Everything to say about nothing... here's the paper I got a 100 on
Shannon O’Dowd
ASL 1. Hull, Melody. TR.
Deaf Prez Now!
Deaf president now! Never has a silent cry so echoed so long in my head, as when I heard the silent cry of Gallaudet University. It was impossible to not be moved. While the cries of protest were, in reality extremely vocal, the message they carried was one of resounding silence. The university is the top school for the deaf and the frequently called the equivalent of a deaf Mecca (or holy place). In the previous 124 years, Gallaudet has been a university that has been run by an entirely hearing population, despite this, it remained the premier center for deaf education in the US, and many would contend the world.
The primary reason that the deaf president now campaign was of such importance to the world of both hearing and deaf alike; was that it was more about the right of American citizens to lead their community regardless of their ‘disabilities’. In a society that values equal rights as one of its founding principles, the choice of a hearing president for a deaf university, was as appalling as the election of a dog to congress. It seemed no matter how many times the deaf community proved itself to be capable of managing its own affairs; the ‘Helen Keller mentality’ remained. It was as if the board of trustees at Gallaudet had said to the student body that “An education from Gallaudet will take you far in life and teach you to be fully independent… as long as no one rearranges the furniture.” That mentality of helplessness is was to blame for the students’ lack of will to end their protest and compromise.
In conclusion, I believe that the deaf president now movement, will be traced back to being one of the most important non-congressional acts of the civil rights movement ever. I know these words are strange to hear, but all of the great moments in American civil rights over the years have some how involved an act of congress. The deaf president now campaign was one of the few civil rights movements to ever succeed solely based upon the will of the American people. The racial and gender movements of the 60’s while successful took more than the will of the people to become a reality, they took acts of congress. Race and gender still are among the most often overlooked rights in America, despite constitutional backing. Though the deaf community still has far to travel before it is free of the burdens of historical ignorance, the deaf president now campaign promises a bright future for the deaf of the world.
ASL 1. Hull, Melody. TR.
Deaf Prez Now!
Deaf president now! Never has a silent cry so echoed so long in my head, as when I heard the silent cry of Gallaudet University. It was impossible to not be moved. While the cries of protest were, in reality extremely vocal, the message they carried was one of resounding silence. The university is the top school for the deaf and the frequently called the equivalent of a deaf Mecca (or holy place). In the previous 124 years, Gallaudet has been a university that has been run by an entirely hearing population, despite this, it remained the premier center for deaf education in the US, and many would contend the world.
The primary reason that the deaf president now campaign was of such importance to the world of both hearing and deaf alike; was that it was more about the right of American citizens to lead their community regardless of their ‘disabilities’. In a society that values equal rights as one of its founding principles, the choice of a hearing president for a deaf university, was as appalling as the election of a dog to congress. It seemed no matter how many times the deaf community proved itself to be capable of managing its own affairs; the ‘Helen Keller mentality’ remained. It was as if the board of trustees at Gallaudet had said to the student body that “An education from Gallaudet will take you far in life and teach you to be fully independent… as long as no one rearranges the furniture.” That mentality of helplessness is was to blame for the students’ lack of will to end their protest and compromise.
In conclusion, I believe that the deaf president now movement, will be traced back to being one of the most important non-congressional acts of the civil rights movement ever. I know these words are strange to hear, but all of the great moments in American civil rights over the years have some how involved an act of congress. The deaf president now campaign was one of the few civil rights movements to ever succeed solely based upon the will of the American people. The racial and gender movements of the 60’s while successful took more than the will of the people to become a reality, they took acts of congress. Race and gender still are among the most often overlooked rights in America, despite constitutional backing. Though the deaf community still has far to travel before it is free of the burdens of historical ignorance, the deaf president now campaign promises a bright future for the deaf of the world.
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