360: gotta love this
Two press releases today on the Gallaudet Website. The first is a message from Jane Fernandes:
I remain committed to becoming the president of Gallaudet University. Although the current situation is serious, if I am abandoned my commitment at this point, which I have no intention of doing, it would only become worse for the University, in general, and future Boards of Trustees and presidents, in particular. We live in a country that is governed by the rule of law, not anarchy. All of us in the Gallaudet community must continue to be strong and adhere to the principles that have made Gallaudet University and our country great.
In response I post another quote, since she talks about the principles which make our country great:
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, but we have this comfort with us: that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.
Thomas Paine said that: the man who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense. He was talking about the unfairness of British behavior to Americans. To the British their behavior seemed reasonable: they sent people over to America to get money and other valuables. To the Americans, the British rules were confining, binding, and rendered them little more than slaves.
This situation is not a shock or surprise for me. Gallaudet last year performed the Audism Monologues; the SBG passed the Audism Mandates. Clearly something was going on there. Was nobody paying attention? Then the University denied students the use of interpreters. Denied them contact with the press. Denied any response to their concerns FROM A YEAR AGO. This is an old, old brew, and the University Administration was blind. What would have happened if England had lifted the taxes, before they had their tea party in Boston? Then England would have been part of the change, and perhaps no revolution would have happened.
I King Jordan also commented today:
Civility, integrity, and truth are victims today, held hostage as much as our beloved campus. I have been asked why I haven’t used police to end the stand off. It is because I care about the safety of all of our students more than the protestors care about anything but getting their way. This illegal and unlawful behavior must stop. The faculty members who are instigating and manipulating the students have simply gone too far in pursuit of their own agendas.
They haven't used the police to end the stand-off because then they would get more publicity than they like. I have no doubt that were the behavior truly illegal and unlawful, the students would be arrested faster than you can sign hot dog: finish! Or maybe he's just being patronizing. Don't arrest the poor Deaf people. Hmmm?
But I would really like to know: what agendas is Jordan referring to? Who are these faculty members Jordan accuses as instigating and manipulating students? For someone who uses civility, integrity and truth as weapons in the war of words, Jordan has guts: he's making baseless accusations against nonspecific faculty who have - as far as I've been able to see - been more of a restraint on students than encouraging them, and who have been far more concerned about the integrity of his search process (Remember calling Jane President before anyone else did?) than about Jordan and Fernandes themselves.
What a day.
update: MishkaZena gets sexier every time I read her blog.
second update: The Gally Linguistics dept points out:
Far from promoting any kind of well-informed, thoughtful discussion of the issues, the actions of the current Gallaudet administration and Public Relations office continue to demonstrate an attitude of condescending repression towards its constituents. If the administration is truly in the right, as they claim, it would behoove them to let students, parents, staff, faculty, alumni, and the general public make up our minds for ourselves using all available information. Manipulation of access to information inhibits this possibility.
Uh-huh. It's called
5 comments:
what bugs me about his remark in regards to the faculty is how CONSCENDING it was to the students. He more than implied the students were not capable of making an informed choice, to support the protect. He implied that the students were immature, childish students looking for a fight that were led on by evil, plotting Deaf Faculty.
Yes, there's been immature behavior, ALL around, but like, "STOP!" and own up to your part of it already.
Dr Jordan may be saying "Et tu" to each faculty member on campus who joined with the students. I bet Dr. Jordan now knows what Et tu means. :-)
Stephen J. Hardy, II
DeafLinux
Definition of SCOURGE :
scourge (skûrj) pronunciation
n.
1. A source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war.
2. A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment.
3. A whip used to inflict punishment.
tr.v., scourged, scourg·ing, scourg·es.
1. To afflict with severe or widespread suffering and devastation; ravage.
2. To chastise severely; excoriate.
3. To flog.
[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman escorge, from Old French escorgier, to whip, from Vulgar Latin *excorrigiāre : Latin ex-, intensive pref.; see ex– + Latin corrigia, thong (probably of Celtic origin).]
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Excellent examples of the scourge from the old deaf guards can be found in one of Tom Bertling's published books.
http://www.addall.com/author/2653032-1
Looking at this particular book;
http://www.addall.com/detail/0963781375.html
You can see stories of scourge casted upon prominent deaf leaders and inspirational deaf people by the old deaf guards.
Through their actions, they have made the American Sign Language into some sort of a weapon than a communication method.
Let's all pay good homage to deaf leaders who lives have been catastrophically altered after becoming victims of cyber-bullying, rumor attacks either via email, newsgroups, blogs, postings, websites, falsified restraining orders, vandalism, and through many other undue intimidating actions.
And work together at eliminating these sources of scourge within the deaf communities.
Sad man. American Sign Language is a language, not a "communication method."
Which Deaf leaders lives have been destroyed? Can you tell me?
P.S. if you mention that asshole Tom Bertling on my blog again, you WILL be bannned. He is a sick, sad liar who blames the Deaf community for his abuse and neglect at the hands of hearing people. It is not uncommon.
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