So....JKF is out of Gallaudet

The deaf communities across the globe, erupted in victory as the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University dilberated on October 29, 2006 to decide what to do about the situation that has been occuring since the announcement of Jane K. Fernandes's selection as the 9th President back in April/May 2006. The objections and demands were intenstified in the beginning of October, cumlulating with sit ins at the gates, closing down of the HMB (for the life of me can't remember the full name of the Building), letters to the Board of Trustees, President and President-designated, through injury and suffering due to forceful movement of the Tent City at the gates, and lastly the hunger strike.

First and foremost - of course I wouldn't forget - is the arrest of more than 130 students, faculty and community members - several who are friends of mine. That was the first mistake that IKJ, JKF, and the Board of Trustees made. The arrests were infrigments of our civil rights and in violation of the First Amendments. This action had the communities in an uproar; thus the decline of the administration's ability to handle the situation - if there were ever an ability to begin with.

Now the message rings - "Healing begins now". It takes to consideration, what steps shall we take now? There will be a President search process starting all over again. I implore the Board of Trustees and Gallaudet University participants in the search process - do not repeat the same mistake. Ensure that the person is highly qualified; not on basis of what the President says, able to bring Gallaudet U's education standard to the highest it has been since before 1988-1993, be a representative of the deaf community at educational, cultural and lingual standings and bring Gallaudet U into the future.

There are several things the Deaf Communities across the world have to consider - especially here in the US. Cochlear Implants (CI) is the big thing; thus allowing the "superior" people to have control over those who are young that they haven't experienced life as it is. In truth - CIs are going through the same hype as when there were hearing aids back in, the mid 1900's. The end result is still a blend of speaking and signing ability.

Educating the general population about deaf people - not just culture or ASL, but the ability to be employed, resources to maintain employment and freeing up communication barriers lay upon us to teach the general population that there's pretty much nothing to be afraid of. Hearing loss is one of the most common sensory losses and yet the general population is afraid of us, that they want to change us without understanding us first. People with hearing loss has been present for more than 2 thousand years.

Gallaudet U and its people have a huge responsibility ahead of them and they have to remember that the real world is bigger than the community. Compromises are not necessary because we are more than just Deaf, with ASL as their primary language and a unique sub culture based on the visual and manual. Working together is the necessity, sharing philosophies, self-weakening inner resistance, and working with an open mind and heart and above all, accepting each other as who we are without making changes to selves.

Unity for Gallaudet U!

For more information on Gallaudet U. Protests, Letters and the like...
www.deaftimes.com
www.joeybaer.com
Washington Post
www.gufssa.com
Dr. Robert E. Johnson
Or basically just type in search for "Gallaudet University Protests 2006"

Gallaudet U. and the U.S. Government

Interesting....Gallaudet University/Deaf Community is a small portion of the US population which peaked at 300 million sometime in the last two weeks. When we look upon the leadership of such university and any other universities, organizations (profit or non profit) and the like.

Gallaudet U. is on a small scale - reflection of the unrest in this nation that is gearing towards denial of being self (other than allowing gay marriages), as who we are. They go forth in technology, education and you name it, oppressing people across the nation. Only a few know it, most are not familiar with this oppression because they've grown up with this (being told by the oppressors (the not know it alls)) in their daily lives, and the other small percentage that basically don't care because this "doesn't impact" their lives anyway.

Looking higher up above Gallaudet University - we are looking at the U.S. Government. Its leader is incompetent and a liar to his own people. The Congress are finding many wrongdoings among its ranks that one can't keep count with. The Departments can't keep their facts straight and take action upon those who take advantage of the "disadvantaged". Not to mention - communication system break down.

The rich are getting richer, thanks to Bush's "personal" war and his oils. The poor are getting poorer and the middle class is no longer dreaming the "American Dream".

Why?

Look within yourselves and ask this question - What am I doing as an US citizen, a human, myself and others for my nation and the world? Would you allow this travesty to continue or allow your civil rights to be suppressed? The responsibility lies upon ourselves to take action in our government.

Remember Rome - it only lasted nearly 500 years. We haven't reached our halfway mark and boy, our lady Liberty and her people are tired, weary and disgusted with the actions of our leaders in those "higher" up positions (are they acting like gods?) that are occuring in both places in our history, the US Government and Gallaudet University.

Audism - What?

We've heard of:
racism
sexism
deism
and so on.......

This site lists all the "-ism"s and their description. Fascinating. http://phrontistery.info/isms.html

Leaves this....what is AUDISM? A belief that is practiced by either hearing or deaf people that "the ability to hear is important, than the ability to obtain information by visual and manual means". In other words, anyone who has a hearing loss of more than 50% is deemed unworthy as human beings.

