Jamie Clark Responds To Jane Norman’s Letter
> My colleagues,
>
> In an effort to clear up any possible misunderstanding, I want to say I
> am recovering from a serious injury to my leg which took place during
> the Oct. 5th Washburn naming of the Linda K. Jordan Art Gallery.
I am sorry to hear that you gotten hurt. Hope you are recovering nicely
and get back on two feet like before.
> I am a strong supporter of Gallaudet University and Jane Fernandes. Make
> no mistake about that.
>
> Being laid up for two weeks has given me the opportunity to think about
> everything thoroughly and clearly. If anything, my support for Dr. Jane
> Fernandes, President-Designate, is stronger than ever.
I respect your opinion. However did you read what Jane has said in the
public? In my (as well many of sane person’s) opinion, I see Jane’s
public comments being “anti-leadership” which is worse than no leadership.
Too much disinformation, too much “Me, Me, Me”.
Bottom line, if I am in JK’s shoes, I would said lot differently in the
public that is more on “leadership” qualities. If I still don’t get
support despite my best effort, then I will resign in grace and respect of
my followers. Which shoes do you personally would honestly prefer to use?
JK’s or mine?
> Dissenters have said over and over that they were not heard. Believe me,
> you’ve been heard. The fact is that the BoT did not agree with you. My
> belief is that you have been heard. It’s just that you don’t agree with
> the response you get, and then you come back with “we haven’t been
> heard.”
Since all outside communications must go through President’s Office, it is
obviously that IKJ’s office is controlling the information flow to the BOT
making BOT out of touch with the reality. Then BOT make decision that
would be out of touch with reality as well. Their vote on JK is great
example of BOT being out of touch with reality.
If BOT have full access to the outside communication that President’s
office cannot control, then BOT would be more in touch with realities on
the campus and I bet my farm that BOT would not pick JK in the first place
by a country mile.
That is because I can imagine if I am BOT member, I would have talked with
people on campus, feeling their pulse. Talk with Gally’s stakeholders and
so forth. Then I knew I would not pick/vote JK for sure. I believe I am
sane person and I know that if I am BOT member, my job is to represent the
Gally community the best I can so I have to serve the best interest of
Gally community and deaf community at large. Other sane BOT members would
do the same thing as mine (as long each member’s agenda is best interest
of Gally’s stakeholders)
In short, in perfect world, I would not vote JK by a country mile.
Leadership is JK’s biggest gripes.
> Management by intimidationÿÿ is a term used loosely and widely by the
> dissenters. More accurately, this is a ÿÿprotest by intimidation.ÿÿ I
> see in the media gates being blocked, access to education denied, people
> being bashed, careers and life work threatened, children crying,
> international students worried about immigration regulations that
> restrict their time in the United States to complete their studies, and
> more.
I started working in Gally as staff since last June working in ITS’s
Networking Group.
I had chance to talk with many staff on the campus for past 4 months.
Especially the deaf staff (Hearing staff do have similar concerns).
I heard their concerns and opinion. I asked them why did they go ahead
speak out in the public of their honest opinion and concerns and they said
to me that they are afraid of getting fired, de-promoted and other
negative consequences. Most of them said to me that they really love
Gally very much, their heart is very much in Gally. Gally is their world
and they dearly love their world. They love their jobs. But they said to
me that they prefer to keep their mouth shut (and their hands tied up) and
just collect paycheck and move on as they are really scared of losing
their jobs when they decide to try to speak out their honest
opinion/concerns.
What do you call this?
Is this a climate of employment that Gally wants the staff to have?
Who put the climate of FEAR/OPPRESSION in Gallaudet’s staff employment?
It starts at top which is IKJ’s admin. I talked with staff and fac who
have first hand experience working with JK and JK is same thing as IKJ.
That is, they like to put climate of fear in their employment to control
them as they are control freaks.
