Fw: BSL isn't English/The Monkey & the Organ Grinder

[Philocophus]

Hello,

After pressing for sources of Paulette Caswell's inspiration, I was stunned
to find that it was none other than Patrick Seamans who is her partner.

He is attending the USC and taking a PhD in an entirely different subject,
something to do with economics.

What I have really learned is that there are unscrupulous academicians
around - like Paulette and Patrick - that one has to be careful of.
Academicians by tradition are honour-bound to use all their learning for the
good of mankind and to make the world a better place to live in.

Another thing I have learned is that, because sign language studies are some
way behind traditional linguistic studies, it has quite a way to go in
catching up. This is understandable since sign language studies began in the
1960s, but for rogue Academicians to use that gap to exploit and vilify sign
language with the aim of ridiculing sign language is a sort of action that
shames the world of academia. These two persons have obviously been doing
that for at least five years - and both are unqualified in linguistics, in
the true sense of the word (- or they may have taken a course in linguistics
to a certain level; I do not know as I have washed my hands off them now).

We all must nevertheless keep an eye out for people like them, and I pray we
will never see any more like them again.

Regards
Raymond Lee

Head of Research & Publications
British Deaf History Society
Feltham  London  UK.

Philocophus at philocophus.demon.co.uk

*******************************


----- Original Message -----
From: "Philocophus" <Philocophus at philocophus.demon.co.uk>
To: "Paulette R. Caswell"
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 11:30 PM
Subject: Re: BSL isn't English


> Paulette,
>
> I am not in any debate with Patrick, so please leave him out.
>
> You clearly said you will not give me the names of linguists who inspired
> you - fine. Why should I give you my side?
>
> I have made a decision - forget it all because I now know where I stand.
You
> know I have always been open-minded when it comes to judging debates and
> issues, but you are like a narrow one-way track. Nothing will change you
> because you will not be open-minded. Anything coming from you is like
facing
> an attack of "Killer Tomatoes".
>
> All I said was that sign language is indeed a language in its own right.
It
> is not English. It is not French. Likewise, English is a language in its
own
> right, and it is not French. It is not German.
>
> English - "Do you smoke?"
> German - "Rauchen Sie?" ("Smoke you?")
> BSL - "Smoke you?"
>
> Word order does not matter - it is correct in its own language.
>
> English - "I love you"
> Latin - "Te amo" ("You I love")
> French - "Je vous aime" ("I you love")
> BSL -"I you love"
>
> Each language is not the same as the other. This is a simple fact.
>
> For all the quaint jargons you used, you forgot the simplicity and the
> basics...

**************************


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paulette R. Caswell" >
To: "Philocophus" <Philocophus at philocophus.demon.co.uk>
>> Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 11:00 PM
> Subject: Re: BSL isn't English
>
>
> > So, go ahead and give me that "list of linguists all over the world." Or
> > at least send your "list" to Patrick Seamans for verification. Or are
> > you afraid of Patrick Seamans?


***************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paulette R. Caswell"
To: "Philocophus" <Philocophus at philocophus.demon.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 11:51 PM
Subject: Re: BSL isn't English

I regret to inform you, Raymond, that I cannot possibly "leave Patrick
Seamans out." The fact is that everything I have said about Language
Planning and Linguistics came from Patrick Seamans.

Haven't you read his Journal and other publications and research papers?
He has already PROVED that there is no foundation for what you are
supporting.

Oh, and by the way, in case you have forgotten, Patrick Seamans happens
to have been born deaf. He now has THREE Master's Degrees from
world-class universities, and he is at the ABD stage of his Ph.D.
degree.

He isn't following me, Raymond... he TAUGHT me. He is still teaching me.
I am simply a normal person, but he is a true academic scholar who has
been accepted and published by the highest Education Journal in the
world...

*******************************

----- Original Message -----
From: "Philocophus" <Philocophus at philocophus.demon.co.uk>
To: "Paulette R. Caswell"
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 7:50 PM
Subject: The Monkey and the Organ Grinder


> Paulette
>
> Now that you have revealed the source of your "numero uno", the situation
> changes. What I have actually been doing in my e-mails is that I was in a
> debate with the monkey (you), not the organ grinder (Patrick). It has now
> dawned on me that I have completely wasted my time. This person was with
you
> at all times - he's your partner.
>
> I shall get back to the organ grinder someday, but I feel very betrayed to
> learn that the person I considered a friend and respected was in effect
> participating actively in a campaign of vilification against sign language
> with his pet monkey. This raises many questions, but my senses now tell me
> not to make a fool of myself by dealing with the monkey.
>
> I am surprised that Patrick took part in, and perhaps actively instigated
> (since he inspired you), all that anti-signs campaign for over at least
the
> past 5 years with you as his "mouth of Sauron". The situation stinks. He
is
> not a professional linguist and has not got a PhD in Linguistics - yet you
bow
> before him and take everything he says as gospel. My God, I must say no
> more - it is simply no longer worth it. And I was right about your little
> hole in Los Angeles after all.
>
> I will not deal with monkeys again - ever. Being tricked once is enough
and
> I am learning from that.
>
> Raymond.
>
> "Double articulation does not occur in the natural communication of
animals
> other than humans."
>
> *********************