It is easier to be completely judgmental rather than try to understand. Now "understand" is one word, "agree" is another and they are not mutually inclusive.

The deaf community doesn't regard themselves as the victims others do, not as handicapped as others do. They regard themselves as having a perfectly viable living situation which is not inferior to yours or mine. The pity we may feel, the victim role in which we may cast them is our issue, not theirs. They don't see it that way.

Given that, they see taking a child from them as closely related to genocide, in that it's an attempt to destroy that perfectly viable, though different, community.

(I happen to think that every child which can be given hearing should. I'm not sure about adults who have been deaf from birth, as opposed to hard-of-hearing. The hard-of-hearing deserve to have that improved, too. Those who have been deaf from birth may not be able to organize their brain to handle the constant bombardment of sounds the rest of us handle automatically.)

And, without agreeing completely with their point of view, with a little effort we can understand it. I've found that if a significant number of people believe something, there is some element of rationality about it, most of the time. Astrology is one thing, though, I can't abide. Don't get it.

Arf