IKJ's Letter to Alumni Rejected

In a dizzying tumble of words about campus protest that has left the Gallaudet University community little uncovered. IKJ has something new to say about JKF. He does not rationalize, analyze, cheerlead or scold, but presents simply one more lie too many. By writing as purely from the heart as he does, IKJ places a simple order that we must accept JKF.

IKJ presents neither an argument for JKF’s superiority nor her lack, but creates merely a case for labeling FSSA as a group of dissenters he sees as inherent to the Gallaudet University community the American society has negatively labeled as “those who cannot help themselves.” In fact, it is ASL which gives Deaf people their potency—if only they were to know it. IKJ speaks of dissenters being misfit, of finding their faults in the building takeover, but not from the assimilatory “peaceful resolution” posture espoused by many alumni. Pleading tolerance and justice is one thing, striving to create a new mythic “all languages and modes of communication” paradigm that JKF has vehemently touted in which we could hardly comprehend is another.

Blogs and v-logs about Gallaudet University from numerous respectful alumni across the nation and around the world did not just come into being, but have had a long and interesting development. They can be said to be the product of political, social, language and cultural oppressions of many years. The role played by the IKJ Administration in forming today’s grievance is responsible for the fact that it is referred to us the Deaf as the oppressed.

A consequence of superimposing “all languages and modes of communication” on our language and culture is seen in the oppression that continues to happen at Gallaudet University in the near future. We the Deaf are accustomed to the fact that a person who is oppressed cannot be a dissenter. He or she is an activist.

I cannot speak for all alumni but I can reject your plea. JKF must begone.