Check out this website, where it shows a movie called "AUDISM". I am not sure if it has voice or not. www.audism.tv/pages/videos. It has a powerful statement. I certainly can understand the guy who asks "Can you read my lips?", most of us have been in that position before, where we say "I can't hear" or point to our ears and shake our heads to only get people who open their mouths wide enough and say "CAN YOU READ LIPS?"

How insulting can one get? I can't hear, and you're asking me if I read lips, why else am I trained to speak and read lips in speech classes? Never mind that the choice of speaking and lipreading was mine in the first place.

The attitude of audism is "you can't hear, you're not worth much to the human race." That attitude provides the person with a sense of "power" to make decisions over a person with a hearing loss. "You can't get a good education because you can't hear." "Music! You like music? Yeah right, you can't hear." "My child will not learn if he/she uses sign language, he/she must learn how to talk."

Talk - what is talk? Are talk and speak the same thing? Let me consider the meaning and give you a layman's term. Nope. Talk conveys conversation that happens between persons. Speak means the ability to talk with voice. However, audism implies that if a person cannot speak - he/she is not human. Are we talking about a person who is mute, cannot speak - is he/she non-human? Deaf people are not by nature mute. Even the most profound deaf persons out there can speak fluently that people who hear, take them for hearing people! Confusing, isn't it?

Take Helen Keller - a child who had language before her illness, rendered deaf and blind. She did not only have intelligence - she had a surplus of it; however, her frustrations were far from calm. Oh! The first language she learned - Sign Language! She learned in increased capcaity in exponents after W-A-T-E-R. When she grew up, she wanted to learn how to speak, but how!? She can't hear or see? Never underestimate someone who wants to learn. She did speak, very well from what books tell me.

An audist would see Helen Keller and say she can't do nothing. This is because she would be "less than human" due to her dual sensory loss. At first yes, but when reached through language and communication - she became more than human, she transcended it.

So Mr. or Miss Audist - ask yourselves this: Are you human or an animal? Well basically a human is an animal, we are mammals in the Animalia Kingdom. Oh well, there's no such thing as perfection. I hope you will take in consideration of what it truly means to be human. I

t was once told that apes, monkeys and chimpanzees didn't have langauge....does that mean they shouldn't be in the same classification of the Animalia Kingdom? Oh, other than aural and vocal linguistics - they've mastered sign language.

Maybe I'll add more .....

Deaf Culture, Assistive Hearing Technology, & Sign Language

Let me make this clear, through out my blogs, if I state plural numbers in terms of people - it is generalized. Not everyone practices the same thing - if you think so, you're stereotyping, just like everyone else. What I say can also apply to people with disabilities, in their own ways.

I often wonder what's the hype about cochlear implants. Do I want one, no. Do others want them? Some, not all. Those under 18 years of age, do they want one? I do know that the option is available, if the family offers them and allows the child to choose, instead of making that decision for them. Are doctors always right? Are teachers always right? Are other parents always right? Consideration of all resources available is a necessity.

What is cochlear implant? I'm not going to write the medical and audio-physiological perspective, goodness, we get more than enough of that information nearly daily. That's not the big deal anymore.

But technologically, I say, that it's primary function is to "help" a person with hearing loss hear. That's all there is to it. Just like a hearing aid, body aid, and any other type of hearing assistive devices, even including the old fashioned hearing trumpet.

In essence, are we there to be what others want us to be? Will I have a chance to say "I am a human being, who is deaf, married, female, denmom, sister, daughter, granddaughter, bachelor of arts degree holder, home owner, driver, teacher, employee, sci-fi and techno watcher, music loving, voracious reader, and etcetera." No.......why?

There is one part that stands out and man, they sure do take over an identify of a human being. As if that's a big deal, ya know. I'm deaf. Yeah, so? All I need is basically, an interpreter, right to equal education as any other "regular" folks, paper & pen, maybe CART (Captioning Access Real-time). Anything that allows me to receive information that I cannot hear.

What? I can't be a female? I can't own a house? I have a job, you don't believe that? Why not??? Oh, I'm deaf. Interesting. Why should being deaf impede my life? Be a barrier? I, as a human being have overcome that adversary - but is it an adversary for me?

Oh, did I mention? I speak fluent spoken English, write well enough for people to understand and know words that some "hearing" people do not know, so how can I be any different? Oh, I have a severe to profound hearing loss, wear a hearing aid, and use American Sign Language as one of my primary bilingual languages. Being me doesn't sound wrong.

Coming back to the point, cochlear implant, my perspective - same thing as an hearing aid, which I wear. The hype for cochlear implant will go away; however, reading the Gallaudet University Protests brings me another "wonder" to consider. There is a choice to learn to speak as there is a choice to sign.

