There is much in his article that requires argument however I will focus on his comments about the Auslan interpreter.

He states: "In fact, you'll be pleased to note that this speech is being signed by an Auslan interpreter. Which means nobody listening to me, because everyone is so distracted by the Auslan persons highly exaggerated hand and facial movements".

Decades of the deaf community being marginalised by not having access to language and information, now beginning to be corrected through equality of access to the same information as everyone else,  being criticised by someone who quite obviously has not one ounce of understanding.  

The comment, "highly exaggerated hand and facial movements" is so disgusting that I would love to put exclamation marks on everything to help you understand my feelings about this statement.

But wouldn't that be highly exaggerating my feelings?

All language has tone and expression.

Voice does it with the highs, lows, fast, slow, loud and soft tones when we speak to express our meaning.

A frown, a smile, a twitch.

The Thai language has five different tones that can make one word have five different meanings.

Auslan requires facial and hand movements to capture the tones and expressions of a speaker’s voice.

Without these elements within the language for a deaf person, it would be like listening to a monotoned speaker without any facial expression, trying to discuss the importance of the irradiation of child sex slavery in the world.

What a hearing person is seeing when watching a signed language, is tone of voice.

The bigger the movements, the louder the voice.

The smaller the movements the quieter the voice.

The sharper the movements the more stern the voice, the more fluid the movements the more gentle the voice.

And that is just a simplified snapshot.

Danny Katz, within his words, has effectively done what has been done to the deaf community throughout history.

He has oppressed their language and culture. Shame on him!

Danny Katz you need to spend some time with those you have criticised.

You may not have thought you had done so but my word you have!

C. Mercuri, Bellambi

(Yes a blessed member of the very vibrant and alive deaf community and an Auslan Interpreter)

It’s great to see Slater and Gordon felt they should represent the hard done by illegal immigrants in Manus.

We have homeless people and people are losing penalty rates within our taxpaying society.

Cutbacks in health and education because of lack of taxpayer funds.

Yet Slater and Gordon feel that people who have put nothing into our society should take $70 million out of taxpayers coffers.

On top of that they feel it’s that  unfair  that Slater and Gordon are taking $20 million from taxpayers for themselves.

Now there’s some very moral people

They didn't do it for the $20 million for themselves

They just felt it was unfair.

Again the legal system bleeds the taxpayers and does nothing to improve our society

While people are going hungry in Australia the legal system quaffs on expensive wines and caviar at taxpayer expense.

Well done Slater and Gordon.

Ray Jaeger, Coledale