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mhe Canadien Champion, Tueaday, June 8, 1999-7 *OUR READERS WRITE Skewed view of ASL Dear Editor: I egree with Carole Sbarpe of the Milton Deaf Action Group (Canadian Champion, May IStb> thet deaf people face more hurdles in the sarch for employment tben heering people, due ta lack of awareness and understanding by the generel popula- tion and prospective employers. It la gaad ta hear of a graup such as the Milton Deef Action Group, wba are fecing this. and actually doing something about it. I do bawever take issue with Ms Sbarpe's commient about Amnencan Sign Language (ASL). Her implica- tion is thet using wbat she calla "the Canadien ver- stan" ,deaf people acbieved a better reading and writ- ing level. Thet juat is not sa. What I believe Ms Sharpe is referring ta is in fact a signed form of Englisb. The implication that learning and using ASL preventsa epersan frei learning and using English is witbout basis. Meny of yaur readers are probebly uneware that ASt. is e language in itaelf, with it's own syntax and grammar. 1 amrnot simply stating an opinion linguists have long recognized ASL as a complete language. It is very misleading and moat unfair to translate the English sentence «I arn going to the store" with a pid- gin style "store going". No languiage is translated iter- ally like that. Do we translate the French "chez nous" with "at the house of us"? It's like saying French (or any other language) is ot as good as English because the syntax and grammar are différent. 1 have two profoundly deaf daugbters, now 26 and 28 yrs old. Tbey were educated in a systems wbicb used a combination of ASL and signed English. They bath hold good jobs, are well paid, and my youngest daughter is takcing college level paycbology courses in bier spare lime. ASL is their first language, English is their second. They neyer put me down or laugh at me when 1 make (frequent) mistakes in ASL, and I would neyer do that to thern when they make inistakes in English. 1 believe that mutua respect of each other's language is an essential. part of commnunication. Maureen Harding Miton MILTON - Your home has only one chance ta make a good first impression. The. secret to gelting the most for your home when you sal i s to spend some time and effort beforehand gefting il ready to sali. lndusiry insiders have released a FREE report hat detatis 27 frea and easy fixups that wili heip you ta sali your home, for the best price. Ail you need ta invest is some time and some eibow greasai Discover how you con simply and quickly ADVE lwowt' the prospective homnebuyers with thesa basic chores. Get the whole famiiy involved in malcing a huge success out of your home-saiiing experience. Leam what lhings buyers reaily see when ihey are viewing your home. Before you list your home, be sure ihot you oai taday and ordoe your copy of this SpeioI Report. CaIl 24 houri / 7 doys 1-888-475-8645 and aik for ID# 1005. Speaak ta no agent. IMRMENT Itys only vandalism, siIIy Dear Mitor: 1 would like to respand ta a letter from Paul Quinton fram Tuesday's paper, regarding the election sign vendaIs. Mr. Quinton Iam sony ta bear you sa upset aver a sign going snissing from your lawn. But wake up and face reality. Tbis act of ."political intolerance" you refer ta bas nothing ta do witb ."respect for demiocracy." Yes, an set of vendalism, bat notbing ta do with palitics. It's juat a fact of some kids baving too mucb time on tbeir banda. Have you mot driven around town and seen this.. About 60 per cent of the political party signa in tawn are cither pulied out of tie grnund or ripped off the posta and left hanging. Sa it's not a mat- ter of "tie orange sign defacing tic common values of Our fair community," it's a matter of a buncb of kids passing the lime wrecking.signis, wbite walking around town trying ta find somne- thing ta do. To tbem, it's harmless. Some probably don't even knaw that it's considered vandalism. And, every generation of teens is going ta do iL I cen understand you being upset because of tbe sign being on your private property was stalen and you are feeling violated. Well try explaining ta your cbildren "why kida would do that" when they corne inta your backyard and steal your cbildren's toys right off the back deck, (like I badl ta do a couple of week aga). Tbat's feeling violated. Sa, in abrt o one is out ta get you and your palilical party. Free speech is alive and well. You just may bave ta replace it a couple of limes. As for democracy suffering a blow, well we'll find that out on election day. As for your commenta of Jewish people and bomosexuals, well I arn not going ta go there. Everyane is entitled ta their opinion and tbat, no anc can take away. Sh.IIy Cyr Milton Changes Consignment Shoppe log. 327 Bronte Street South, ~ Milton, 875-2426 NOW OPEN New and gentiy used à. / ~adies Fashlon Clothing - New Arts &Crc'fts . CCONSIGNMVENT Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00 - 6:00 Evening Appointmeflts 27 FREE & EASY FIXUPS To Seli Your Home For the Best Price Setting the stage to sel to w1wd Kopeam odrendy IMWd kW ". CorinoM Omig Pmctw' 1997