"Letter" to Gallaudet Community
October 24, 2006 - 1:38am — RC
Ryan Commerson seeks help. If you support the protest, would you be willing to give up one or two full days to show your support at the front gate, braving the cold?
Update: English translation courtesy of Rayni
Again, another sleepless night here. Its 230am and I have received emails from people in Sac who are pumped up and ready to do something. This is deeply inspiring. I couldn't be there because I am here in my room working on another project. As I have been involved in this protest these past 3 weeks, I have seen an expansion in the number of people who understand the cause of the protest. When I talk with people, I always tell them to research the issues, think about their positions, and ultimately make their own decisions about where they stand. After that, the number of people who have come up to me saying they understand and now support the protest has grown considerably larger. The rallies not a good indication of the number of people who support the protest, everyone has other committments, school, greek organizations and so forth. Some students who support the protest are taking classes with professors who do not, this puts them in a tough spot. some of my teachers support the protest and I do feel fortunate that my department supports the protest but there are still risks that I am taking. Other people are in a different situation. We can't expect everyone to attend the rallies. We do not get updates everyday. Its hard to keep the rallies exciting, you never know when things are going to happen. I understand this. There were rumors that the BOT was coming this weekend, no confirmations. Honestly, those who are protesting everyday are tired, its not fun. Its not a game, its real and its hard. Its hard hard work, they are exhausted, fatigued, mentally emotionally and physicially exhausted. There is alot of work involved. People who support the protest are growing. We don't know how many of gally's 1800 students support the protest, but I have a strong feeling its over 1000. I am wondering if its possible for everyone who supports this protest, to put everything on hold and go out and inform the world how many students are truly involved and support this protest. Its time for everyone who supports this protest from students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators to come out and make this happen. I know there are some administrators out there who are secretly supporting us. This is serious house cleaning, there has been too much degradation, too much corruption. we must do something that will stop this dirty biz. He actually said that deaf people were dumb, the deaf people who use sign languasge. He has been on the bot for 16 years, he said YOU people who use sign language, YOU are dumb. Do we want that kind of attitude on the bot? They still have business relationships with gallaudet, honestly they have to go. Basically i am asking i have been fighting for you for the future, i'm fighting for my bosses i'm fighting for the teachers support services staff even for some administrators i'm fighting for all of you. Can you understand the magnitude of this? Can you say " ok i will show my full unwavering support for this" i want to see 1000 people at the gate tomorrow. can you do this for us, for yourself, for your family, for future generations of deaf children? can you? Show the world that JK is wrong about the number of protestors being small. JK is living in a falsely imagined fairy tale, a dream. She does not understand. She is in denial. I think we need to help her understand. Are you with me? I hope I see over 1000 students and a large number of faculty, staff, alumni and administrators walk out of class, out of their departments, out of their offices. I want you to drop everything you are doing after you see this vlog. Drop your pen, drop your comb, drop whatever you are doing. If you're doing a report, drop it. Stop, get up, and walk out. Go to the front gate. I hope I see you tomorrow...actually, today.
Comments
Hearing parents of deaf
Hearing parents of deaf child wrote about Ryan Commerson was happening.
