On Examining Ourselves as a Society

Rainmond in his blog said:When Jane Fernandes started her “not Deaf enough,” business, she dehumanized us. How? Think about it. How many people became terrified of even saying they wanted a culturally Deaf person to be President?

This is a valuable topic for the sociology department to research. Have we become so hung up on classical Deaf values that we are losing sight of the varieties of deaf/Deaf people that need Gallaudet? Are we forgetting that they each all have something to contribute?

Also: is it correct that we have become shamed because we wanted a culturally Deaf president?Did we become dehumanized, so to speak, afraid of not being seen as cosmopolitan? Does this mean we are aware of the tendency to be clannish?

On the other hand: Is it true that Deaf culture is nearing extinction, as Dr. Fernandes implied in talking about cochlear implants and genetic selection to prevent deaf babies from being born?

Is Deaf culture so important that we need to be concerned about preserving it, or rather, should we focus on how it is evolving?

Indeed, is Deaf culture actually evolving? Or are we looking at the fact that in history, the more people change, the more they stay the same?

Deaf people have survived attempts at obliteration in the past…the Alexander Graham Bell proposal that congenitally deaf people be prohibited from marrying…the Nazi extermination of “defectives”, the oral proponents attempting to enforce speech and auditory training along with legislating mainstreaming…the never-ending research into hearing restoration…constant improvement of hearing devices including CI’s…and the ADA opening the way for Deaf people to access hearing cultural systems.

What happened? Deaf culture did not disappear.Historically, deaf people have simply come full circle from the educational philosophy of the day and sought out each other, opened clubs for the deaf, organized conventions and special programs for themselves, and built their own communities.

Even those with the latest buzz in hearing devices still maintained their Deaf identity and Deaf friends. We must not forget that even Jane Fernandes with the very best oral upbringing that would have made her an invisible member of the Hearing community, yet considered herself liberated when she met the deaf community and absorbed the sign language. Similarly, so did many other orally-raised Deaf people…on graduation, they found other deaf/Deaf people and found personal validation in their company.

So there will be a new wave of d/Deaf people coming into Gallaudet in the future. It won’t have the effect of diluting nor even transforming Deaf society into a weak imitation of the larger society. Despite waves of rubella epidemics, a majority shift from adventitiously Deaf to congenitally Deaf, and the oral movement, Deaf people still sought out each other and through the satisfying nature of sign language, generated a vibrant culture as exciting and interesting as any other ethnic group in the world.

What was that about “we must be ready for a new order of Deaf people?” Ahhh, wasn’t that always the case?    http://www.xanga.com/dianrez

Reprinted at the request of the author.

email contact: mishkazena@aol.com

Fight Against Not Deaf Enough

Last night I was asked to update the factual sheet to fight against this ever constant and misleading “Not Deaf Enough”.  Feel free to use this factual sheet to educate the media and the public. I  was also asked to recruit volunteers who can help educate the media. Anyone who wants to join, please contact me at mishkazena@aol.com.  Eventually the world will hear the full truth.

Here is the factual sheet. I’ve deleted some since I felt they were no longer relevant.  I’ve added my post as a former oral person participating in the protest. Any feedback how to improve the sheet would be deeply appreciated. Thanks. elizabeth

____________________________________________________________________________

MYTHS:

Culture and deaf identity issues are red herrings to distract the media and the public away from the  real  issues.

-Gallaudet always had students with diverse communication modes from the first year of its establishment. As always, many oral students are enrolled and accepted as a part of Gallaudet Community.  Many wear hearing aids, some are hard of hearing, many from mainstreamed programs, some wearing cochlear implants. From one post of a protester with an oral background with many responses from fellow protesters sharing the same oral backgrounds: (http://mishkazena.wordpress.com/2006/10/28/mishkazena-an-ex-oralist/

____________________________________________________________________________

REAL ISSUES:

A flawed presidential candidate search and ineffectual leadership of Dr Fernandes the last eleven years.

-88% of faculty members, Clerc Center, Student Congress, Student Body Government, Graduate Student Association, Gallaudet Alumni Association, National Association of the Deaf and parents and relatives of the students calling for resignation of Dr Fernandes.

-Three no-confidence votes given to Fernandes as provost the last six years by the faculty senate.

-Provost given to Fernandes without the shared governance of Faculty Senate, in violation of the national universities procedures

-Tenure of Fernandes illegally granted without the permission of the faculty senate.

-Letter from Clerc Center explaining the damages Fernandes have created during her years as Vice President prior to her appointment as a Provost. http://news.gufssa.com/category/fssa/staff/clerc-center/

 -Poor reviews of the academic programs by Dept of Education the last five years, accumulating with a failing grade last year.  PART: (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary.10003306.2005.html )

-Controversial policy restricting the students’ expressions last June http://www.xanga.com/MishkaZena/527466427/controversy-over-gallaudets-new-policy.html

-Over many years, Fernandes didn’t have constructive dialogues with the faculty, staff, and students and to this day, she still refuses to have any effective dialogue. 

