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on the spot:

FEEDBACK FRIDAY

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Dear Editors:

I awaited with anticipation the book review by Lucille Blackwell. I wish she had told us what it was that served to change her mind about A. G. Bell, as seems to be the case. Has Ms. Blackwell forgotten AGB's support of eugenics? His paper on 'A Deaf Variety of the Human Race'? (Pardon me if I have this title wrong.)

Ms. Blackwell touched lightly on intriguing topics then urged us to read the book but, I really would have liked to know what she thought (I would read the book anyway) and what persuaded her to change her mind about AGB. Did she also change her mind about Edward Miner Gallaudet? What does she think about countries like Sweden that did not have an AGB and the progress of deaf education there? I really would like to know.

Mary Thornley

Lucille Blackwell responds:

I love questions! While I've gotten to where I can pick up a copy of National Geographic magazine without a bitter taste in my mouth, I still refuse to subscribe to it. While I understand AGB better, I STILL view him as the enemy. AGB himself admitted it was not possible to stop deaf from marrying deaf, let alone prevent them from having children. The fact that he still wanted to annoys me!

EMG was just a name to me until I read the book. I don't put him in the same class as his father or Laurent Clerc, but he is way up there as someone who made a difference.

As for Sweden, I LOVE Sweden! They rock! I can't tell you how often I tell the story about how they let the deaf make the decisions for the deaf! Our country here could learn a bit from them.

Spoiler Alert!

AGB & EMG had a misunderstanding over EMG's plan to create a Model School, a teacher training program. EMG verbally promised AGB that he would not accept deaf into the teacher training program. AGB's personal experience prevented him from accepting a verbal agreement. EMG was offended that AGB didn't accept his word.

If the two had resolved their differences. If AGB had explained about his bad experience with having to prove he invented the telephone, maybe EMG wouldn't have been so offended. BUT then we wouldn't have deaf people being accepted into the teacher training program. The book covers a lot of details--this is just the surface of the bitter break between the two. They actually were very good friends until this disagreement.

Lucille Blackwell

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