We’ve had the Starr Report, the 9-11 Commission Report, the Iraq Study Group Report, and now it’s time for the deaf community’s much awaited report — the Gallaudet HMB Report.
This 53-page document details the incidents on October 6, 2006 at the Hall Memorial Building (HMB) on Gallaudet campus that transpired shortly after the building’s lockdown. A bomb threat was called in, sending three Department of Public Safety officers into the maelstrom. Here are a few nuggets uncovered by the meticulous investigation by Holder, Razi, and Zink, the attorneys at Covington and Burling, LLP who authored this report.
The takeover of HMB was illegal according to University policy and DC law; the protesters did not have any “right” to occupy the building. There was a bomb threat (the carrier and phone number was revealed in the report). However; the person making the bomb threat did not specify any particular location on campus. There was no evidence to support the protesters’ claim that the University called in the bomb threat to attempt to force their way into the HMB. The report concedes that the DPS saw the threat as an opportunity to gain intelligence about the situation in the HMB.
During the sweep in response to the bomb threat, DPS searched three key buildings but the HMB received the most scrutiny. Upon entering the HMB, the protesters pushed, shouted at, and cut in front of the DPS officers. Holder, Razi, and Zink described the student’s actions as “inappropriate conduct.” One DPS officer forcefully pushed through several aggressive students, which was captured on video by BistonTV. Despite the use of force by one officer, Holder, Razi, and Zink conclude that the three officers performed well under very difficult circumstances and did not use, what is legally defined as “excessive force”. The report makes clear that pushing and shoving is not “excessive force”. While pepper spray was displayed, the report says that it was not discharged.
The report concludes by saying it “was a mistake not to send a sign language interpreter with the three officers assigned to search HMB. Reasonably foreseeable that sending three officers with modest signing capabilities into a building of hundreds of hostile students was a bad decision.” In addition, the officers also did not make a good decision when they stopped signing with the protesters after they initially entered the building.
The most damaging part of the report was a revelation that the protesters, and much of the deaf community was already aware of. The DPS officers involved in the HMB situation had below average signing skills. In addition, “while DPS encourages its officers to learn ASL, there are no specific requirements for ASL coursework or proficiency.” Of all the DPS officers on the force, only one has taken basic ASL and received a “D” grade. Later in the report, we learn that out of 25 officers, only four are deaf or hard of hearing (16 percent).
One of the most valuable lessons imparted by this report reminds us that the lessons from the DPN protests of 1988 and the Dupree murder in 1990 have yet to be learned:
It is important for the composition of any institution of authority to be as representative as possible of the community it serves.
Holder, Razi, and Zink make the following recommendations to the Gallaudet Board of Trustees:
1: Gallaudet Should Attempt to Hire More Deaf and Hard of Hearing Officers.
2: Gallaudet Should Adopt Mandatory ASL Proficiency Requirements for DPS Officers.
3: Until Officer Signing Ability Improves, DPS Should Increase Use of Interpreters.
4: DPS Officers Should Receive Increased Training Regarding Use of Force.
5: DPS Officers Should Receive Increased Training in Responding to Protests.
6: DPS Should Increase Outreach Efforts to Students.
7: Students Should Show More Respect Toward DPS Officers.
8: DPS Should Seek Clarification from MPD Regarding Plan for Responding to Bomb Threats And Similar Situations.
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How do people get hired who haven’t been to a single ASL class? How can that possibly make them qualified to do their job at all? It’s like hiring somebody to be an executive secretary, but they can’t type. Why would they even do that in the first place? The mind boggles.
I suspect that the main criteria utilized in hiring DPS officers at Gallaudet isn’t their knowledge of deafness or their sign competency - it’s their training and experience in the field of Public Safety and Security.
At many large universities around the country, their campus police force is made up of individuals with backgrounds not merely in Public Safety and Security, but also in Law Enforcement. Some of them are graduates of police academies.
I’d be curious to know what exactly are the mandatory requirements for securing a position as a DPS officer at Gallaudet University. What type of training and experience are they expected to have in order to carry out the essential duties of the job?
Don’t get me wrong…one of those essential duties is the ability to communicate with the community you are sworn to protect, and I find it appalling that these officers don’t have the necessary skills to do so.