As it was with hearing aids, sign language was not important - speaking is. What fascinates me, is that the children who learn to speak, know less than those who sign or are bilingual speakers. Less time is spent on speaking but incorporating the education into the visual and building the speaking capacity. Oralists think that speaking is critical to functioning in the "hearing society". Cochlear implants (CI) propose the same thing; however, as it stresses, it aides the "hearing loss" "suffered" by the wearer.

How is "speaking" solely the critical aspect of functioning in a "hearing society", when one cannot function in the real world, basically they spent most of their formative years learning how to speak and not connecting the dots between the spoken word and the dots (education). I'm sure that this method does not provide much challenge to the families who actually do more than just "speak" but include their children in the family's daily lives.

Deaf culture, as any other culture, is fluid. Hearing culture is not exempt from fluidity. Technology is the biggest factor of fluidity and that is influencing every culture out there. Deaf culture has to understand what the "thorn" or "intruding foreigner" is before they can accept. Don't tell me that as a hearing person, that your culture is exempt from the fluidity of change. Read your history.

As with hearing aids, body aids and other hearing assistive devices; they are touted by the hearing people to "help you hear information that is lacking". What the reality is that, a deaf person or a hard of hearing person has a hearing loss, period. What loss there is, other senses and thinking processes will change to accommodate the loss, it's the natural part of life. How do you think "deafness" survived thousands of years? How did you think loss of limbs survived thousands of years? We have brains, ya know.

If there is technology available to assist with loss, great. There's nothing wrong with signing, there's nothing wrong with a culture based in visuality and tactile. Cochlear implants is nothing but an assistive device, again like my hearing aid, and yet more children are finding sign language available to them; but denied to them by the "hearing people". Sign language is not demeaning, nor does it lower the intellectual/cognitive IQ.

Some may dispute that; however, I know this: denied communication between deaf people and hearing people actually lowers the intellectual communication that can greatly enhance cultural relations. Denial of equal education in sign language is denial to be more than what we are "told" to be. Oralism is one way, cochlear implants is one way - what's missing? Oh any persons with hearing loss of varying degrees will gain visual methods independently to substitute for loss of information. Do you think that's stupid? If so, you need your brain reexamined. It is the most intelligent performance ever performed by a human being.

Is there something wrong with speaking? No. Is there something wrong with signing? No. Is there something wrong with being able to hear? No. Is there something wrong with hearing loss (varying degrees)? No. We seek avenues to help us adapt, is that wrong? No, it's the most intelligent and natural way a human can ever achieve.

I can say this - the more this human race tries to achieve perfection, the more human nature retreats to chaos. The a certain percentage of the human race hasn't learned much. Accept the humility, live the lesson.

Law and Freedom

Watching the Gallaudet Protest in the last few days, its escalation reminded me that someone who mentioned Kent State University in 1970.

http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/LEWIHEN.htm

What is certainly interesting is the message from the higher ups are essentially the same thing. Law will take care of those who are dissenters. That is akin to calling us traitors. How can we be traitors if we are following the principles set by our founders to ensure people's freedom to live as they know?

The US before it became the thirteen states, was founded on the principal of freedom from tyranny and the freedom to practice what one chooses to do - specifically in the 1690's, religious freedom. In the 1770's, the freedom to speak and assemble was surpressed by order of the British Monarchy, for the outlandish laws that were placed upon the shoulders of colonists, without consultation or at least understanding where the colonists are and where the British residents were. Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre

This is a new time, new era, radically different from the 1690's and 1770's. Now we cannot be free to assemble, to worship, and to speak for what is wrong. The higher ups think that they can bypass the laws that were set up in the first place to PROTECT the people's rights. Something's wrong with the picture.

The First Amendement says "Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In the case of Kent State University and Gallaudet University; the higher ups are abridging the right of the students to protest peacefully, for something that they feel that either the federal government or the university administrators are doing wrong. It only takes one person to escalate a situation. As "Ohio Governor James Rhodes flew to Kent on Sunday morning, and his mood was anything but calm. At a press conference, he issued a provocative statement calling campus protestors the worst type of people in America and stating that every force of law would be used to deal with them." Excerpt from weblink to Kent State University. I suggest you read the KSU's document in entirety and do some research.

Now 36 years later - here we have is Gallaudet U.'s protesting on the same principle, but for different reasons. Their culture was at stake, no guidance, and no balance was struck to ensure equality in both camps. Yet the University adminsitrators made the decision to "arrest" students on basis for refusal to "listen" to the University administration. These kids are over 18 years of age and do not need parents to scold them, they have their own at home. They learned their history, did the higher ups forget theirs?

"Law and Order" shows conflict between people and laws in place. Some of the stories may be fictional, but for some it is reality.

One may consider me a traitor to my country, but I will not be a traitor to the human race nor the earth on which we live off.

Finally Reading the Opposing Side about Gallaudet Protest

Finally, I've found some information about the opposing sides, some anti-protesters, some opinons about the Protest other than what we've heard over the last two weeks. This will be also sent through Northwest Indiana Deaf E-News email.

