"We're just expressing our opinion!"

Transcript:

For a while now, I've been seeing some bloggers saying "I'm just expressing my opinion!" or "That blogger is just expressing his opinion! We should leave him alone and respect his opinion! They have a right to their opinion!" This is the United States of America, and people do have the right to Freedom of Speech. But that right is restricted for some forms of speech, such as saying you intend to harm another person, making outright lies about other people, or advocating the violent overthrow of our government.

Now, in America, people like the KKK and the Neo-Nazis have the right to express their opinion, and they do, when they hold marches and rallies where they spew their tripe. Yes, they have the right to express those opinions, but does that mean the Jews and the Blacks have to sit back and passively say "oh, they're just expressing their opinion! We should leave them alone, because that's their right and their opinion!" No. The Jews and the Blacks have a right and a responsibility to speak out, stand up, and call them out on it, telling them that they are bigots, racists, anti-semites, or whatever other label is appropriate to that group or individual.

Now, what if that person is part of the same group that is being maligned? What to do then? All cultures have values -- central core values -- that are distinct from the mainstream cultural values. If a person, or group of people, accept mainstream values that run directly counter to the core values of the group, that will be self-defeating to the culture, because the culture would not be able to survive; it would be assimilated into the majority culture. Therefore, all cultures have labels for people from their own cultural group who have accepted and endorse mainstream cultural values. Blacks call them "oreos" for being "Black outside but White inside" or "Uncle Toms". Jews also have similar notions -- they don't have a word for it -- but if a Jewish person criticizes or derides Jews, Jewish people will say that person is a "self-hating Jew". For example, Sascha Baron Cohen, who made the movie "Borat" -- I remember watching my father and brother discuss that movie, and my father said Baron Cohen is a "self-hating Jew" for using all those negative stereotypes about Jews in the movie, and my dad was disgusted by that. American Indians have a word -- really, a phrase -- that is really interesting and I like it. The phrase is "a person who does not think like kin". That fits so well!

Recently, Mike McConnell talked about the use of the word "Uncle Tom", and he indicated that these labels have to stop. When Deaf people show they don't "think like kin", when they deride Deaf culture, ASL and attempts to preserve ASL and Deaf culture, we Deaf have a right and a responsibility to speak out and call them out on it, to tell them that they are engaging in audist speech, and that they are going against Deaf culture. They will get labeled "HEARING-MINDED", which is equivalent to "Uncle Tom" or "Oreo".

Must we sit back and say "oh, they're just expressing their opinion, and they have a right to their opinion! Leave them alone!"? NO. We MUST speak out and let them know that they may have a right to their opinion, but their opinion is WRONG!

Racist, anti-Semitic, audist, and self-hating should NEVER be tolerated! Not at all!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• KokonutPundits
• TheHolism
• Gina
• Sutton
• DominicErrigo
• HonBrit09

[allisonpeace]

Dr.DonG,

Now you present the opportunity where I would like to ask for some time.

How should I handle when someone shared some incorrect information about me?

Should I stay silent or make a vlog to correct or clarify whether or not I owe those people (yet I should make a vlog to correct or clarify)?

Just wonder..... good vlog - good timing. Thank you.

[DrDonGCSUS]

@allisonpeace You have to decide if it is the right time and whether it is worth it to do it or not.... If you do, look forward to seeing it.

[jlyertv]

Simply because somebody has the right to express their opinion does not give them the right to be free from others criticizing their opinion. What's more is an opinion does not a fact make. To say that others should not criticize you for simply expressing an opinion is like saying 'freedom of speech for me, not for you".

[ASLElla]

DrDonG,

This is an important vlog/blog. I thank you very much for this clarification about respecting freedom of speech vs standing up and speaking up against bigotry. Yes even if it comes from our own Deaf people.

[ASLeslie]

@ASLeslie I forgot to add that I find it hard to believe how can they ignore the facts? Shame on them.

[ASLeslie]

Expressing a fact is lot better than expressing an opinion because an opinion can be easily biased.

[Salticid68]

They say they have rights to say anything or freedom of speech. What were their points? I guess they forgot that we also have rights to say back at them. Lol. Indeed, protesters attacked back at KKK marches by speeches. That way, KKK members don't feel good. ;)

[TheStralie]

Very good Vlogg! To destroy other people's values and customs are never accepted.

[thisthetruthaboutyou]

interesting

[deafchipmunk]

Good vlog. I agree with you all the way. We must educate them that their behaviours are not accepted!