In the fall of 1969 a sixteen year old student at the Indiana State School for the Deaf gave birth to a baby girl named Sarah. The father was a 24 year old supervisor in the boys dorm at the school..
The school administration blamed the "free love" movement for the birth and banned all use of the words "I Love You", kissing, holding hands or any other form of affection between the students on campus. (The couple has been married over 40 years now)
Shortly thereafter, 18 year old Roger Alan Wilson arrived at the school as the replacement sent by the State of Indiana as referred to them by a Catholic priest from the Indianapolis Archdiocese.
Summoning a group of the senior boys to his dorm room late one night he presented them with a secret sign for love that the staff at the school would not recognize; a transgression that when discovered would shortly thereafter render him unemployed.
To disguise the sign from the faculty the students held a dance and dressed up like the kids in the hearing world with head bands, tie dye shirts and bell bottom pants. Because of their hearing imparement the music was blasted at a deafening volume so the vibrations could be felt. The students then began holding up the "I Love You" sign and explained to the staff that since the "peace sign" was the cool sign for the hearing kids that this sign was for the deaf kids so that they would not be left out of the music world. Just because they could not hear did not mean they could not feel.
Ironic, is it not, that at every rock concert in the world the audience displays the "I Love You" sign to the performers as a salute and in memory of all of those kids who will never hear the words...and until right now nobody had the slightest idea of were it came from or what it is all about! Now you know.
I wonder what the kids will do when they find out that the founder of the Drug Enforcement Agency is in reality a priest and the one who cares the most about them. Maybe they will take a moment and listen to me. If we can lead them to a state of advanced consciousness then perhaps they will put down the drugs and come back to God.
Unless you have a better plan!
Well, that's my plan at any rate and it will work if it takes another 30 years because you will never kill a legend like this. It makes sense to do this my way.
National Deaf Lecture Tour-Drug Abuse
The founder of the Drug Enforcement Agency
of the United States, a Jesuit priest and the creator of the "I Love You" sign, is available to schools and universities at no FEE!
Honorariums are accepted from the staff and students.