It is easy for me to say my honest opinion/concerns in public because I
believe it is right thing to do. Everyone has full freedom of expression
and it really helps make the world much better place to live. For me, I
much prefer to be able to express my honest/non-baised opinion in public
and getting fired THAN being oppressed and not getting fired. That is me
as if I got fired for exercise my freedom of expression, I can always live
in a tent in Gally’s Tent City and get foods from wonderful FSSA
supporters allover the world. But seriously, everyone has mortgage to pay
and putting food on the dinner table and bills to pay.
We all know that we don’t want FEAR/OPPRESSION in our working climate as
we want to enjoy our work/life and same time we want to be able to use
freedom of expression to the fullest. We all know that working
environment that is free of fear/oppression is far much more productive
and rewarding than working environment that is full of fear/oppression.
We all know a really wonderful person and businessman named Jim Macfadden.
I look up to him big time as he was my mentor while I was running my
company ClarkNet. I have not meet Jim’s employees but I am sure Jim
encourage freedom of expression to the fullest in his company and I am
sure he has open door policy where any employee can walk in his office and
express his/her concerns etc… I bet if you go into Jim’s company, you
don’t see any fear and oppression at all, yes there is pressure of
competition which is normal in this dog-eat-dog world of business but it
is very important that all employees have full freedom of expression for
positive working climate of happy and productive employees. Great and
positive working conditions is how company having a competitive advantage
over their competitors. That is key difference between the companies.
So finding a person like Jim Macfadden to lead the Gally and getting rid
of oppressive conditions in workplace will be the greatest thing ever
happened to the Gally and it’s stakeholders. By having a workplace that
is free of fear and oppression will generate much greater productivity and
much more enjoyment which is greater benefit to our #1 stakeholders, the
students. Wonderful working conditions breeds more productivity and
enjoyment which benefits everyone on the campus, especially our students.
In short, what I have seen with my own eyes is that both IKJ and JK do
practice MBI quite heavily. We need new leader the likes of Jim Macfadden
who can remove MBI practices completely in Gally and make Gally the best
place to work and that feeds positively to our #1 stakeholders the
students!
18 years of suffering under IKJ is way too long and we do not want another
IKJ in form of JK (JK’s public comments ruined her anyway). JK is like
Mini Me of IKJ.
> You say you are committed to social justice. I challenge you to prove
> it. Let us be mature individuals and reasonable in working with
> everyone, including Dr. Jane Fernandes, toward making Gallaudet for all.
>
> I look forward to regaining my full strength so I can stand by Dr. Jane
> Fernandes’ side.
>
> Thank you for reading this letter and allowing me to express my views.
>
> God bless Gallaudet and peace to all,
I don’t know what kind of agenda do you have?
How can we work with JF after all what she has done to us over many years?
Some things never change and JK is one of them.
To me JK stands fully opposite of everything what Gally stands for.
We will continue to protest until JK is out of picture because majority of
stakeholders believe it is right thing to do.
> Jane Norman, PhD
> Professor, Communication Studies
> Gallaudet University
Jamie Clark
Network Manager
ITS Networking Group
Gallaudet University
GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
Reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
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Mishka Zena is reporting on the Gallaudet University Protests.
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Good job! Jamie, I agree. I believe in speaking out for truth and liberty!
We do not need that kind of oppression at Gallaudet. They have to go!
“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…”
With these simple words, America’s Founding Fathers sought to create a land in which citizens could speak and write without fear of reprisal.
Now it’s your turn to advance the cause of free speech.
The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation encourages local radio and television stations and communities across the country to commemorate 2nd annual National Freedom of Speech Week from October 16-20, 2006.
Each year, the third full week of October will be designated as
a time when all Americans can celebrate this fundamental freedom.
Jamie,
Jane Norman is a respected leader at Gallaudet, the institution which you seek to protect. Is it your intention to cast aside and draw dispersions on any and all that disagrees with yours? To claim as irrelevant people have worked their entire adult lives to improve the university based upon your short four-month tenure, hearsay, hate mongering and personal attacks?
Please enlighten me with examples of how your First Amendment Rights have been trampled upon. It would seem that it is you and those of your ilk who seek to minimize the opinions of dissenting voices. To the table, is that your intention Jamie?
