Mishka Zena

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The NTID community has set up tent city in front of LBJ in regards of
the protest and tent city at Gallaudet University. 

I spoke with Mich Gerson and she is begging for all of our support to
come out there this week to talk about the issues with the protest at
Gallaudet, to hang, meet new people, cook delicious BBQ (there is a
grill available), or make hot chocolate with marshmallows. Bring tents
to sleep overnight or please bring them to lend to others so they can
sleep in them too. The more tents, people, awareness, and support we
have, the more we can help encourage the board and the president, I.
King Jordan (and future president Jane Fernades) listen to us. 

Listen, I know it is very cold, but look the people in DC have been
sleeping in tents all week, they are tired and not giving up at all. It
is even cold in DC at night time. You have to actually wear coats, hats
and gloves there at night time..no kidding! Students have missed
classes, work, sport games, etc. Athletes have even risked losing their
ability to be involved in sports that they really love to just get
arrested. The Student Government President even got arrested too.
Several faculty members got arrested. Jordan and Fernades imposed
physical action on us by calling the DC police to demand them to arrest
us while we were just giving a PEACEFUL PROTEST. THAT WAS A VERY BAD
JUDGEMENT CALL.

They have refused to go to classes. If they go to classes, they are
basically giving up and allowing their opponents to win by allowing
things to go back to normal and the protest will fade away….so they
have no other choice. Alumni, friends, and parents have flew from
various of states including Hawaii, Denmark, California, Florida etc to
back up students. Alumni, friends, and parents have missed
work/paychecks, classes at other schools, and things in their lives have
been put on hold for this special situation. Faculty staff members have
even protested too and they are taking the risk in losing their jobs.
They all are dealing with this very emotionally. It is not easy for
them. At first I thought this protest was such crap and ridiculous, but
then I visited DC two weekends in a row, it really hit me hard and I
realized that…..its not what you all really think it is until you have
seen it with your own eyes in person. 

So we really need this tent city to grow larger to grow stronger
support. Their president Jane F. And the board members STILL refuse to
listen to students, faculty, parents and alumni who are still fighting
hard for our rights to a better president! There are people who have
been and still are starving themselves to death for more than 8 days to
make King and Fernades wake up and realize how serious this is. They
KNOW all about this by the media. Well, guess what? Jane doesn’t care!
King does not care! The board members don’t care too! They’re laughing
at us. They won’t come out and discuss anything further with us. They
are hiding from us, and are hoping that we will just give up. HECK NO!
We had a march to the capitol on Saturday morning. Amazingly, about
4,000 people went. Wow. The residents of DC have showed their amazing
support too. Hell, even the DC police understand how we feel too!
They’ve suffered oppression themselves too (the minority groups like
black cops). 

Think…this is not just for fighting for Gallaudet, it is also for
fighting for our rights to equality against people who oppress us.

Want to know more about this? Come to the tent city in front of LBJ. I
have faith in the NTID community and that you all will come. Some people
are sleeping in the tents tonight, so let’s give them some praise.

Lets show them that we won’t accept oppression on deaf people anymore!!!
GALLAUDET NEEDS RIT’s HELP and they would do the same if we were going
through the same thing at RIT.

It is ENOUGH. 
UNITY FOR GALLAUDET NOW. 

Catie Purrazzella

P.s. Fwd to other ppl, spread the damn word faster