If you’re like me, you’ve wondered about how outsiders interpreted the Gallaudet protests. Well, we just may have our answer now. Charlotte Allen, in her “Identity Politics Gone Wild” article for The Weekly Standard, provides a very detailed analysis of the Gallaudet protests. Much of what was said frankly makes me cringe, some appears to be blatantly false, and a few points warrant discussion. Keep in mind that Weekly Standard is read by over 60,000, which may seem like a tiny number to you but is nevertheless more than twenty times the number of people directly affected by the protests (and that’s only my own personal estimate).

Some phrases, in particular, really leapt off the screen:

militant campus radicalism
presumed martyrs
poisonous atmosphere
a culture fostered by radical students and faculty
campaign of vituperation
mixture of anger, self-pity, and clannish exclusiveness
only oppressed minority with its own hereditary aristocracy
“cultural genocide” tossed around indiscriminately
palpable and blistering antagonism
bizarre, obsolete, and self-marginalizing campus culture

For your convenience, I have attempted to summarize the author’s main points. Don’t take my interpretation at face value; I was simply taking notes. For a more thorough understanding of what Charlotte Allen was trying to say, read her article! We should take advantage of this DeafDC.com forum to dissect some of her points.

Flashback to the turmoil of 1960s… campus shutdown … near-loss of accreditation … extremely low graduation and employment rates … more choices in higher education … medical technology leads to better education … peculiar campus culture … lower enrollment rates at Gallaudet … other university presidents also forced out … through use of violence … Fernandes unanimously selected by board of trustees… aim of strike was simply to get rid of her … Davila now temporarily at helm to restore order … Fernandes not deaf enough despite numerous deaf ties … also not nice enough … scolded students for their wrongdoings … Jordan violated protocol by promoting Fernandes without faculty approval … Fernandes didn’t say hi nor smile enough … just like other administrative figures at other colleges … Fernandes, despite her outstanding qualifications on paper, still not given a chance to prove herself … Composition of protestors extended beyond campus to include alumni and even National Association of the Deaf (NAD)… Fernandes burned in effigy … Gallaudet University Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni (FSSA) issued demands … Fernandes and Jordan ridiculed publicly by various sources … including blogs and at least a flyer … Not a single feminist organization supported Fernandes … Jordan crashed from high soar … but did his 1988 selection as President set a bad precedent of allowing students more power over trustees? …. Jordan was enormously successful at fundraising … and even compared to Martin Luther King Jr… but all of that came to a screeching halt during the protests … Jordan was now criticized for not being deaf enough either … did the Deaf community partake in a façade by pretending that Jordan was deaf enough? … radical identity politics really at hand … compared again (for the umpeeth time) with black identity and civic issues …. deaf activists play themselves out to be victims … but at the same time ask for help given to disabled … politically impermissible for deaf people to wish for hearing … Prevalent usage of ASL disputed … ASL not originally intended for educational settings, SEE was … but socializing led to dominance of ASL over SEE … Schooling once severely limited … William Stokoe proved ASL was a bona fide language … but so drastically different from English that its actual advantages for the classroom seem dubious … despite long-time use of ASL, literacy rates still at appalling low among deaf people … ASL hard to master, so other systems such as home signs or cueing used by parents and educators … ASL now proves how True Deaf one is … leading to further oppression among the oppressed … “Incestuous” part played by protestors … due to low degree of separation … Ron-Brendan Stern, Rosalyn-Jeff&Suzy Rosen named as two prime examples … NAD mentioned as well … Ridor described ASL abilities of BOT members … Brenda Brueggemann gave speech orally … she resigned along with Senator John McCain who was disturbed by his conscience … deaf diss those who can write well … Marlee Matlin and Heather Whitestone viewed as betrayers of deaf community … ‘distressingly shrill’ anti-cochlear rhetoric … even some turn against their hearing parents … for having chosen the wrong options … such as speech therapy … ASL hotly debated as ‘legitimate language for instruction’ … boo to oralism … Audism = Deaf version of racism … Total Communication = students and professors using whatever mode of communication they want … Not all deaf can master ASL … increasing number of Gallaudet students with cochlear implants … Pidgin Signed English = Compromise … Fernandes confirmed via e-mail that she believes in ‘rightful place at Gallaudet’ for all … Sim-Com = audism, oralism, disrespect for ASL … Fernandes took heat of bottled-up anger from deaf radicals … who want bilingual education despite its perhaps-prohibitive expenses and shunning of other modes used … Ryan Commerson declared Gallaudet to be Grand Audist … through FSSA, called for resignation of non-proficient ASL-users from Gallaudet board … also known for his previous tie-ups with administrative bodies over ASL-only policy … “No-voice” policy already put to unofficial use on campus which leads to positive encouragement … or intimidation … Many outside Gallaudet are turning to mainstreaming opportunities … leading to close-downs of deaf institutions … technological advances also leading to more choices … new generations not wanting to be associated with “campus culture” at Gallaudet … Gallaudet is losing deaf students … only 13 percent of eligible students bother going to Gallaudet, and Fernandes confirmed via e-mail that only 28 percent actually graduate … Fernandes given credit for expanding internship program to improve job placements … tightening academic standards, setting up an honors program and aggressively recruiting … yet numbers continue to decline… Davila making bunch of promises, but many remain skeptical about Gallaudet’s future … Slutzky, known for comparing ASL to Ebonics, thinks Gallaudet will become history … Gallaudet has turned against itself.

