Sound and Fury

                        This documentary really proved to be a topic of discussion. While I understood both sides of the argument as to whether the implants help, I ultimately agreed with the parents that gave their child the implant. The grandpa of Peter and Chris persuaded me the most of anyone. When talking to his son (Peter), he made the point that deafness, by its nature, is a fault in a bodily function. Humans are meant to hear. If the opportunity to fix this presents itself, why not take the opportunity? Peter argues that this will destroy the chance to know deaf culture. Peter does have a point here, because if the kid is fully immersed in the verbal world, chances are that his developing mind will become used to the outer world.
                      The theory does survive though that the child could get the best of both worlds. Nita brought this idea up when she talked to the other families. She said she wanted her child to be able to experience the deaf world and the verbal world. Nita became scared when one of the families told her that after an implant, children are discouraged from using sign language. Nita did not want her daughter to stop using sign language and "forget" the culture. A respectable point, but it neglects to ponder the full range of possibilities Heather may encounter. With hearing, the world has no limits because the majority of the world can hear. Her own father even mentions that, although he has a great job, he is limited to the heights that he can reach. The trade off remains here. Does he want to make the possibilities endless for his child? Or does he want to "preserve" the deaf culture?
                     With the implant available to everyone, the number of deaf people in the future appears less than ever. The culture may dwindle, but is this a negative, or a blessing? The fact we can reverse a handicap seems in and of itself, a miracle. Almost everyone would agree. Peter and his wife round out the opposition. Peter feels his the culture he has had his entire life may be in danger from the cochlear implant. When a situation is all a person has known his/her whole life, it can be extremely difficult to let go of the situation. There is great reward in a change of situation for his daughter though. She will experience all the opportunities the world has to offer. The trade-off appears to be similar to this. Would her father rather attempt to save a dwindling culture, or allow his daughter all the opportunities the world has to offer?