135 Protestors Arrested at Gallaudet University
Saturday October 14, 2006
Last night, 135 protesters - students, faculty, and alumni - were arrested at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC over a several hour period from about 9 pm until about 3 am. One of those arrested was Tim Rarus, one of the leaders of the historic 1988 Deaf President Now movement. The arrests were ordered by I. King Jordan in order to reopen the campus. Jordan stated: "Gallaudet University will continue to allow students to protest at the front of the campus at the Florida Avenue gate, but access to the campus must be restored to students, staff, faculty, alumni, and visitors."
The arrests were liveblogged on multiple websites (elisawrites.com, ythree.com, ridorlive.com, deafread.com, gufssa.com) that had server crashes, the last one being Scallion Stallion. Articles are also on the following news sites:
Comments
The old deaf guards only represent the last 2% of the entire deaf society. They have brought scourge upon deaf people. Theyre not worth your time anymore. Theyre not worth occupying Gallaudet University space any more either. It’s time to sweep the old deaf guards off the Gallaudet campus, off the face of the deaf society.
Excellent examples of the scourge from the old deaf guards can be found in one of Tom Bertling’s published books.
Looking at this particular book, American Sign Language: Shattering the Myth, http://www.addall.com/detail/0963781359.html
You can see stories of scourge casted upon prominent deaf leaders and inspirational deaf people by the old deaf guards. Even some of the scourge took place on Gallaudet University.
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 let’s work together at eliminating these sources of scourge within the deaf communities. And we can begin this at the Gallaudet University Campus. Lets sweep the old deaf guards off the campus this moment.
I’ll be dealing with advertisers who buy ad speces on the old deaf guard websites. They dont really support just the websites. They really support the terrorism and scourge the old deaf guards have brought upon many people. Time to nip this old deaf guard problem and the scourge they bring on people today!
Finally I wish Jane all the best, as she begins her journey as the the main compass of the university, that she has the strength and courage to bounce off the storms of flak and scourge coming from the old deaf guards and the dissent.
Richard Roehm
Chief Executive Officer
Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
I agree with Richard Roehm. This is the 22nd century. In the future there are going to be less deaf people out there. Why ? Technology does it. Gallaudet needs to prepare for the future. It going to be hard to find deaf students. If I was to send my child away to college, I wouldnt send them to Gallaudet. I would want my child to get an education and not to get involve with 19th century deaf politics.
GALLYNET-L has been hijacked by the old deaf guard terrorists. Dont send money to the Gallaudet protesters. They are the old deaf guard terrorists. Dont support them, dont feed them, they brought scourge on the deaf communities.
Richard Roehm
I am delighted and encouraged by Richard and GT’s comments. I have lived a life in the netherworld of the hard of hearing. I am neither hearing nor deaf. The old guard threw me and others like me away in the old days.
Hear, hear!
I happen to be deaf, and it runs in my family. We need to have more communication skills for people who are hearing impaired or deaf, not less.
It’s apparent to me that GT from NY has no clue about the benefits of attending Gallaudet University. At Gallaudet we have complete access to communication, and Deaf culture.
Gallaudet is the center of Deaf culture and history. I understand that it’s very hard for hearing people to understand how deep this concept of deaf culture is, but this is an issue of social respect. And that’s what 1988 Deaf President Now was about. It was a statement of Deaf pride, and Gallaudet was the one place where people did listen to the Deaf community. That’s one place where we could be heard.
In closing there is nothing wrong with Gallaudet University! If you feel this way about the University, how do you feel about Deaf people or people that use ASL? I sense a great deal of prejudice in your comments.
To John Bonaparte I grew up attending mainstream schools League for the Hard of Hearing. I alumni to Gally and NTID. Most of my friends are deaf and so are members of my family. So you have the wrong conception. I work in a hearing world which is the majority.
To GT from NY, Thanks for pointing out that the hearing is the majority. Could have fooled me.
Okay if I have a misconception, Tell me this, what is wrong with the education that I received at Gallaudet?
My world didn’t revolve around what you called 19th Century Deaf Politics while I attended Gallaudet.
I can only speak for myself, but I currently work for a fortune 100 company and travel to various companies giving presentations and speeches. And yes of course I’m fluent in both English and ASL.
You’re probably shocked that someone that went to Gallaudet could take on a job like I do, but like King Jordan said, “Deaf people can do anything but hear.”
I do not put limits on myself because I am Deaf and work in a Hearing world.
You made a statement about Technology and Deafness. If I were offered a cochlear implant today, I would prefer not to have one. That’s not a statement about hearing aids or cochlear implants or whether one signs or speaks — it’s about who you are and how happy you are with your life.
I am very happy, and I have made the choices that work best for me. I know I cannot please everyone, and that’s fine with me.
In closing I will gladly send my two boys to Gallaudet University for an education once they graduate high school.
I am deaf and writing from Africa. I happened to visit Gally during deafwayII and it left a lasting impressins on me. I am writing in support of John Bonaparte. Though, I relize that we have our problems in the deaf community, that however should not give us an excuse to despise and reject our cultures and values. Right now I am working with the hearing world but that does not have any thing to do with abandoning the deaf institutions I am affliated to. Here in Africa we are the more stronger when we have stronger deaf institutions. In sum we should cherish and sustain our values and cultures. If we do not respect our selves for what we are no one is out there to respect us.
A.Teferi
Ethiopia
IKJ does not make sense by trying to threat or scare the protesters?