It is almost always heart-wrenching for hearing parents to find out that their child is deaf. We all have our own stories. My husband told me that his entire family was distraught, except for his great-grandmother who said: “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”

Erin Himmelman’s recent blog, “Take One Away and What Are You Left With“, left me wondering how differently each of our parents reacted when first discovering our deafness. I don’t need to cite sources to tell you that exceptional and devoted parents truly make all the difference or that socioeconomics very likely play a huge factor in the deaf child’s academic and social development.

Well, what about cultural backgrounds? Do they influence a parents’ reaction to their child’s newfound disability, and subsequently determine the path that their child takes in life?

Yale University conducted a fascinating research project, “National Culture and Risk Survey” that used two separate scales of cultural orientation (hierarchy-egalitarianism and individualism-solidarism) to gauge responses among participants. The researchers were able to conclude that cultural factors may play a factor in one’s attitudinal outlook toward risk. Ultimately, there is “no such thing as a generalized attitude toward risk”. They found that people tend to trust those who share their cultural views.

Just how does this relate to deafness? A child born with a disability leads to a perceived risk for the family. There’s uncertainty and fear of the unknown. It even affects family dynamics; there are higher rates of divorce among parents of a child with a disability. Out of every 1,000 newborns, about two or three are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and ninety-percent of those babies are born to hearing parents. With approximately four million babies born in 2005, that’s ten thousand deaf or hard-of-hearing babies! Obviously, all of these families come from widely diverse backgrounds and cultural upbringings. So there are probably thousands of different reactions toward the news of hearing loss. Is it always perceived as a ‘risk’? This depends on the family’s inherent outlook on people with disabilities.

For example, I married into a large Jewish family. Aside from learning that there are no holiday recipes for Yom Kippur and one does not serve challah during Passover, my family and I have come to appreciate a rather unique outlook on life through the eyes of my husband’s family. I was surprised to learn that Jewish temples generally do not provide interpreters, unlike the Christian-based churches that I attended while growing up. The latter operates on the principle that all must be saved so deaf children should not be excluded while learning the Truth about Christ. On the other hand, the Jewish religion is generally exclusive and does not often focus on expanding their reach. Would a Christian be more likely to seek ‘medical miracles’ for the child compared to his/her Jewish counterpart?

Keep in mind that the above is a very particular example and should not be interpreted as a distorted view of all Jewish and all Christians. My intent is to highlight different perspectives according to cultural background.

Latin Americans like eye contact. One of my personal flaws (or advantages, as a poker player might think) is that I do not maintain eye contact. If a parent of Hispanic origin had a conversation with me, they might sense dishonesty. Accordingly, that person would not absorb my information as well as another person who maintained eye contact. With whom would that Hispanic parent feel comfortable discussing sensitive medical issues involving the deaf child?

Cultural differences influence the way doctors handle their patients. According to this article (hat tip to Silent Cacophony),

Men, Christian doctors and physicians with the strongest religious beliefs were most likely to say it is permissible to withhold information and not help a patient find another source of controversial care.

If we understand that some families will naturally either entrust (or distrust) medical authorities of different cultural backgrounds, then we need to modify our approaches accordingly. We also need to keep in mind that some may prefer to rely solely on word of mouth, rather than visiting the Internet. Sometimes parents will want to “fix” their child’s deafness or leave as is. It is for these reasons that organizations need a universal presentation of materials to encompass cultural differences. How do we present educational materials to diverse parents from different cultural backgrounds who wish to learn more about their child’s deafness?