When I applied for a job at a School for the Deaf recently, I was required to take the ASLPI (I think that’s what it’s called?) sign proficiency test to evaluate my skills. Wouldn’t it be appropriate to expect a similar evaluation of all staff at Gallaudet, including its DPS officers?
I think the ASLPI eval should be required for the staff who regularly interact with the students. That’s one issue I totally agree with the protestors on.
I think this report is more embarrassing for the Gallaudet adminstration than for the students. The report said what we all already knew - DPS needs to do better.
ASLPI’s powers were watered down by I. King Jordan. In the past, the SCPI can determine to keep your job at Gallaudet or not.
But with JKF and IKJ watering the brunt of the powers when they changed from SCPI to ASLPI, they now cannot determine but only to make recommendations. Thus, many recommendations were ignored.
R-
What a coincidence that Gallaudet is advertising a job opening in the DPS. Since it’s in PDF format, I couldn’t copy and paste it here. So, here’s the link instead:
http://af.gallaudet.edu/hrs/Job.pdf
Scroll down to page 12 to see the ad. It should be the first one listed.
JOB #07006: PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, Public Safety, salary range: $12.98 to $20.77 per hour. Responds to inquiries, requests, and alerts from students, faculty, teachers, staff, and visitors regarding public safety communications, identification, parking; maintains courteous, professional demeanor at all times, and demonstrates a genuine interest in and willingness to help members of the campus community and all others who may enter the Department of Public Safety.
REQUIRES: High school diploma or GED. Minimum two years experience in security operations or in a position involving decision making and customer service. Evidence of the ability to react quickly and calmly in emergency and
stressful situations. Driver’s permit required. Ability to pass a suitability background investigation. Must be able to be reached by telephone. Excellent interpersonal skills. Sign language skills required at time of application.
STATUS OF POSITION: Accepting applications.
“Must be able to be reached by telephone.” I threw out my phone about a year ago, how many deaf people actually have phones and use them? Does this eliminate deaf applicants?
Funny - I reported that Gallaudet needs to hire more Deaf DPS officers back in November:
I think it’s stupid NOT to hire Deaf people for DPS. A Deaf person would be able to talk to students and find out what’s going on. There would be trust between officers and students - they would be guardians, not wardens.
Or perhaps hire a CODA or at least a well qualified interpreter to act as an on hand intermediary during certain “emergency” situations for the DPS?
CODA? Please. You obviously do not know the history behind the CODA’s antics.
They do not do a good job but to dictate the flow of communication.
R-
David Stuckless must be proud.
Thanks McConnell, but I love when Ridor posts this kind of stuff.
One of my favorite sayings: Don’t ever argue with an idiot because if a stranger walks up, they won’t be able to tell which one of you that is.
can you clarify - what is the history behind CODA’s antics???
While I do not agree with throwing a blanket statement over all CODAs - I have worked with a number of excellent interpreters who happened to be CODAs…
I do have to admit that some of the biggest complaints I have had regarding quality of services have been against interpreters who did happen to be CODAs.
My complaint generally was not their interpreting skills - it was their attitude. These folks didn’t act like true professionals, and as a result broke a number of ethics…such as involving themselves in the conversation, interjecting their opinions, attempting to provide me with their consultation, or even making decisions for me.
I suspect they all came from backgrounds where they were used to having to “take care of” their Deaf parents, and I know at least two of them had no formal interpreter training. But nevertheless, they need to remember that there’s a big difference between taking care of someone, and interpreting for someone.
VA Beach: were those CODA TRAINED interpreters? My primary complaints have been against non-trained interpreters, some of whom have been CODA
Hi Regina ~
Some were and some were not. To the best of my knowledge, two of them had no real training - their only real qualification was that they grew up in Deaf families and were fluent in ASL, and were thus able to pass the state interpreter evaluation. One was a graduate of an ITP, but nevertheless still acted in an unprofessional manner.
As for the fourth, I didn’t know her at all, and when I filed my complaint (with an agency that doesn’t have the best of reputations anyway), was told that “she’s a CODA and one of our best interpreters!” Needless to say, I never used that agency again.
A very accurate statement and not uncommon. Something good/well trained interpreters are cognizant of every day.