-Fernandes claims of being only one to lead the university is false. Many very qualified people are available to lead the university

-Public relations department issuing erroneous statements to the media: DPS brutality did happen.  Students did get injured. Protesters didn’t close MSSD and Kendall School. -

-the protesters were terrorists and anarchists.  On the contrary, this is a peaceful and civil protest carried not just by the students, but also the faculty, staff, alumni, and families. ____________________________________________________________________________

Healing With No Accountablity?

A lot of people are saying that the protest is over and let’s start concentrating on healing.

First of all, the protest isn’t over because the Gallaudet Community is still susceptible to reprisals and retaliations. From many sources, including Bob Johnson’s letter, Jordan is well known for his heavy-handed approach on punishing people who spoke out against the corruption and oppression. So, even with the BoT’s promise, I am seeing proof that there are reprisals. For example, look at me. Why am I still getting threats of reprisals from the pro Fernandes group close to Fernandes five days later after BoT declared no reprisals?

We need to be valiant and examine everything that enabled Gallaudet University to be so crippled by the long chains of oppression and paternalism. They have been there long before Jordan and Fernandes came to the picture. However, they, along with others, not only permitted, but also practice the oppression.

How can we heal if there is no accountability of these people who corrupted the system so much for years and incited the protest to formalize?

Fernandes is out of the picture. I hope she will heal and move on.

However, there remain key figures still in the pictures.

What about Jordan?

People are divided about Jordan. Some said let him go and retire quietly. Others demand that he be accountable for his actions.

Jordan contributed significantly to the issues and his current lack of remorse indicates his lack of responsibility in contributing to this whole mess. He personally violated the university policy of staff conduct repeatedly. Should he be held responsible for his actions? Will the next two months as President hurt Gallaudet Community or not?

What about the PR Dept still singing that “Not Deaf Enough” Mantra? Who told them to chant the same song?

What about Paul Kelly who grinned when the PPDs and DPSs assaulted the students at the Brentwood Lane and later screamed at the police when they refused to arrest these students?

What about the allegations of the acting chairperson of BoT bullying the other members into inaction?

What about the new policy restricting the expressions of the students?

How can we heal if we don’t stop, examine the wounds and cleanse them out? If we don’t, these wounds would become covered just like boils, festering underneath, unhealed.

That was what happened after DPN. We won a big victory when we got the first deaf president. But we didn’t clean up the corrupt system.

Hence another protest, Unity for Gallaudet eighteen years later.

We must clean up the corruption within the University so there wouldn’t be any more oppression.

We need to analyze the role of the key players contributing to the extensive corruption who are still within the university system.

This is the only way the university will heal and move forward to a better and more promising future

Any comments?

Letter To BoT About Jordan

Dear Gallaudet Board of Trustees,

Due to Dr. Jordan’s “careless” actions,  I am now asking you the Board of Trustees to preserve the reputation of Gallaudet University and terminate Dr. Jordan immediately.

Dr Jordan no longer has any respect or courtesy of any students due to his words and actions ( as you may know that actions does speaks louder than words).

The most important duty (number one) of any University president is to take every precautions and protect their own students from any harmful injuries and President Jordan has failed that in a HUGE manner.

Several deans, provosts and  several university presidents that I had discussed with. They all say same thing.. the prime directive of ANY university president is ensure student’s safety before anything else period. Once that role has been breached then it is time for immediate termination or immediate resignation of an university president.

Dr. Jordan has breached that trust and faith in ensuring students safety by accepting responsibility of Mt. Bision incident and yet he still BLAMES the student, therefore he MUST GO.

Dr. Jordan was totally neglect of the hunger striking students, did not even visit them once to meet and talk with them, and ordered the staff to open up the brentwood gates without any concerns of students safety thus causing several injuries. These actions shows that Dr. Jordan’s attitude to the students.

If DPS had the nerve of denying to the media and other people of any injuries on premise then Its time for its president to leave. there is no question about it.

As matter of fact, one dean had told me this, If he was faced with this situation and the students are still controlling the gates, instead of forcing the Gallaudet staff to injure the students on purpose and blaming them for that. He would have simply called the police department and let them handle the situation then the issue is considered proper procedure and STILL ensure student’s safety.

Dr Jordan no longer cares about Gallaudet University’s students by following through with these actions.

How can you expect any students, faculty, parents or even staff member to have total trust in Dr Jordan’s behavior in the future after what he has done to the students in the past month.