“I have been reading many of the comments posted on this web site for the past two days. Before I say anything more I have a son who attends MSD. His name is Jonathan. The first thing I have noticed in the past year was an attitude change in him towards me. When I talk to him about his future my suggestions are discarded by him. I couldn’t figure out why or where he had developed this militant attitude toward me. It wasn’t until I saw some of the e-mail he was getting from Ryan Commerson. I told him stay away from Ryan Commerson because he has issues of his own he wants implemented. Normally my son always obeyed what I told him. However, Ryan has instilled in my son that he can do anything. He encourages him to continue to fight to get into the military as a combat soldier. I would like Ryan Commerson to give names of people he knows who are presently serving in the armed services who are deaf. Who should Jon talk to about joining the military? I can say this with confidence Ryan Commerson is a lot of talk with no proof. He went to a deaf school why isn’t he protesting there first? He claims to be a leader, however, look how he has led our students at MSD. He shows them if they don’t get there way to walk out of school which is a violation of state law. Maybe I should attempt to get a warrant for his arrest charging him with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. And if anyone believes that Ryan Commerson did not have anything to do with leading my son, our children out of school, then you are misinformed. He is constantly e-mailing them through their sidekick. He is at the bottom of the walk out. I don’t want a person like him leading my son anywhere. And the question that is before our kids is this; that played the penalty for the walk out? The kids did, while Ryan Commerson stood there and did nothing to encourage the students to go back to class. I would have more respect for Ryan Commerson at that point then I have now. Anyone who would encourage our young adults to break the law and twist the reasons to do that is not a positive influence. My son has been encouraged to use his voice because he was hearing until he was six. He lost his hearing from meningitis. As I understand this ASL only or bi/bi, my son won’t be able to use his voice under this new policy. If that’s the case then maybe I will have to put him in a school that wouldn’t be so restrictive. If I’m wrong in this assumption then correct me. I am proud of my son and how much he has accomplished and has overcome in his short life; however, I am disappointed in him that he would disobey me and disobey the authorities over him when he refused to return to class. He should have shown true leadership by leading his friends back to class instead of following the crowd. Anyone can follow a crowd but it takes courage to stand alone. Ryan Commerson is not standing alone or showing any kind of courage, he is only filling in his unemployed hours”.
I couldn't disagree more
I couldn't disagree more with your viewpoint on Ryan, Have YOU been at the protest have YOU stood there and seen the passion in these students. Yes walking out of class is wrong but not standing up for what you believ in is also just as degrading. Continuing to stay IN class under the same environment instead of fighting the fight, would praise the administraion to stay the same if not increase in immoral and wrong doings by pres or incoming pres. Yes it is easy to follow but there must be some type of leadership decision in your son that would make him decide, "hey , this guy is doing the right thing, maybe ILL influence others by standing adn walking out right along with him".. your viewpoint was very powerful and blunt but you never stopped to think of the other side of things.. If your son wants to join the military you shouldnt need proof of other deaf person's belonging to the militia.. it shouldnt matter you should be encouraging your son that he can overcome any obstacle such as being deaf and that it shouldnt stop him.
Response to Hearing Parent of a Deaf Child
There's one point I wish to clarify here: In an ASL or bilingual/bicultural environment, students are NOT prohibited from using their voices. In fact, if students have the talent or ability to speak, they are encouraged to practice speaking and to use it when necessary. It is when they converse with other Deaf people that voice is not needed; it is simply not viable (and culturally inappropriate) to use voice with people who are Deaf or use ASL. People who are able to speak are free to do so with people who don't know ASL or who don't sign. Along the same vein, speaking and signing at the same time isn't encouraged, because that's two separate languages and modalities - ASL and English, Sign and speech. These two need to be kept separate so to be the most effective in their respective expression. When people attempt to do both at the same time, what usually happens is the signs become butchered, and what is visible ends up a sloppily and butchered bunch of signs thrown together.
Gally's Protest
Hi Protestors.
I wish I could come to D.C. and help with the protest. Money is one that"s keeping me where I am. I fully support the protest. It disgusts me that the Board of Trustees or anyone who disagrees with the protest,think that deaf should not run deaf's university. We have to protect our culture and future for all, I mean allll deafies. I am going to check out Colorado if there is a rally happening and I will feel alot better if I did my part helping. I understand that J.K. is deaf now, but she should not have been a candidate in the first place, because she did not grow up as a deaf person and completely understand deaf like me. If I had brains for running a university. I would be an excellent candidate. I am deaf and proud and come from large deaf family. So I want to say Gallaudet rules and unite!!!
GO GO GO!
I support you fully! I am stuck in Georgia with a job and schooling otherwise I'd be up there sitting at the front gates with the rest of you. I was up there 2 weeks ago, and I have a desire to come up again. My job + schooling will not permit for me to miss any days :( I will try to be up there next month if the protest keeps on. ILY and don't give up, the world needs to see us!
I want to be there. I want
I want to be there. I want to be part of the protest. actually most of US want to be there. WE, MSSDers supports the protest, the fssa, and the whole thing. BUT we are trapped, we are not allowed to be part of it. sadly, what can we do?
Keep up protesting til JK resigns!
KEEP UP PROTESTING TIL JK RESIGNS!
I WISH I'M THERE TO HELP OUT BUT I'M STUCK IN TEXAS! MY SPRINT ARE WITH THEM!