Then there’s always the deaf person that says- what do you think?
That happens allllll the time, too.
CODAs do not necessarily make good interpreters. There are many CODA interpreters where I am, and 80% of them are, well… incompetent. A certified interpreter is a must for those emergencies, if DPS’ signing skills aren’t sufficient.
It may not be a good idea to hire deaf or hard of hearing officers because how can the screaming victims be heard? Also how can deaf officers communicate to prevent any thugs from coming on the campus? It hurts deaf’s pride but it is ten times quicker for the hearing officers to work together.
DPS are to protect Gallaudet campus from thugs from outside the most. Who knows it was the hearing DPS who protected more people on the campus from being violated and dead?
If the officers were fluent in ASL, they would get easier jobs as interpreters also for better pay.
Being fluent in ASL does NOT mean you are qualified to work as an interpreter. That’s a huge misconception I see everywhere.
Thank you so much for making this comment. I had missed that sentence the first time I read it. One of the major obstacles interpreters face is getting people to take us seriously. We are professionals, and we cannot be replaced by somebody who “knows sign” even if they are fluent. Many of us go through years of training in the art of interpreting to be able to do what we do.
This is the same reason why being a CODA does not automatically mean someone is a better interpreter than a non-CODA, but that’s another debate!
Actually, interpreters with excellent ‘receptive’ skills are such a rarity that many deaf people will pick CODAs over non-CODAs anyday just so that they can make themselves understood. I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past.
Nonsense.
I believe D/HH officers will perform ten times better than any non-signing officers on Gally campus. And it is a lot cheaper to hire D/HH people than to pay $35-50 an hour per interpreter to accompany those with inadequate signing skills. And officers are paid peanuts–$12-20 an hour! That’s not what I’d call “reasonable accommodation” for such unqualified employees.
Since there are some deaf advisers in dormitories in case there are some fights, etc., it is not job for DPS to solve the problems.
It is also a fact that deaf officers have to stop to type on blackberry if there was a thug running around then that thug would disappear before the officer is done with typing to other officer. Hearing officer can talk on phone while chasing him that the other hearing officer would catch the slimeball before he runs around the corner.
I still stick to that idea that all DPS should be hearing, not deaf nor HH for the safety of Gallaudet.
The thugs would be thrilled if they found out that most officers are deaf and HH.
Please think twice for the sake of Gallaudet’s safety.
DPS running after people?? Please! I still remember the day my former CRE ran after a student who had pulled a fire alarm. He was still in his pajamas and had flip flops. That was quite the sight! What did DPS do? Nothing, they just stood there! Although there are RAs in the dorms, about 90-99% of the time DPS is called, it is for: a student busted with alcohol, a student violating some other rule, fire alarms, or building malfunction (door won’t close, etc.). That doesn’t include the times they’re sent to write tickets or roam the buildings.
TClock, your comment is very insensitive. Many hard of hearing people can hear a scream. Heck, I’m deaf and I sure can hear when a baby cries next to me. With today’s technology, there are lots of ways to communicate, ie pagers. Most of the communication by DPS is related to non-emergency situations anyway. And I’m sure you know that deaf people are more visually attuned, so they would be able to spot something out of the ordinary to prevent thugs from coming onto the campus. If you were deaf and were involved in an emergency situation on Gallaudet’s campus, who would you rather have dealing with you, a bunch of hearing officers who can’t communicate with you, or deaf officers who understand you and understand your deaf and visual needs?
There may be a liability issue behind this as well on having a Deaf/HH officer.
“Thugs?” That’s your main concern - DPS protecting students from outside thugs? That only hearing DPS could best protect students? Wow.
I recall a person who worked for DPS a few years ago… he was fluent in ASL (and is now an interpreter), but he was stuck as a dispatcher, never out with the students. Not only does DPS need to hire signing officers, but they also need to put them into the right places!!!
What about partners? Deaf/Hearing partners. City cops do it. Why not DPS? I’m not saying all the time, but it’s doable.
And as for typing on the blackberry, there are codes you can set up that make it easy to communicate.
Oh,a nd when people are running fast, they generally run out of breath and can’t talk - so there’s not that much of a difference.
