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Open Letter to Carl Pramuk, Gallaudet Dean of Students, and Hillel Goldberg, Coordinator of Judicial Affairs

From: Tina Jo Breindel
To: carl.pramuk@gallaudet.edu
CC: hillel.goldberg@gallaudet.edu
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2006 23:35:48 -0800
Subject: Pardon me. . .

Hey Carl~

I want to take the time to compose this e-mail as I know you personally years back, during the days when we had an intense feeling of obligation towards Gallaudet. I am sending Hillel a copy of this email as I am seeing your name here and there on Gallaudet communications. It prompts me to drop you a line or two.

Gosh, so much time has gone by, and now I see how far you’ve grown to be *the* Dean of Student Affairs. And Hillel, you are back in D.C. dealing with the Judicial Affairs of Gallaudet. Such incredible milestones! May I extend an overdue expression of praise to you in your desire to stick around Gallaudet. You show commitment and an impressive love for this community like the rest of us!

To be truthful, I feel bad, more than ever, reading about you being in the middle of the outcry involving the biggest and most profound issues regarding those protesters who are connected to the mass of the Gallaudet population.

Here is this great metaphor to take into consideration: The elephants fight, but it is the soil that suffers the most. Gallaudet is hurting; and I am among the others who are in pain watching from the sidelines. I do not like to see what is happening

I know your heart is in right place, but can’t we have you put your mind to believe the Gallaudet protests were just about organizing to represent concerns, especially after being disregarded by the Board and Gallaudet authorities countless times? I speak about the fact that this represents a very phenomenal movement of the system of democracy working from the grassroots, restoring justice in what nearly everyone realized was a major faux pas–the appointment Dr. Fernandes as the Ninth President of Gallaudet.

Gallaudet needs to respect students who are exercising their right of freedom to assemble, freedom to appeal and petition for redress of their grievances, let alone the grievances of the staff members, faculty, alumni and parents who could not be there physically.

What those who supported the protest wanted was to see that the right person, a leader who can guide us at the helm of Gallaudet upon which you and I, in the past, counted on for opportunities. Gallaudet continues to act as the mecca of the American Deaf community. You and I are the living proof of it.

As you are very much involved in the process involving the question of reprisals, please find room in your heart so that the Gallaudet community shall heal, and Gallaudet will be able to move forward as you resolve the issue of retaliation from ill-fated actions during the recent protest. A pretty please. We have indicated that this a lesson in “listening” to our deaf warriors who cared about the very foundation that Gallaudet stood upon all these years.

Look at how the Parents United for Gallaudet (PUG) are requesting amnesty for their children. I agree 100% that the Gallaudet protesters blazed a trail for Deaf America, and it is important to pardon those who stood up for their rights by acting out in the protest.

In closing, the title of my email, “Pardon me” now turned into a plea to “Pardon them, the protestors.” I hope you can support the original call for no reprisals.

All the best,
Tina Jo

CC: Hillel Goldberg

Postscript: (Sunday, Dec 3, 2006)

On a second thought, I should have avoided “pardon” as a concept, as I did in my recent note to you.
One has to be guilty before one gets pardoned. I realize I did not mean to go there, as I am not sure anyone is guilty. The concept of “amnesty” is better. “Amnesty” means that during a certain period actions that normally would be outside the social contract and be a justified cause for punishment are not going to be judged.

This is different than judging and then pardoning. Reconciliation is often served more by amnesty than by pardons. If judgments have to be made, then pardons can be useful, but often for me I find it best not to judge.
Let me take that back. I hope you will see to it that the students receive amnesty and be allowed to resume where they left off.

This will make a great way to start the holidays in good spirits!

~Tina Jo

CC:
Parents Unite for Gallaudet
Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni Coalition

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