the implant and embrace them for who they are.
I definitely see why you think it's important to preserve the deaf culture. I also agree that it would be hard to force your child to undergo such a risky surgery, especially when the prognosis is so low. I also like how you describe sign language as beautiful because it truly is. Great post, Emily!
ReplyDeleteI can understand where you are coming from when talking about this and though I doubt I would forfeit the surgery, I respect the choice you would make. However, if I ever have a kid that was born deft, I hope that I will take the time to learn myself about the deft culture and teach what I could to my child so that they can experience both cultures.
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