Many Deaf DPS officers signed up then left after a couple of years because they said the Department prevented them from getting promotions — there is a group who does not like the idea of deaf individuals doing “better” than hearing ones.
R-
actually, I’m inclined to believe it was “Present company” rather than the actual promotions. =)
I mean, after all who likes talking with you?
I have to agree with Ridor here about a group(s) out there who does not like the idea of deaf individuals doing better than hearing ones. I’ve seen it happen at deaf schools, deaf organizations and the likes. Yet, we see those hearing people getting what they want whereas deaf people stay oppressed. There is indeed a glass ceiling that deaf people have been subjected to. It’s double whammy because it happens in both — deaf (our own) and hearing communities.
Gimme a E
Gimme a N
Gimme a O
Gimme a U
Gimme a G
Gimme a H
What does it spell? Enough!!! :)
I understand that you do not like Ridor, but try to ignore him personally wise and focus on some, if not all, of the messages he shares.
I, for one, am glad that this report pointed out the glaring omission. It still amazes me to this day that it isn’t considered a priority for DSP officers to have mininum expertise in manual communication (I don’t necessarily mean ASL - a form of PSE would work fine, although ASL would be ideal)
Like I said before, if you go to an University in Mexico, you speak spanish, everybody speaks spanish, and nobody questions it.
Yet, all this time, it’s been ok to have security officers at Gallaudet that cannot even communicate at a minimal level? Sheesh!
What is so wrong about hiring only deaf DPS officers. Is it possible that Gallaudet could set up an experimentation model where they only recruit deaf DPS or train them to become DPS officers, they can then compare them to see how they can help improve relations among students on campus. The remaining DPS officers can still stay on but they must work with deaf DPS officers and possible work with a deaf DPS supervisor. I think that will really help DPS learn sign language very fast because then they are around deaf DPS officers and supervisor on a daily basis. It will empower many deaf individuals who really want to be DPS officers and be role models for deaf people when they come to Gallaudet. Why isn’t that possible? WHy does Gallaudet have to go out and hire hearing people who do not know ASL and train them to be DPS officers and expect them to know ASL within a short time. It is like putting someone in a foreign country where they don’t know the foreign language, I wonder if America would hire police officers who could not speak English well, I highly doubt that.
Likewise there should be 80 percent deaf DPS officers with a deaf supervisor and 20 percent hearing DPS officers or if more possible, make all deaf DPS officers. Like on Gallaudet board of directors, there is a clause that there must be certain percentage of deaf people to serve on the board. However, deaf people who apply for DPS officer must be fluent in ASL in order to commnuicate efficently.
How come no deaf is allowed to become police officer?
Because it would be a joke if a deaf officer walked past a screaming kidnapped kid inside a van.
Hearing DPS for the best.
Ah, yes, that’s a fine example of what is commonly called a ’straw man’ in debate. Usually used as a diversionary debate tactic instead of actually debating or confronting an issue head-on.
Now, while it is true that a hearing officer would certainly have a number of benefits in various situations, one shouldn’t necessarily exclude deaf candidates from consideration, especially at a place like Gallaudet.
Life is not necessarily just black or white; there’s certainly room for different people in different roles or positions. Nowhere does it have to be an ‘all deaf or all hearing’ kind of deal.
P.S. That’s not accurate; there are indeed deaf (and hard-of-hearing) individuals whom are police officers. A recent example is Anthony Wallace serving in a town in Alaska.
http://www.ntid.rit.edu/media/.....cle_id=522
Obviously, there are parts of the job that requires hearing; this is why he is not the sole police officer. If he can get the job done and communicate effectively with the community, then really, what’s the obstacle? Ignorance, usually.
I trust whomever called in a bomb threat will be prosecuted in a court of law.
Bomb threats have no place in civilized society, even with passions running high. The HMB report indicates the phone number obtained was turned over to the D.C. MPD for investigation — and implied a possible subpoena via a court application to learn the caller’s identity for potential criminal prosecution.
Bomb threats also do not further the FSSA cause by unnecessarily making FSSA members or supporters look bad and only serves to give the administration an excuse to ‘investigate’ things that may or may not be directly related. The latter, the report also conceded had likely occurred.