That’s why I heartily support the recent efforts of DeafDC.com participants to contact two organizations, Hand and Voices (www.handsandvoices.org) and American Society for Deaf Children (www.deafchildren.org). Together, these two organizations can take the lead effort in promoting culturally-sensitive materials that will have an equal impact on all families of deaf and hard of hearing children.

When I was about to graduate from M.S.S.D. (in 1995), I sent President I. King Jordan an e-mail. I do not remember what I wrote, except that it had something to do with how happy I was to graduate. To my surprise, he responded quickly with a friendly paragraph or two. Since then, I’ve always remembered him as the University President who took the time to respond to a high school senior.

The title of this WashingtonPost article is quite fitting; how do you really say good bye to a man like I. King Jordan? Such rapid rise- only to be pulled down just as rapidly. Some might say that only he could be responsible for his own demise, yet others would point to the protestors. Outsiders might possibly blame the entire Gallaudet community (well, they’d just say “all deaf people” in general).

With intense love comes intense hate. Which camp are you in?

The Opera Ghost really existed. He was not, as was longed believed, a creature of the imagination of the artist… Yes, he existed in flesh and blood, although he assumed the complete appearance of a real phantom; that is to say, of a spectral shade.

If you’ve seen the play, as I have, this Phantom is well known for his obsessive attempts to destroy his very own love- the opera. And I believe this is what some supporters of the FSSA protests are doing. Through faceless, personal attacks on the public faces and names. Jane F. Fernandes. I. King Jordan. Paul Kelly. David King. Bloggers like myself and others who either support or oppose the FSSA movements.

Did you know that last year, the Washington Post shut down comments on their blog? Their ombudsman, Deborah Howell, wrote that Hack Abramoff made direct campaign contributions to both clients (without explicitly disclosing that he had indirectly done so through his clients). Her column generated so much spitfire that the editor had little choice but to rein in the personal attacks. Deborah Howell later wrote:

…. It is profoundly distressing if political discourse has sunk to a level where abusive name-calling and the crudest of sexual language are the norm, where facts have no place in an argument. This unbounded, unreasoning rage is not going to help this newspaper, this country or democracy.

Amazon, when first allowing anonymous reviews, eventually had its own D’oh moment when finally realizing that authors often had their friends rave about their books with five-star ratings. Today, Amazon reviewers now are given the option of validating their identity; readers obviously give more credence to real names (which translates into “real” opinions).

There are still times when anonymity does work. Anybody remember Deep Throat? I look at this picture of W. Mark Felt, now in his nineties, and shake my head in sheer amazement. How could he have been the source of such heated, endless dissension.. that went on for decades? Admittedly, some Watergate fanatics (like myself) somewhat wish that Deep Throat had never revealed his identity- precisely because the constant guessing made the scandal seem bigger than what it really was!

As you know, DeafDC.com generates quite a voluminous share of anonymous comments. Very few brave souls use their full names, for perfectly understandable reasons. Some use aliases whose familiar (and sometimes humorous) nuances we grow to embrace. And then, there’s rest who are just, well, anonymous. Going even further into that category, you will inevitably find the guy who just somehow cruised by, decided to leave a ‘what the hey’ liner, and never returns. Or the scared poster who thinks she could lose her job by leaving behind tellable signs. And finally, we come to the malicious phantoms.

Who was that shape in the shadows? Whose is the face in the mask?

Masquerade! Every face a different shade. Masquerade. Look around, there’s another mask behind you!

Although not at all my intent to sound didactic in this post, I will tell you that it is no fun being victimized by cyber-bullies. Anonymous commentors tend to be much more aggressive than their honest-and-open counterparts. Sometimes their commentary can erode away at the credibility built by the blogger- or even destroy it entirely. Why is this so?

This loathsome gargoyle, who burns in bell, but secretly yearns for heaven. Secretly… secretly…

My guess is, they’re all trying to be Phantoms of the Opera.

Some of the comments recently posted on DeafDC.com have been making me think. Are the protesters misplacing their anger and objectives? There are some days when I think they are. Had they gone forward with a solidified agenda from the very beginning, I think that the rest of the world would be taking FSSA much more seriously. This post is being composed 100% in hindsight- but I think it may have added lead to the bullets FSSA initially began to fire last May.

Listed below are the grievances claimed by protesters, each individually matched by its corresponding duty as set forth in the Gallaudet University Board of Trustee Duties and Powers (Article II, Section 2.1):

Grievance #1: Selected Jane Fernandes as President

- Elect a President and a Treasurer of the University.

