Fighting terror on the home front
Oliver North: Fighting terror on the home front: " -- Some of the best minds in America -- scientists I call 'MacGyvers with Ph.D.s' -- are working on high tech solutions to explosive detection, WMD protection and the challenges of disarming terror devices."
That quote really struck a resonance with me, because it is a passion deep inside me that I be able to contribute to my beloved country. Only in countries like America can I actually achieve this dream as a person with deafness. I am very blessed to have been born in America, not North Korea. I refuse to let that opportunity pass, so I am going to do everything in my power as an American to help "tap" bright Deaf minds.
The state of the Deaf world nowadays is, in my opinion, in a stagnant state. There may be many reasons to attribute for that, but one thing is for sure. The Deaf have been letting others come up with the devices and technology needed to assist them with the task of living in a world of silence. However, the hearing do not know what it is like to be deaf. (When I say Deaf with a capital D, I am referring to the Deaf tribal people, and when I say deaf with a lower-case d, I am referring to the hearing impairment.) Anything they do is done in order to "fix" the affliction of hearing impairment. Instead of fixing something that is hoplelessly broken, why not improve something that already works beautifully?
Technology will be able to let us use our native language with fluid ease, so someday, we will be able to walk anywhere we wish, and sign to ourselves, if you will, and a computer will automatically transcribe what you and I say. It is just like when you see someone walking by, talking to himself or herself, into a small cellphone thingajmig attached to their lapel. The added bonus is that whatever we sign can also be translated into voice, which will be a boon for all Deaf signers and hearing non-signers alike! Technology will also enable us to have data displayed on see-through LCD monitors mounted on eyeglasses. And eventually, contact lenses. The sky is the limit!
Now, back to my original point: the Deaf has a lot to contribute to our country! There is no questioning the patriotism of Deaf citizens! It is only unfortunate when I learn that deaf Israelis are allowed into the Israeli Defense Forces, however in non-combat roles.
It is of my strong belief that Deaf citizens have a huge potential for the military. There are countless circumstances where Special Forces operations require its troops to operate in utmost silence. Forced to be mute, the soldiers nowadays probably rely on a crude hand signal system. It is to my understanding that our fearsome elite troops are supposed to be multilinguists, then there is no reason why they should not communicate in ASL while in stealth mode. Oh yes, and it would be very secure, because I can bet you that no Taliban or al-Qaeda infidels know ASL!
It is a known fact that most of our technologies in society have origins rooted into the military. The internet, cell phones, digital cameras, wireless communications, to name a few, all came into existence thanks to the Department of Defense.
I can't help it but long for the day when the Deaf are allowed into the military, because it would be a dual benefit, both parties would gain significantly, the military in new modes of communication for its soldiers, with the needed technology to boot, which I already am working on: the AcceleGlove. If the military incorporates sign language as a method for its soldiers to communicate with each other in stealth conditions, and uses its vast resources to improve and perfect the AcceleGlove so its troops can also communicate to headquarters and with their PDAs using their hands while their voices are occupied or embargoed. That would carry the technology very far along the current development scale, and it would become advanced to the point where Deaf people would be able to seamlessly integrate it into their lives.
Having a MacGyver-like passion burning deep inside me, no wonder Oliver North's comment hit a deep chord when I came across it. I just hope that someday, it will be harnessed and not be left to waste!
That quote really struck a resonance with me, because it is a passion deep inside me that I be able to contribute to my beloved country. Only in countries like America can I actually achieve this dream as a person with deafness. I am very blessed to have been born in America, not North Korea. I refuse to let that opportunity pass, so I am going to do everything in my power as an American to help "tap" bright Deaf minds.
The state of the Deaf world nowadays is, in my opinion, in a stagnant state. There may be many reasons to attribute for that, but one thing is for sure. The Deaf have been letting others come up with the devices and technology needed to assist them with the task of living in a world of silence. However, the hearing do not know what it is like to be deaf. (When I say Deaf with a capital D, I am referring to the Deaf tribal people, and when I say deaf with a lower-case d, I am referring to the hearing impairment.) Anything they do is done in order to "fix" the affliction of hearing impairment. Instead of fixing something that is hoplelessly broken, why not improve something that already works beautifully?
Technology will be able to let us use our native language with fluid ease, so someday, we will be able to walk anywhere we wish, and sign to ourselves, if you will, and a computer will automatically transcribe what you and I say. It is just like when you see someone walking by, talking to himself or herself, into a small cellphone thingajmig attached to their lapel. The added bonus is that whatever we sign can also be translated into voice, which will be a boon for all Deaf signers and hearing non-signers alike! Technology will also enable us to have data displayed on see-through LCD monitors mounted on eyeglasses. And eventually, contact lenses. The sky is the limit!
Now, back to my original point: the Deaf has a lot to contribute to our country! There is no questioning the patriotism of Deaf citizens! It is only unfortunate when I learn that deaf Israelis are allowed into the Israeli Defense Forces, however in non-combat roles.
It is of my strong belief that Deaf citizens have a huge potential for the military. There are countless circumstances where Special Forces operations require its troops to operate in utmost silence. Forced to be mute, the soldiers nowadays probably rely on a crude hand signal system. It is to my understanding that our fearsome elite troops are supposed to be multilinguists, then there is no reason why they should not communicate in ASL while in stealth mode. Oh yes, and it would be very secure, because I can bet you that no Taliban or al-Qaeda infidels know ASL!
It is a known fact that most of our technologies in society have origins rooted into the military. The internet, cell phones, digital cameras, wireless communications, to name a few, all came into existence thanks to the Department of Defense.
I can't help it but long for the day when the Deaf are allowed into the military, because it would be a dual benefit, both parties would gain significantly, the military in new modes of communication for its soldiers, with the needed technology to boot, which I already am working on: the AcceleGlove. If the military incorporates sign language as a method for its soldiers to communicate with each other in stealth conditions, and uses its vast resources to improve and perfect the AcceleGlove so its troops can also communicate to headquarters and with their PDAs using their hands while their voices are occupied or embargoed. That would carry the technology very far along the current development scale, and it would become advanced to the point where Deaf people would be able to seamlessly integrate it into their lives.
Having a MacGyver-like passion burning deep inside me, no wonder Oliver North's comment hit a deep chord when I came across it. I just hope that someday, it will be harnessed and not be left to waste!
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