Kids, please keep that in mind next time you protest something. STAY ON THE SIDE OF THE LAW! Civil disobedience is OK to some reasonable extent; threats of physical harm or other serious legal stuff such as felonies is not. Just remember: you have to live with the stain of a felony on your record for rest of your life and may have difficulties in getting some jobs with a felony on your record.
You know… ugh. I had a heck of a time explaining the whole protest to hearing family and friends after they heard about the bomb threat. Whomever did it, please don’t EVER do it again. Ever. It helps absolutely nobody and only causes grief for everybody involved — students, supporters, faculty, staff, administration, DC police, DOSS, the caller, alumni, etc.
You are assuming that FSSA or a supporter called in the bomb threat! It astounds me that people would realy think that a student group who occupied a building would call in a bomb threat. It would be a really stupid and shortsighted thing to do. A bomb threat would result in the cops entering the building they are trying to occupy!
No, I still think it was someone who didn’t support the protest and/or wanted to create problems for the protesters.
Wildstar,
Everyone knows about the prank call to cops that JF committed suicide after BoT was forced to terminate her. Possibly from the same caller.
Do you mean that there will be another protest that lots of deaf DPS must be hired? If so Gallaudet can be closed.
*laughter*
Yes, there was a prank. I don’t know who did it. It was stupid, too.
Gallaudet closed over a protest about DPS? Exaggerate much? :)
I expect NO less from Gallaudet Campus. Complete and utter lack of control, the irrationality of that campus never ceases to amaze me.
And your overwrought response never ceases to amaze me, either.
so yer saying, you are the one who called in the threat!? wooo hoo! busted! *runs*
Okay, if we are going to have these concerns regarding Deaf officers vs. Hearing officers…how about a compromise?
Here’s an idea - hire both Deaf/HOH and Hearing DPS officers, and then pair them up so that the Department creates Deaf/Hearing teams working together…a Deaf DPS officer working with a Hearing DPS officer. After all, many police departments do have their officers, detectives, etc. working with partners, so why not apply that partnership at Gallaudet?
Having the Deaf DPS officer will allow for more effective communication with the students as required, and the Hearing DPS officer can provide his ears when necessary (such as the case of thugs which was brought up in a comment.)
In addition, the Hearing DPS officer will now have a Deaf partner with whom s/he can hopefully better develop not only those needed ASL skills, but also a better understanding of and sensitivity to the Deaf Community.
Just throwing this out for possible consideration - would this be an idea that could be a “win-win” solution to the issues identified both in the report and by our readership, or would it just create new problems and new issues?
they already do that Virginia, Memnon didn’t tell yah?
Excuse me, Punky….
but according to the report, out of 25 officers, only 4 are deaf or hard of hearing. That leaves 21 hearing officers, meaning that even if they do this, there are still 17 hearing officers remaining.
Somehow this math doesn’t add up. Could you explain?
probably the same reason why there’s 1000 hearing to 1 deaf person in this city.
you know this is what i’m talking about, the deaf culture and gallaudet isn’t the center of the universe nor is it an island all to themselves. Gallaudet is a privilege and opportunity, when I was a student there I was grateful that it was possible to apply to DPS. They had a few deaf people working and were actual officers.
People are crying.. “GAWD! i hate this hearing teacher, she/he can’t sign to save their live (mumble grumble omg kill me please mumble grumble)” tell you what if YOU can find some intelligent and well educated deaf people who are WILLING to apply and stomach what the Gallaudet community has to offer, then you can make that statement. Not everyone wants to me a cop or a teacher or a nanny or even a president of Gallaudet.
“hello this is naacp calling, why doesn’t your place of business have any black people working? I currently count 25 white workers and 13 hispanic, care to explain why that is so?”
“no one black applied… what am I supposed to do?”
You’re backpedaling here, Punky…nor have you really explained your first comment.
When I suggested this idea, you stated, and I quote “They already do that Virginia…” which implies that my suggestion has already been implemented by the Dept. of Public Safety.
Are you in trying to say that they do in fact attempt to implement such a procedure with the few Deaf/HOH officers they do have?
If so, how is such an effort working out? Has it proven to be effective? Like Michele D asks below…”If they are doing this, then why are there still problems?”
