[Jade Falcon]

Hey there Mas,

I've noticed all of the topics/threads that deal with hearing issues as of late, and thought that perhaps you could help me in regards to my specific issue. I believe it may also help answer the questions of those like myself whom have the same problem.

I have a question regarding my specific Hearing Loss, and how it may effect either a gunfight/self-defense scenario, and/or how it may effect the out-come of a trial.

I have severe nerve damage that has progressively gotten worse over the years in both my ears. I'm 27 years old, and I wear hearing aids in both ears. I'm legally "Deaf" in my left ear and, with my hearing aid in, I have about 75% of my hearing in my right ear.

I "hear" fine with my Aids in; in other words, I can hear low-sounds (typing keyboards, people wispering, the person next to me farting, cars driving by outside my apartment from inside my bedroom, outside-the-car sounds on the Highway, etc etc), and I speak fine, although I do not use American Sign Language, though I know a little of it. I do have a problem with back-ground noise in certain sitsuations (loud restaraunts, busy roads outside of a vehicle, loud rooms with many people talking at once, etc etc).

At night, when I go to sleep, I take both Aids out, and either put them on my nightstand in immediate reach, or put them away in a Moisture Storage Container. Without my Aids in, I can't hear much. A breaking window or banging on my door, however, I'm confident I would be able to hear. I should also note that I am a heavy sleeper, probably partly thanks to my poor hearing.

All other senses are excellent. I consider my eyes to see very well in the dark (thanks to many hours of working Graveyard in years-past), though I normally wear glasses. I don't "have" to have them on, however, to see something.

Having said all of this, have you ever come across a trial where a person's hearing loss negatively effected the outcome or verdict of the trial, or was subject to question by the Prosecution?

Is there any advice that you can give me regarding specific methods of training that I should/could take to achieve the best performance possible during a self-defense sitsuation where my Aids are not immediately available?

I hope I presented enough info for you to go on here. By all means, if you have any further questions, please do ask.

Thank you very much for your time, and keep up the Good Fight for all of us. I look forward to your next Publication.

-Regards,
Jade Falcon (Richard)

[Mas Ayoob]

Jade Falcon, you sound like another candidate for active hearing protectors by the bed!

I've not heard of a case where profound deafness was an issue against the shooter. I have heard of cases of deaf men being shot when they failed to hear police commands and kept doing the scary things they were doing. Of course, just because I haven't heard of it doesn't mean it hasn't caused someone a problem somewhere.

Best of luck,
Mas

[Jade Falcon]

Thanks for the reply, Mas! I'll look into getting Active Hearing Protectors for the nightstand; preferrably those with the built-in microphones. What little hearing I have left, I want to keep as much and as long as possible. Firing off a .40 S&W in an enclosed room can't possibly be good for anyone, much less the hearing-impaired.

I'm thankful and glad that we addressed this. I think we Pro-Gun folks underestimate, sometimes, the number of us who may have disabilities that may interfere with thier ability to defend themselves. It's important for all of us, as a community, to address these issues. Thank you.