It's interesting how the opposing side has a perspective that is different. However, both parties agree that the search and selection progress is flawed. The point some argue is if Glenn Anderson (a black, Ph.D holder person) had been in the final three and JKF was still selected over him, what would happen? If Ron Stern (Superintendent of New Mexico SD) was selected?

Many feel that the protesters already started too late and that they're fighting a losing battle because they decided to up and start 2 days after the announcement of JKF's selection. Whereas, some groups started in April when the final three were announced. There was a group called COSC - Coalition of Organizations for Students of Color. They were composed of NBDA (National Black Deaf Association), APA (Asia-Pacific Association) and several other organizations. FSSA (Faculty, Student, Staff and Alumni) was a part of it. After several organizations pulled out, COSC fell apart, thus creating different arguing parties that is not resolving the crisis.

What we have is a small subculture of human culture (hearing culture is considered subculture as well), where deaf people, friends and relatives know about each other. Does it serve us purpose to become active while fractured? How will it help us be better human beings standing on equal footing in the real world? Perhaps it is where we fail as "white" people, we did not break away from the "shackles" still taught in generations to accept other people as humans. We see something different from us; therefore, they're not human. Smaller subcultures are sensitive to changes that take place and they react accordingly, rather than thinking it through.

How did this happen? Historically, presently and possibility in the future?

How can we be able to keep up with the changes and still remain who we are? Primarily deaf people with a visual/manual language that fit us well.

How can we ensure that our community and language is still valiant and strong into the future? Audism is a word to place power upon discrimination of being unable to hear.

There are many ways to consider solutions to things that are changing presently for the future.

From DeafDC.com Blog: there are two DOE (Department of Education) documents that provide telling clues about the situation happening at Gallaudet over the last 8 years.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary.10003306.2005.html
http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/2006plan/edlite-g5edagallaudet.html

Some point out that if the reports about Gallaudet were that terrible during JKF's reign as Provost of Student Affairs - why not protest then? Why now after 8 years are the students protesting??? Relevant point.

The students have the right heart, but the right reasons other than ousting JKF??? Why not in 2000, when the enrollment started dropping, the education materials not equalivant to pre-1988 standards? We could find ways to ensure our equality in the real world, could we???

I still stand by the decision to request JKF's resignation, if the reports above say much about Gallaudet's future, what left is there for us as a premire Deaf university in the world?

Umm...

First Posting - Gallaudet Protest & Joanna's Opinon

It is difficult to decide whether to support or not the protests at Gallaudet. As a deaf person, I am with them all the way, if we cannot fight as our own persons, as humans and as an US citizen, what left is there for us to do? Bend to the will of the government and to the will of Galladuet's Board of Trustees (BOT), where the leadership itself has proven lacking over the years?

When I was growing up, I've always wanted to go to Gallaudet because it was a university that believed that deaf people had the right to equal education and valued it highly. I was fascinated by the 1988 protests and had a few teachers attend the protests at Gallaudet. Finally deaf people can be equal as others. Oddly enough as I reached my junior and senior years at ISD (Indiana), my desire to attend Gallaudet....I didn't want to go there at all. This was because I felt that the education at Gallaudet did not meet the standards that it set before 1988. My mother encouraged me to go there, for experience and opportunities. I did and transferred out there after 1 year and a half, with no regrets. I made friends, learned and did what I could do there.

I, nevertheless, am proud of those students, faculty and alumni that have stood with their beliefs that Jane K. Fernandez (JKF) lacked the leadership capability to lead an university, a deaf-centralized and a strong ASL/Deaf Culture location, to changes that impact us on a daily basis. There is a need for a leader who understands those changes, listens to the entire community (from students to administrators), with facts and willingness to ensure the preservation of deaf people's right to be themselves as humans (as anyone else). I wish I could stand with you; however, as I see myself, a divisive person, I'll stand behind the scenes and look for information, facts and support with my words as much as I can.

To JKF - it was never "not deaf enough" for all of us, nor is it for you. Unfortunately if I were in your shoes, I would do the same thing you're doing now. Fortunately for me and for my soul - I certainly know that if I was persistent and do not have the people behind me, I would resign. Leadership is a critical aspect of a community and if only ONE person has it, it bodes (tells) bad for the community. Experience tells me this.

I do not intend to brag, this is because I would know, even if I am declared a leader by other people in my community and state, I am only one because I possess the williningness to learn, to teach and make changes that impact us everyday. Not only that, the people who I work with, who I hang out with, close friends and my families are my leaders. Even those at Gallaudet, agreeing with or opposing the decision made by BOT, are leaders.

I invite people to comment, not because they are only invited, because they need. Speak your heart out.

Thank you!