And if they are doing this…why weren’t those teams sent to HMB that night? For that matter, where were the Deaf/HOH officers that night?
In regards to the difficulties in recruiting Deaf/HOH DPS officers…there may be some validity to that statement. But that’s not the statement in question here.
with a little brainpower and less sage you might be able to notice that they have left the doors open for people to APPLY and be HIRED for those types of positions.
It’s already there, they are not biased, each person of all race and creed get a chance to apply and to be hired. they just go with the best candidates. Do you expect them to hire anyone just because they are deaf?
what you guys are asking for isn’t possible without doing more harm than good.
hmm maybe I’m gettign a little ahead of myself here,
never the less, they already do have “partners” but the campus isnt’ a city that requires such a thing. it’s just a 99 acre campus. there’s no need to go so far, the problems are there because there’s so much opposition to it. and you know just as well as I do, those DPS boys sure take a beating from some of the students on campus.
“no one black applied… what am I supposed to do?” … they have left the doors open for people to APPLY and be HIRED for those types of positions.
Punky (if I may) - you could apply this logic to any position. “Why don’t we have more black teachers at Gallaudet? Well, no one applied…” There is something the university can do - be more proactive in reaching out to underrepresented groups for potential applicants. No one expects anyone to hire anyone simply because of their race/gender/disability/etc. That would be tokenism. But, if you want to increase the diversity of the pool of applicants, you’ve got to get creative in how you recruit and advertise. “Growing your own” is one very effective approach.
I appreciate your “Glass half full” comment, but it’s not as easy as you might think. everything and I do mean everything, precedes by reputation. If I had known about the Community that came along with becoming a student at Gallaudet, I most likely wouldn’t have applied. yet I was suckered into the world with the “hopes” of unity by the administration, boy was I naive.
there’s more important things to consider and take care of rather than expending overly excessive capital to make sure we have the right quantity of a race, creed, or even social identity.
again, FFS, Gallaudet is a business and it’s business is to provide students with an education, not to be a fricken mecca!
Punky,
As I was reading the comments up above, I noticed some of the comments you had made in response to a previous poster to the effect of, “Memnon didn’t tell ya?” or “with a little brainpower and less sage”
Those are bigot comments and while everyone has a right to their own opinion and beliefs, I think it’s pretty obvious that this is a cheap pot shot aimed at someone who has done nothing to deserve it. Regardless of whatever personal opinions you might have of your fellow readers, this kind of behavior does not belong on the Deaf Blogosphere, and it certainly doesn’t belong in DeafDC.
Thank you
Abby, WI USA
If they are doing this, then why are there still problems? Is it because of the ego that is in the way that DPS are forever trying to compete with one another to outdo each other? I would be interested to see how the system works and if it is a competitive one.
One thing I’m wondering about is why all those students presumed it was legal to occupy HMB in the first place, if they were having a “peaceful protest.” I’m really curious. If I know that’s illegal, and the cops know it, and most of the outside world (i.e., adults) know it, how come they didn’t? Also, forming a human chain is one thing, but pushing, getting up in one’s face, and shouting at a cop in the legitimate performance of his duties is also illegal, and it doesn’t matter that the students did not know what he was in the building for.
First of all, the Convington-Burling report is a laughable stuff. “Independent” report???? PLZ!!!!
The report did not have wide diversity of observers and investigators within the parties of students, faculty members, law enforcement experts and civil liberties advocates.
This report use the Washington Post article as a credible source! Unbelievable! The law firm violated the intellectual property of copying and pasting Miszheau Kenza’s blog posting WITHOUT asking for her permission first. The lawyers themselves KNOW better than using someone’s quote without any legal permission.
The Washington Post reporter ever wasn’t in the HMB building when the melee occured between students and DPS officers. What a looney tune idea for using the mainstream media article as part of legitimate evidence for the report issuing.
HOW come didn’t the Gallaudet University DPS issue the video footages from the use of internal campus surviellance camera to verify the DPS version???
We sometimes have to resort to the act of civil disobedience from time to time! Rosa Park BROKE the existing law by sitting on the front of city bus! The colonists THREW the private-owned property (chutes with teas inside)into the harbor, ex. the Boston Tea Party!!! MLK and other civil rights activists DISRUPTED the businesses like the “sit-in” activities!