Possibly the agenda of some is peace, harmony and change through communication and not desecration.
You ask that Dr Fernandes resign in “grace”. How could she resign in anything but disgrace after the personal NOT PROFESSIONAL attacks she has endured. What grace is there in your words and actions? I submit that the ugliness perpatrated upon Gallaudet and Deaf culture by irresponsible verbal attacks such as yours are cause for disgrace. Imagine her your sister, because she is your sister.
You speak of an oppression and fear to which people at Gallaudet were subjected. Now you force Fernandes to work in such and environment. Everyday she faces a protest in her name. Everyday she faces unending personal attacks. She is only human. How much would you care to endure? You have now become no better than those you say you oppose.
Whether JFK comes or goes is of no concerns of mine, but the truth and human kindness are. I humbly suggest you refrain from further unsubstantiated and wild commentary. It is more worthy of Joseph Goebbels, than an employee of Gallaudet.
Stand up for a better cause Jamie, one of humanity.
Bill McDonald (I do not hide behind anonymity)
Well, if Fernandes hadn’t practiced systematic intimidation and oppression, she wouldn’t be in this position where people cry for her resignation.
The old adage” one reaps what one sows” comes to my mind.
Amen!
The protest against both JKF and IKJ who are Deaf and well educated is so embarrassing that I often covered my eyes from shame as it was shown in the media.
DEAR DR. JANE NORMAN AND BILL MCDONALD,
I AGREE THAT SOME THINGS APPEAR AS IF THEY HAVE GONE OVER ABOARD. ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER IS LEADING ALL OF US UPWARD TOWARDS A DANGEROUS POINT. I DON’T KNOW IF WE CAN CALM THINGS DOWN UNTIL AFTER THE CHAOS REACHES A CLIMAX. OF COURSE ONE OF US WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AND I HOPE IT DOESN’T HAPPEN.
ANYWAY TO MY POINT, IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AT GALLAUDET, THEN WHY ALL THOSE YEARS DID JANE AS A PROVOST ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN. FRANKLY, I SEE THREE THINGS. FIRST GALLAUDET HAS BECAME A LOSER OVER THE YEARS AS OUR DEAF WORLD CHANGES, LESS STUDENTS ENROLL AND ALSO THERE IS SOMETHING SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE QUALITY OF STUDENTS ENROLLED. SECONDLY, SOME OF THE PROFESSORS AND STAFF ON CAMPUS ARE SUBJECTS OF QUESTIONS. I DON’T THINK VERY MANY ARE QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS. THIRD, THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF INVESTMENTS ON NEW BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS, WHEN I THINK MORE GRANTS COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR RESEARCH. THERE’S PLENTY OF FIELDS THAT NEEDS RESEARCH TO ENCOURAGE NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR DEAF CULTURE.
WHY THOSE NEW BUILDINGS, WHY THOSE PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON THE WEAKNESS OF DEAF PEOPLE. WHY DIDN’T GALLAUDET INVEST ON THE STRENGTH OF DEAF PEOPLE. SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!
FINALLY ASK YOURSELF WHAT FURTHER DIVIDED DEAF PEOPLE ON CAMPUS AND IN THE DEAF WORLD? WHY IS GALLAUDET SHINKING IN ENROLLMENT AND WHERE ARE THE LOST DEAF PEOPLE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? I AM SURE YOU WILL FIND YOUR ANSWERS ALL AROUND JKF’S EARLY LEADERSHIP AT GALLAUDET.
I AM COMING TO D.C. THIS WEEKEND TO SHOW MY SUPPORT.
We don’t need a clone of IJK, we need a new leader. There’s plenty of other qualified Deaf leaders.
WFD is becoming stronger than before.
Deaflympics gain more recongization than before
Pen International is promoting international exchanges and relationships.
I don’t think Gallaudet is as competitive as those three.
Somebody,
I do not suport either side in this issue. My comments focus strictly on the process and trying to do what I can to help it remain civil.