Response to ‘It’s Half Over’

I agree! We haven’t completed the job yet! The removal of
Kelleher from the position is only a first step toward reforming
Gallaudet  University. The Agents of Colonization and their
Byzantine power structure of fear and intimidation must be
uprooted next. Otherwise they will grow back on our heads
blocking any further progress.

The Board respectfully asked the students to continue with
‘cleaning up’. So why not do that?! are there any residues from
the Kelleher years that should be taken care of? Naturally. If
we stop now, we may waste the tremendous efforts and ruin
the great successes of the protest movement. The Board itself
declared that the best interest of the school was the removal
of the designate. Therefore whoever worked for the designate,
often by using undignified methods, worked against Gallaudet
interest! It is the Board’s assessment, folks. Therefore,
consequences are expected to take place.

We have every reason to celebrate, but we need to keep in
mind: the empowerment of the Deaf community at Gallaudet is
not yet complete until reforms — based on self-determination
and cultural autonomy — are not worked out and are not
implemented.

These reforms will give back the dignity of Gallaudet academics,
raise the standards back to normal and make Gallaudet University
a coveted place of higher education again. These reforms will 
restore the value of a Gallaudet degree in the job market. These
reforms will build a model of shared governance that serves the
constituency in an exemplary way among small private universities
throughout the whole United States. These reforms will re-create
the community of scholars that any university should be. These
reforms will make sure that our cultural values are respected
and protected. These reforms will guarantee that the university
remains a safe place for the Deaf without any threat of a
technological takeover by any ‘new order’ or utopian ideology.

Only the success of these reforms can crown our efforts
with a sense of genuine achievement.

testing_the_truth

Reprinted with permission by the author

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