WHY didn’t the Gallaudet University arrest the DPN leader, Jerry Covell and others for chaining up the old HMB building??
WHY didn’t the Gallaudet Board of Trustees reprise against students for de-clunking and pushing the school buses to several campus gate entrances??
The IKj adminstration frequently violated the ADA laws like the white classroom marker boards (blackboard) and other more.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
He helped chain up HMB? And to think that Jerry Covell wanted to be the negotiator.
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.....-that.html
Intellectual property laws allow for quoting from materials in the public domain without asking permission from the author. It’s only if substantial portions of a work are cited or reprinted that permission is needed.
Please let us be careful with the terminology. Intellectual property laws are already confusing enough as they are.
I think what you are trying to say here is that you can quote small excerpts from copyrighted material without asking for permission. Blogs, newspaper articles, movies, software, etc. all fall under this category.
Work that is in the public domain is not copyrighted at all (either because the author released it as public domain in the first place, or because the copyright on the work expired - currently this affects work published before 1923). You can do whatever you want with work in the public domain, without restrictions.
Again, “reprise” is the wrong word which suggest retaliation. There is no retaliation if a law has been broken and that the offending person or party must answer to that crime by means of disciplinary actions.
I applaud Holder, Razi, and Zink for recognizing that DPS must change when it failed to do so repeatedly. I say it’s a blow to IKJ, his administration and the BoT. For 1988, it may be forgivable, but with Carl Dupree’s incident and 2006, it is not forgivable at all! IKJ and his associations had the opportunity to change and improve from the lesson learned in 1988.
Some questions for all of you:
When you guys say “the protestors,” who do you mean? The FSSA? The various groups of people who protested, nonetheless had no formal, direct affiliation with the FSSA? Those who showed up at maybe one protest-related event since the whole thing started in May, but not the other few dozen events? How about the ones who never formally showed up at anything, nonetheless felt jaded and angry all throughout the whole thing?
The problem is that so many of you refer to “the protesters” as if they were all one big collective group, and they weren’t. Perhaps these collective groups shared a similar end-goal, but how they approached that goal was different in each case. So my argument is that blanket statements aren’t going to work here, just like they don’t elsewhere. The logic is EXACTLY the same as when we try to talk about “Deaf” people. What are Deaf people, as opposed to deaf people or HOH people, etc? There’s no one set definition. Not all Deaf people are cultural extremists, and not all deaf people (emphasis on the small-d) are open to non-culturally Deaf people (or even to other hearing people).
So what do you mean by “protestors?” And Punky Brewster, same thing. “That campus is out of control.” What do you mean? Who are you talking about? There’s about three thousand people studying there or working there. Which ones are out of control? Do you think that if we lined ‘em all up and watched some home videos (made in secret) of each one’s conduct over the last six months, ALL of them would be equally out of control?
If we can’t apply blanket-statements to deaf people in general (by assuming they all equally care about what Deaf people care about) then we shouldn’t EVER do that in ANY case. That’s my opinion.
Sorry, mistake… second paragraph above, last sentence: “…are open to non-culturally Deaf people (or even to other hearing people)…”
should read “…are open to other non-culturally deaf people (or even hearing people).”
My bad.
Chris
Chris,
That’s an interesting question. How do you suggest I label the “protesters” in this sentence from my Blog:
“Upon entering the HMB, the protesters pushed, shouted at, and cut in front of the DPS officers.”
“…those who were occupying HMB on that particular day.”
It’s more work, but it’s more accurate than a blanket-label.
The violent protesters are losers in the eyes of people on the hill in the end. They blame all around while they themselves are nothing but troublemakets and sadists.
Protesters are nothing but trashy lowlifes. They are frantic religious to deaf culture like frantic muslims, war lovers and do not want deaf babies to hear nor the deaf children to learn speech. ASL can never help deaf children having very good jobs. that is why JKF was not allowed to be president so ASL in deaf culture colony be the national deaf club @ Galludet. JKF is not a criminal and she will be Gallaudet president after Davla so deaf students can have language of their choice also Gallaudet to stay a university, not deaf club or college. Protesters’ brains need be sprayed with D40 to be dignified and well civilized.