UNITY FOR GALLAUDET
Ryan's heart for Deaf Children...
Ryan's heart is in right place for deaf children and for the sake of our future deaf children...I stand by him and all Gallaudet Protesters and FSSA!!
If anyone critizes Ryan, that is a "crab theory"! We must keep focusing and fighting for our social justice at Gallaudet...
****Hands Waving for RYAN and the team leaders of protestsand everyone who participate in the protest for their hard working - we must keep on fighting until we meet these 2 demands!! ***
For anyone outsiders, please make the sacraife to fly, drive, take train, bike, run, walk to GAlly to give support for FSSA and the protest! You must see with your own eyes at Gally and feel the pluse of the students!! It is totally different from the vblogs, blogs, internet, media...
GO THERE NOW!!! Students need you all there!! UNITY UNITY FOR GALLY!!
Deaf vs Deaf (that got to stop)
Ryan is here to help with whole community, he is not only one who is doing this, there are many other people who is also in his shoe.. He is doing this for current students, and the potentials of future deaf students. Whatever he had done in past, is worthless; whatever he had done as of now is - priceless. I was amazed with those people who spoke badly of him. Those people who actually looked in past, but not for future. Bottom line it is about GALLAUDET UNIVERISTY, NOT MICHIGAN. Gallaudet university is only one place for deaf students, (and of course HUG, CODA, and hearing students). You people should be applauding (wave your hands) to him, and his other protester mates. Instead of talking bad about him. Those all protesters devoted their time worrying about our University, not their past.
Famous quote; "Yesterday is HISTORY, Tomorrow is MYSTERY, Today is GIFT"
Live by this quote....
When Silence Isn't Golden At
When Silence Isn't Golden
At all-deaf Gallaudet University, protesters say the new president isn't part of their cherished culture
All social movements seem to endure that kind of lurching debate over ideological purity. Selma in 1965 gave way to armed Black Panthers marching on the California capitol two years later. The Stonewall riots of 1969--a reaction against years of police brutality--seem quaintly simple compared with the 1989 storming of St. Patrick's Cathedral by AIDS activists. Gallaudet's current protests, which began months ago and have involved blockades and arrests and charges of violence on both sides, aren't Selma; they're Chicago in 1969, the deaf community's Days of Rage.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1549303-1,00.html
Totally agreed with Ryan
Wish I'm there in person at front gate but since I'm in ohio and will be there in spirit. Unity for Gallaudet!
Support Ryan totally
Wish I can be in front of Gallaudet but I'm in Ohio and will be there in spirit! Unity for Gallaudet!
wow!
That was a VERY powerful letter Ryan! I wish I could've been there. I was there in spirit.
Enough!
Enough of Crab Theory! Pick your battles with Ryan privately or another time. There is too much at stake at Gallaudet right now to bicker with past. If you have a personal opinion about Ryan, tell it to him directly. It was not like he killed someone.
Thank you
Get a life
Get a life
Ryan Commerson looks honest
Ryan Commerson looks honest but he hidden mask. In 2005, former substitute teacher, Ryan Commerson, was unethical, having bad influence on the deaf children and joined a hunger strike at Michigan School for the Deaf that would be new bilingual/bicultural(ASL/English) project to get rid of Total communication. Their hearing parents of deaf children became wild annoyed at him because Ryan did encourage some deaf children grow protestors.
Sigh However I think he is
Sigh However I think he is right because many deaf children are controlled by hearing parents or adults. My daughter works as an intepreter and she knows the problems because parents think of themselves not what is the best for their deaf children.
MSD Teacher said "Young
MSD Teacher said "Young people should not be encouraged to break the rules of a school, a state, or a government. We need to be teaching democratic values and how to work within the system. It is so sad that an outsider can come in and create so much chaos. While this is happening, no education, which he says he values, is taking place. He is using kids, manipulating kids, to get what he wants. This is wrong, very wrong. I can't even find the words to tell you how horrendous it is to take advantage of young minds this way, to encourage them to break the rules, to encourage them to miss school, to encourage them to be angry.
I am extremely proud of the young people who chose to attend school. It took more guts to stay in school than it did to protest, in my view.