Grievance #2: Allegations of possible questionable financial management

- Approve an annual operating budget for the University.

- Provide for the establishment of policies for management of the business affairs of the University, including budget, investment, audit, maintenance, endowment, contracts, leases and all other business matters.

- Appoint independent certified public accountants to perform a yearly audit of the financial accounts, records and resources of the University.

Grievance #3: Dissatisfactory PART report:

- Prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary of Education and the appropriate committees of Congress not later than 100 days after the end of each fiscal year.

Grievance #4: Removal of a program, degree, department of instruction at Gallaudet:

- Approve the addition or deletion of major academic programs, degrees, departments of instruction and major non-academic programs by the University or any of its departments.

Grievance #5: Jane Fernandes’ appointment to Provost and I. King Jordan’s salary:

- Provide for the establishment of policies regarding conditions of employment, including salary, benefits and schedules for all employees, and policies regarding appointment, promotion, tenure and dismissal of faculty members.

Grievance #6: Denial of tenure to select faculty:

- Make final decisions on granting of tenure to faculty members, giving due consideration to the recommendations of the appropriate committees, the chief academic officer and the President.

Grievance #7: Disputed or questionable campus policies:

- Provide for the establishment of policies related to instruction, extracurricular activities, the campus and the residential life of students.

Grievance #8: Not listening to students, faculty, and staff or addressing forces such as audism, racism, shared governance, etc.:

- Seek out ways and means to become acquainted with all facets of the University and to become familiar with forces, issues, and concerns about education for deaf and hard of hearing persons, and for deaf and hard of hearing persons who have other disabilities.

Grievance #9: FSSA request for independent investigation of Presidential selection process:

- Appoint outside consultants as the Board may deem necessary to review specific areas of the University’s operations, or such other matters related to the University or to the education of deaf and hard of hearing persons as the Board may request, and to report their recommendations to the President and the Board.

I am more than positive that the individuals composing the Board are extremely competent in what they do- otherwise, they obviously wouldn’t have gained access to such prestigious positions. It really bothered me when some of the Board members were- and still are- being unfairly attacked publicly for (what seems to me) trivial reasons.

A die-hard fan of Law & Order and CSI, I can say this with absolute authority: hard evidence needs to be built. The repetitive mantra: “Jane must go!” is not working. The FSSA needs to come up with a list of specific actions that can be used as lead bullets (I also happen to be a fan of Superman).

To view the full Gallaudet University Bylaws, visit this site.

This probably is the briefest DeafDC post to date. For I have just one question.

Why are the Redskins doing so poorly this season?! I’m not a football expert, but from what I could see of last night’s game (against the Cowboys), both the offense and defense sucked big-time.

This press release came out just earlier today.

NAD Files Complaint against Washington Redskins and FedEx Field

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Joseph B. Espo, an attorney with Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP in Baltimore, Maryland, filed a class action lawsuit against the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field football stadium. The complaint, filed with the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, claims that the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field failed to provide captioning for announcements made over the public address system before, during, and after Washington Redskins home games, as required under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (more…)

What’s your definition of imperfection? If you’re a regular Deaf reader of DeafDC.com, then it may differ from that of the general population. Especially those who have been aborting fetuses due to their cleft lips or webbed fingers. And then compare that to this article, where a Deaf Lesbian couple purposely increases their chances of having a Deaf child. (more…)

This is a topic that often divides conservatives and liberals. Even my husband and I have had our share of arguments over this. Should English be made our country’s national language? If so, immigrants applying for citizenship would be required to prove their English proficiency.

Currently, our federal budget is being used to provide bilingual education and ballots among other services; this was not done until just last century. Our Founders did not have to consider issues of diversity, but we know today that being biligual (or multilingual) does not necessarily impede the learning of English. (more…)

I got an e-mail in response to my “hearing diversity” post. The author prefers to be identified as “KBM”. I have not yet seen this issue addressed publicly on any of the many blogs covering this Gallaudet protest, and very much feel that this needs more attention.

I just wanted to say despite FSSA’s diverse members, the protest is also split along racial lines. As a long time active member of NBDA, I can tell you from a quick look at the petition, I recognized at least 1 or 2 NBDA members’ name on it. Nope, I didn’t sign it either. 25 BDA chapters nationally, and we have 1 or 2 names, is especially telling on where our views of this protest stands. Our view on this protest is that it is sore losers bunk.

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