My beloved school had her heart ripped out by the fascist ignoramouses called Jordan and Fernades last friday. If you aren't able to read the papers here in Washington DC, the last official count of all the arrests were 167 angry and betrayed students and faculty. These arrests came when Jordan said that negotiations had fallen through and the final thing he could think of doing was arresting his own people. TRAITOR! I saw the screaming, I saw the heartache that permeated that night. It was reminscent of the Gestapo hauling away Jews undercover so the rest of the world wouldn't know until the next day.

I was NOT one of the many who were brave and were arrested by the Police on the 6th street side. I had my future I had to weigh in consideration of getting jobs at the FBI or the Department of Justice. I couldn't have any scratches on my criminal record. But, that doesn't mean I didn't hold the front gate against the MPD.I was there all night with 25-30 other students who held the last bastion of Gallaudet. IF the cops had broken in the front gate, then Gally would have fallen and the protest would have been lost. We at the front gate KNEW we were the last chance for many of the protesters and Gally herself. It's intimidating to look at the MPD from across nothing more than a Yellow Hemp rope and know that at any time it could become the ugliest scene since Kent State. I was heartbroken knowing that the home I love, is no longer the home I can be at anymore. Those protestors knew the price they would pay for doing what their conscience dictated. But, they faced it with a courage that the media will never see. There was pride that still gives me a chill everytime I think about it.

Will I ever regret being a part of this "last stand at Gallaudet"? Absolutely NOT! IF Gally falls, so does Deaf culture, ASL, and the great and amazing strides Deaf have made in "mainstream society" will be set back hundreds of years and I worry about living once again as a third tier citizen with not even basic human rights vs those who are auditorially benefitted and can function in a society of sound.

I am PROUD to be a Deaf citizen of the United States of America. I am proud to be educated, I am proud of those individuals who followed Patrick Henry's very profound statement "GIve me Liberty or Give ME Death!" I'm not saying that will happen, but it's a fear among us at the ground that someone will have to get seriously hurt or even killed before the Administration steps down after realizing they have blood on their hands.

Those who are reading this, Please pray for peace! We DON'T want to get hurt, We don't want to see Gally be betrayed by the very man whose protest in 1988 changed Civil Rights for Deaf people and put him in power. He out of all people should know how we feel.

I will blog every couple of days. Right now the Alumni have taken over and running the protest. Gally was opened today for school, but a lot of students decided not to go to class. We WILL fight until this is resolved.

For more infomation please visit these websites

www.GUFSSA.com

www.Scallionstallion.com

www.deafworld.com

if you want the Administrations PR "Spin"

www.gallaudet.edu

washington post has been doing a good job covering this

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/15/AR2006101500631.html

UNITY FOR GALLAUDET!