Young people should enjoy their school years; it should be the best time of their lives. They should be studing learning, playing sports, going to parties and dances, socializing, and having a good time. They should not be pulled into this personal vendetta that one person has against the school. It needs to stop, and if the person, who has created this problem really cares about the children he is coercing into protesting with him, he will stop it, and go through the proper channels. DO NOT USE CHILDREN FOR YOUR OWN CAUSE! IT IS VERY, VERY WRONG TO DO THAT!"
Ryan Commerson
Ryan Commerson needs to get a job and be part of the world of work. He is 30 years old for crying out loud. If he wants to fight the good fight for Gallaudet, he needs to become a member of the Board of Trustees.
Like he did in Michigan, he is creating chaos. I wonder if he will turn and run at Gallaudet like he did in Michigan.
Bullies should never get their way. Jane Fernandes should get her chance to prove herself. Have reviews of her performance every 6 months. Let's see improved statistics for academic excellence, such as graduation rates and entrance requirements. Let's see an overhaul of faculty to get staff who can sign fluently. Where are all the educated Deaf? Why aren't they members of the faculty?
Ryan should just go away.
FLINT — Some 40 Michigan
FLINT — Some 40 Michigan School for the Deaf students walked out of school today to join a protest calling for the removal of the school principal in favor of hiring someone who is deaf.
The students left school at various times around lunchtime to join former MSD substitute teacher Ryan K. Commerson in a protest. Commerson, who is deaf, said he was starting a hunger strike Monday and picketing in front of the school along Miller Road near Hammerberg as part of his protest.
Commerson, a part-time instructor at Mott Community College, wants school leaders to meet a series of demands.
They include hiring a deaf principal, hiring a school administrator with fluency in American Sign Language and training in bilingual education, and having all staff be fluent in American Sign Language. Commerson and students also are calling for a black deaf principal be hired at the Detroit Day School for the Deaf.
“I have had it,” Commerson of Rochester said in an e-mail to the media.
“I cannot tolerate the daily occurrence of language deprivation any longer. Let us all unite and take a stand. No more language deprivation for the deaf children in this state of Michigan. Let us step up for the entire deaf education system in this country. It is past time to feed our starving children.”
Current MSD principal Cecelia Winkler can hear but is fluent in American Sign Language. Winkler taught at the school for about 23 years before becoming principal in 2000.
MSD officials have tried to meet with Commerson, but he canceled a meeting and did not reschedule, said Martin Ackley, spokesmen for the Michigan Department of Education, which runs MSD.
Commerson said he canceled the meeting because the school refused to videotape the session. He said he wanted the meeting taped so he could record his words — he speaks entirely in sign language.
http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/print.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_flintjournalextra/archives/print095315.html
Total communication was good
Total communication was good in theory only.
In practice, Total Communication becomes simultaneous communication (sim-com).
English and ASL can NOT be produced in full at the same time without one language suffering. The user's dominant language will overpower the other language. This is almost always English taking precedence over ASL. I have seen what happens with sim-com time and time again. As the person continues to speak in English, more and more signs are dropped. If we could all hear and our dominant language was English, maybe that would be fine, but since we are deaf, we rely on visual language. It becomes very difficult to figure out the message when significant portions of the message are missing and what _is_ there is presented in English grammatical structure.
Keep English and ASL separate. Just because you think you can sign and speak at the same time, does not mean you are rendering the message clearly. It would be silly to assume we could speak English and write the equivalent Spanish sentence at the same time. One language at a time, please.
If all of what you said is, true, then I congratulate Ryan for encouraging and empowering deaf children to fight for their rights and participate in political issues.
A Late-Deafened Gallaudet Student
"If all of what you said is,
"If all of what you said is, true, then I congratulate Ryan for encouraging and empowering deaf children to fight for their rights and participate in political issues."
Deaf teacher denied sub job
Web-posted Jun 24, 2004
"BLOOMFIELD HILLS - A Rochester Hills filmmaker who supplements his income by substitute teaching contends the Bloomfield Hills School District is unfairly excluding him from the classroom.
Ryan Commerson, 28, has filed a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights alleging that the district denied him opportunities to substitute in general education classrooms simply because he is deaf.
"It had nothing to do with me as a qualified sub teacher, my experience, my degree, my knowledge, what I could contribute, etc.," Commerson said. "It all points to my ears."
