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A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 12:21:47 PM EST
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by TChris

Shouldn't a knowledge of sign language be a job requirement for campus police officers at Gallaudet University?

Students at Gallaudet University remained barricaded inside one of the main campus buildings Friday, protesting the school's presidential selection and what students call a pattern of prejudice at the largely deaf institution.

Students said campus police on Friday morning forced their way into the Hall Memorial Building, shoving and elbowing students and pepper spraying some. The school denied use of pepper spray and said authorities needed to rush in because of a bomb threat, though there turned out to be no bomb.

Ryan Commerson, a student and leader of the protests, said the campus police apparently did not know sign language and could not communicate their concerns to students as they pushed their way in. A lack of knowledge of sign language by those charged with protecting the students has historically caused troubles at the university not far from the U.S. Capitol, but the school has previously said it took steps to address that.

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    A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 01:02:04 PM EST
    That's the same logic as, shouldn't English be required of immigrants..Nice try .. I see you have't corrected the lie...er misrepresentations on this thread either...

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#2)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 01:14:27 PM EST
    I have never understood this about gay republicans. If I were gay, I don't care how much I were "in sync" with "small government philosphy" I couldn't be a part of a party that essentially wanted to relegate me to the back of a dark closet. Have they no self respect? Don't they understand there is no changing of attitudes in a party that campaigns regularly against homosexuals and the "gay agenda" whatever the hell that means? Don't they understand that the Falwells of the world that the GOP regularly sucks up to for votes won't change their position on homosexuals? Look what happened with the Dixiecrats. There was no changing of attitudes (conceding, of course, there have been changes overall in the country since the 65 civil rights act) in the Democratic party. The Dixiecrat wing of the party left and became Republican. If they anti-gay part of the Republican party left to another party, the GOP would be a permanet minority party, leaving the Democratic party as the majority party without adding to its base. Wake up, changing the GOP is not going to happen.

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#6)
    by aw on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 09:43:48 AM EST
    You would think they would have to learn a few signs for emergencies, like "evacuate", for one. It sounds like the administration is none too bright, either.

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    good old molly and her wisdom at party building. screw the south, screw the christians, then wonder why you lose elections. as to the gays, are they required to be monolithic in support of NAMBLA and the right to throw blood in cathedrals to satisfy big tent dems?

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    No, its the same common sense that says police, in fact, most civil servants should know a couple of useful languages. The rub is that this would open jobs to immigrants in preference to native speakers.

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#8)
    by cowboyx on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    No, the logic would only be the same if we had an non-English speaking police force that couldn't communicate with their English speaking town.

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 01:59:46 PM EST
    I'm thinking that was the wrong thread

    Re: A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet (none / 0) (#4)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 01:59:46 PM EST
    anonymous (what, your parents were too poor to give you a name?), what lies on that thread are you refering to? could you be more specific? if an immigrant has a job that requires communication skills, than yes, being able to speak, read and write english should be a basic requirement. again, please identify any instances where TL stated or inferred the opposite. this isn't an unusual event at galludet college, they have a riot there annually, sort of their version of a "homecoming" dance, except they have one of those too. galludet is home to many "radicalized" (for lack of a better term) deaf people. many of whom feel, for reasons i'm not quite clear on, that the hearing world should uniquely accomodate them. these are people who aver that any medical improvements, to help deaf people gain, or regain, hearing, are some kind of plot against them. go figure. cochlear implants are a special target of their ire: they are seen as efforts to undermine the deaf community. again, i'm not real clear on why that is. you'd think they'd be for it. molly, nice post, wrong thread.

    A Failure to Communicate at Gallaudet | 8 comments (8 topical)