Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Dr. Angel Ramos' Open Letter
An Open Letter to Dr. Jordan:
Thank you for your recent email asking for my support and explaining what is happening on campus. First, let me say that I cannot support you. Let me share with you three of the many reasons why I cannot support you:
1. You claim that “We have continuously met in good faith with the dissenters, only to have the students’ demands change.” First, it is not only the students’ demands. It is the demands of the Gallaudet faculty, staff, alumni, Graduate Student Association, Student Body Government, Black Deaf Students Union, Latino Students Union, Asian Pacific Association, International Student Club, Students-at-Large, Students with Disabilities, the National Association of the Deaf, the World Federation of the Deaf, and many,many other hearing and Deaf partners in the community including the two former Chairs of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees - Phil Bravin and Dr. Glen Anderson. The demands have never changed, they have remained the same since they were first made: a) re-open the search process and b) no reprisals for anyone involved with the protest. It’s that simple.
2. You claim that “we are committed to free speech.” You certainly have a strange way of showing it. I guess this commitment to free speech includes pouring horse manure at the site of the Tent City, which the students set up, and had a permit for, to civilly protest the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I can’t tell you how many parents are upset that you also put students’ health at risk by such a despicable action. I guess this commitment to free speech includes threatening staff and faculty who dare voice their opposition to the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I guess this commitment to free speech explains why you refuse to provide the Gallaudet University Alumni Association with the email addresses of Gallaudet alumni. Oh, that’s right. It is “confidential information.” Hmmm,,,, sharing “confidential information” was never a problem until the GUAA opposed the selection of Dr. Fernandes. There are plenty other ways you have shown your commitment to free speech - your actions speak for themselves.
3. You claim that “their [students] actions hurt us all, not only on Gallaudet’s campus, but around the world.” Hmmm…I don’t recall the students shutting down Gallaudet University for 7 days in 1988 during the DPN protest as hurting Gallaudet or Deaf people around the world.
It actually made Gallaudet stronger, Deaf people more empowered throughout the world, and ended up in the selection of the first deaf president of Gallaudet, YOU.
Now, let me tell you what I do agree with. I do agree that “We all have an important role to play.” I do agree that “many of you are as saddened as I am by the current discord on our campus.” I do agree that “we all need to be part of the resolution.” That being said, if you truly believe your own words you will truly LISTEN to what the community is saying. The selection process was FLAWED. The selection of Dr. Fernandes as a result of a flawed process IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Back in 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson said, “The problem is not that the students are deaf, the problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” This was true back in 1988 and it is true today. I guess this means you must be part of the hearing world because you obviously are not hearing what your own Deaf community is saying - staff, faculty, alumni, people of color - and not just Deaf people, but hearing people as well, all standing together against you with one voice screaming “Re-open the search process!” Can’t you “hear” what everyone is saying?
Let me give you some advice on how to end this protest. Back in 1988 you took a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who wanted a Deaf president at Gallaudet. You decided to support the selection of Dr. Zinser because you believed that the next time there was a presidential vacancy you would be a top candidate. A few days later you came to your senses and stated that the students, staff, faculty and the community were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Lo and behold, you became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet. Now, 18 years later, once again you take a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who want to re-open the search committee. You decide to support the selection of Dr. Fernandes because she is your hand-picked successor. Will you please come to your senses again and once again state that the students, staff, faculty and the community are right - it is time to re-open the selection process!
The future of Gallaudet is in YOUR hands. Will you continue to divide and destroy what you have spent the last 18 years creating or will you once again bring joy to the students, staff, faculty and the community and bring us all together again? You know as well as I do that just as in 1988 the demand for a Deaf president was not negotiable, the demand to re-open the search process is not negotiable. In 1988, Dr. Zinser told the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Will you do the same thing today and tell the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they are right, it is time to re-open the search process?
Dr. Angel M. Ramos, Class of 1997
Author, Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle
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Thank you for your recent email asking for my support and explaining what is happening on campus. First, let me say that I cannot support you. Let me share with you three of the many reasons why I cannot support you:
1. You claim that “We have continuously met in good faith with the dissenters, only to have the students’ demands change.” First, it is not only the students’ demands. It is the demands of the Gallaudet faculty, staff, alumni, Graduate Student Association, Student Body Government, Black Deaf Students Union, Latino Students Union, Asian Pacific Association, International Student Club, Students-at-Large, Students with Disabilities, the National Association of the Deaf, the World Federation of the Deaf, and many,many other hearing and Deaf partners in the community including the two former Chairs of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees - Phil Bravin and Dr. Glen Anderson. The demands have never changed, they have remained the same since they were first made: a) re-open the search process and b) no reprisals for anyone involved with the protest. It’s that simple.
2. You claim that “we are committed to free speech.” You certainly have a strange way of showing it. I guess this commitment to free speech includes pouring horse manure at the site of the Tent City, which the students set up, and had a permit for, to civilly protest the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I can’t tell you how many parents are upset that you also put students’ health at risk by such a despicable action. I guess this commitment to free speech includes threatening staff and faculty who dare voice their opposition to the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I guess this commitment to free speech explains why you refuse to provide the Gallaudet University Alumni Association with the email addresses of Gallaudet alumni. Oh, that’s right. It is “confidential information.” Hmmm,,,, sharing “confidential information” was never a problem until the GUAA opposed the selection of Dr. Fernandes. There are plenty other ways you have shown your commitment to free speech - your actions speak for themselves.
3. You claim that “their [students] actions hurt us all, not only on Gallaudet’s campus, but around the world.” Hmmm…I don’t recall the students shutting down Gallaudet University for 7 days in 1988 during the DPN protest as hurting Gallaudet or Deaf people around the world.
It actually made Gallaudet stronger, Deaf people more empowered throughout the world, and ended up in the selection of the first deaf president of Gallaudet, YOU.
Now, let me tell you what I do agree with. I do agree that “We all have an important role to play.” I do agree that “many of you are as saddened as I am by the current discord on our campus.” I do agree that “we all need to be part of the resolution.” That being said, if you truly believe your own words you will truly LISTEN to what the community is saying. The selection process was FLAWED. The selection of Dr. Fernandes as a result of a flawed process IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Back in 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson said, “The problem is not that the students are deaf, the problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” This was true back in 1988 and it is true today. I guess this means you must be part of the hearing world because you obviously are not hearing what your own Deaf community is saying - staff, faculty, alumni, people of color - and not just Deaf people, but hearing people as well, all standing together against you with one voice screaming “Re-open the search process!” Can’t you “hear” what everyone is saying?
Let me give you some advice on how to end this protest. Back in 1988 you took a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who wanted a Deaf president at Gallaudet. You decided to support the selection of Dr. Zinser because you believed that the next time there was a presidential vacancy you would be a top candidate. A few days later you came to your senses and stated that the students, staff, faculty and the community were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Lo and behold, you became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet. Now, 18 years later, once again you take a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who want to re-open the search committee. You decide to support the selection of Dr. Fernandes because she is your hand-picked successor. Will you please come to your senses again and once again state that the students, staff, faculty and the community are right - it is time to re-open the selection process!
The future of Gallaudet is in YOUR hands. Will you continue to divide and destroy what you have spent the last 18 years creating or will you once again bring joy to the students, staff, faculty and the community and bring us all together again? You know as well as I do that just as in 1988 the demand for a Deaf president was not negotiable, the demand to re-open the search process is not negotiable. In 1988, Dr. Zinser told the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Will you do the same thing today and tell the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they are right, it is time to re-open the search process?
Dr. Angel M. Ramos, Class of 1997
Author, Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle
|