I strongly advise you to consider TERMINATING DR. JORDAN IMMEDIATLY on these grounds that he can not lead the university anymore once the faith in him to ensuring students safety has been lost.

Also revoke the name of I. King Jordan Center, he does NOT deserve the building to be named after him after all of what he did in the past month.

Thank you

A former Class of 88′

Who’s in charge?

It has been fun watching the revolution from the sidelines and even
including my own idiotic ideas, but….

What are the next steps?

Who makes the decisions?

Who sets the goals?

I am trying to understand what is going to happen to Gallaudet.  I am
not certain that the future will be clear for years.

Indeed, appointing an interim president is probably the easiest
decision.

It is where the university goes from there that worries me.

INTERNAL DECISIONMAKING

Who is in charge?  There are many competing voices.

Should the protesters have a say?  Are the capable of making decisions
or just tearing things down?

Do people want Ryan Commerson, Noah Beckman, LaToya Plummer, other high
profile protesters making the decisions?

A quick review of Gallynet just today shows people proposing –

- Firing Jordan

- Keeping him on

- Getting rid of the public relations department

- Having the SBG work with the campus police to improve their policies

- Reconstituting the BoT – more deaf, less deaf, more alums, etc.

Etc.  Should students be allowed to govern?  Who filters these
decisions?

Will the Trustees accept the FSSA or SBG and work together with them? 
What does that mean?  Do representatives from these groups get one vote
or more on a new BoT?

EXTERNAL VIEWPOINT

Should people at Gallaudet be concerned about the off-campus view? 

- The Washington Post said today,

Ms. Fernandes promoted a school that would welcome all sorts of deaf and
hard-of-hearing people; that would accommodate itself to improving
technologies, which in coming years will allow more and more deaf people
to function in the hearing world; and that would emphasize tolerance of
diversity. The protesters were promoting a university that celebrates
what they call Deaf (with a capital D) culture, prescribes American Sign
Language as the only acceptable medium of communication and relates with
suspicion to deaf people who choose to function in the hearing world. To
the extent the latter vision won out, it does not bode well for
Gallaudet’s future.”

Do you think any part of this is true?  If people off-campus largely
believe this, it doesn’t matter because perception is reality.

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES

I worry about what the outside perception will do to Gallaudet’s
students and to the university itself.

Will employers think Gallaudet degrees are worth less or even worthless
because of events on campus? (The students dont’ go to class, the
teachers don’t teach, the degree means nothing, etc.)

Does this ultimately reduce the number of employed deaf people in the
future?

CAMPUS ACCEPTANCE

What is the future for the various populations?

Will some deaf people be unwelcome?  I have been told by students that
there were groups of people who resented “outsiders” who had implants or
were oral, or those who were raised with Signed Exact English. Will this
become the rule of law?

Will this lead to reduced enrollment?

Will fewer people want to work on campus?

Who on earth would want to apply to be president after 1988 and 2006?

CONGRESS

Will Congress think this was a good and positive thing?  Will they
decide to review funding?  If Gallaudet loses some or all governmental
funding is that going to wreck the place?

Tough questions.

– The Gunsmoke

GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator

email contact: mishkazena@aol.com

Jordan to Campus Community–Nov. 2, 2006

From: “President” <President@Gallaudet.edu>
To: President@gallaudet.edu
Subject: Message to the Campus Community
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 18:50:12 -0500

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and Teachers:

I don’t have to tell you that the past months of intense discord have
taken their toll on our community. Certainly the impact of what we have
been through will resonate among all of us on campus and among alumni
throughout the world for many years to come.

I deeply regret that Dr. Fernandes was not given an opportunity to
become Gallaudet’s next President and carry out her vision for the
University.  She has devoted the past 11 years to making Gallaudet an
inclusive educational environment of high quality for all deaf and hard
of hearing students, and I believe she would have led the University to
new heights of achievement.  However, that is not to be, and we must
look to the future of Gallaudet, to address the issues that have been
raised, and to reconcile our differences.

As we work to ensure a safe and productive teaching, learning, and
working environment for all members of our community, I ask each of you
to join me in bringing about reconciliation on campus.  One way to
begin is for each of us to look within ourselves and think of what we
can do to help bring about healing. I realize that the issues before us
evoke passionate feelings, but I believe we can-and must-devote
that same passion to addressing these issues and healing our community.
Concerns that have been debated with heat must be discussed and
resolved through collaboration of the administration, board, faculty,
staff, students, alumni, and all those committed to the well-being of
the University.

During the almost 19 years of my presidency, we have accomplished great
things together. I know our community will get through this challenging
period, but it will require hard work from all of us. After all, no
matter what position each of us took in recent months, we share a
common love and concern for Gallaudet University. May that shared love
give us the desire and strength to rebuild relationships, and work
together for Gallaudet’s future.

I. King Jordan
President