District officials argue, however, that Commerson is not able to manage a hearing and speaking classroom without assistance, such as from an American Sign Language interpreter.
The cost of providing this, district officials say, is prohibitive. While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that opportunities be made for qualified employees, it requires only that employers make reasonable accommodations for those who need them."
Over a month of protesting
Over a month of protesting in Gallaudet. I am tired of Protesting, but I know that we all MUST overcome this. See you at Front Gate.
English Translation
Again, another sleepless night here. Its 230am and I have received emails from people in Sac who are pumped up and ready to do something. This is deeply inspiring. I couldn't be there because I am here in my room working on another project. As I have been involved in this protest these past 3 weeks, I have seen an expansion in the number of people who understand the cause of the protest. When I talk with people, I always tell them to research the issues, think about their positions, and ultimately make their own decisions about where they stand. After that, the number of people who have come up to me saying they understand and now support the protest has grown considerably larger. The rallies not a good indication of the number of people who support the protest, everyone has other committments, school, greek organizations and so forth. Some students who support the protest are taking classes with professors who do not, this puts them in a tough spot. some of my teachers support the protest and I do feel fortunate that my department supports the protest but there are still risks that I am taking. Other people are in a different situation. We can't expect everyone to attend the rallies. We do not get updates everyday. Its hard to keep the rallies exciting, you never know when things are going to happen. I understand this. There were rumors that the BOT was coming this weekend, no confirmations. Honestly, those who are protesting everyday are tired, its not fun. Its not a game, its real and its hard. Its hard hard work, they are exhausted, fatigued, mentally emotionally and physicially exhausted. There is alot of work involved. People who support the protest are growing. We don't know how many of gally's 1800 students support the protest, but I have a strong feeling its over 1000. I am wondering if its possible for everyone who supports this protest, to put everything on hold and go out and inform the world how many students are truly involved and support this protest. Its time for everyone who supports this protest from students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators to come out and make this happen. I know there are some administrators out there who are secretly supporting us. This is serious house cleaning, there has been too much degradation, too much corruption. we must do something that will stop this dirty biz. He actually said that deaf people were dumb, the deaf people who use sign languasge. He has been on the bot for 16 years, he said YOU people who use sign language, YOU are dumb. Do we want that kind of attitude on the bot? They still have business relationships with gallaudet, honestly they have to go. Basically i am asking i have been fighting for you for the future, i'm fighting for my bosses i'm fighting for the teachers support services staff even for some administrators i'm fighting for all of you. Can you understand the magnitude of this? Can you say " ok i will show my full unwavering support for this" i want to see 1000 people at the gate tomorrow. can you do this for us, for yourself, for your family, for future generations of deaf children? can you? Show the world that JK is wrong about the number of protestors being small. JK is living in a falsely imagined fairy tale, a dream. She does not understand. She is in denial. I think we need to help her understand. Are you with me? I hope I see over 1000 students and a large number of faculty, staff, alumni and administrators walk out of class, out of their departments, out of their offices. I want you to drop everything you are doing after you see this vlog. Drop your pen, drop your comb, drop whatever you are doing. If you're doing a report, drop it. Stop, get up, and walk out. Go to the front gate. I hope I see you tomorrow...actually, today.
Support
I am in full support of the protests at Gallaudet and only wish that I could get there to sit the gates. Unfortunately, I am a full time student in North Carolina so that most that I can offer the cause is to educate my campus on the issues that the protestors are making and blog my views on my blog. I want you to know that your protests are having an affect on students with disabilities at Meredith College, my college. We are no longer quiet about the audism and ableism that we face daily and we are openly speaking our minds and confronting senior management about our issues. You helped us find our voices and we thank you. Unity for Gallaudet.
Come on folks...
There is an old saying:
"There is POWER in numbers"
just food for thought.....
Written translation?
Hi,
I support the protest. I came down for a graduate school open house (10/13) but ofcourse school was CLOSED. The administration failed to contact me, but I am sure glad to have spent the weekend at Gallaudet. I was quite lost (orally deaf - BTE hearing aids) as far as the speech made by jordan before the arrest.
I am trying to learn asl and was wondering if you had a written translation of what is said in this video. Let me know ... thanks a lot! my email is scarmu@yahoo.com