Thanks

I don’t mean to ruin anything and I think it is great that several people who happen to be deaf are all excited about meeting the president. However, simply because the president signed, “thank you” to someone does not mean that he understood what they said or that he is fluent in sign language.

Over the years, I’ve learned a handful of signs. I never got very good and I’ve forgotten a lot, but I do remember a few, including how to say thank you. Picture it. You are greeting fans, you assume that most of the people lined up and struggling for the front “row” are supporters hoping for a closer look or a hand shake or maybe even to say hello or make eye contact. You figure (or hope) that anything they say will be positive. And suddenly, here is this person who signs. You take a moment watching the movements to realize that the person is not merely waving or making odd motions but is communicating, trying to tell you something. And so what do you do, you say thanks. And perhaps you happen to know the sign for it. So you sign, thanks, and go on your way. (or maybe you have a quick thinking bodyguard or advisor who knows the sign and quick whispers it in your ear—he’s gotta be wired, right).

The result? All of these excited people who are deaf who suddenly think that you understood what they were saying. I mean guess. They could have said we support you or you are great or keep it up or whatever. Actually the person said I am proud of you. Kind of a weird thing to say to someone you don’t know who is professionally superior. I mean you can’t get higher than president. But whatever. Saying thanks works for anything positive someone might be saying. But this person is blathering on (via text, posts, written stuff online) about how great it was that the president understood. What the president understood was the sentiment, was that it was sign language, was that the best response was to thank the person for his/her (don’t remember) support, and he just happened to know how to say thanks in sign language. Let’s not go overboard in reading too much into this. Maybe Obama does know sign language, but there is no evidence either way.

I know this whole thing is all positive spin. It still bothers me. Similar faulty logic can lead to the bad as well as the good. So let’s keep this into perspective just like we should do in general. Read the Phantom Tollbooth and don’t go jumping to conclusions.