Open Letter to Pramuk on Amnesty
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Open Letter to Carl Pramuk, Gallaudet Dean of Students, and Hillel Goldberg, Coordinator of Judicial Affairs
From: Tina Jo Breindel <xxx@tmail.com>
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
Hat tip to Brian Riley for the letter.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Open Letter to Carl Pramuk, Gallaudet Dean of Students, and Hillel Goldberg, Coordinator of Judicial Affairs
From: Tina Jo Breindel <xxx@tmail.com>
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
Hat tip to Brian Riley for the letter.
December 14th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
South Africa.. lots of amnesty for people who had hurt each other for years. They granted pardon for them… in return healing process was a huge sucessful. I am hoping for people to grand the pardon to the protesters. Move on. I am waiting. I am still anxiety. 135 people are effecting me so much evn though I am 1,000 miles away. I dont think most of us will forgive the BOTS until 135 people and others are freed from reprisals. Please find in your heart and do it rather than freezing the reprisal.. leaivng them in the air. How about giving them holiday gifts by freeing them? they have future too. thanks.
December 14th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
Very well written, Tina Jo! Thank you! Carl
December 15th, 2006 at 7:54 am
If the amensty does not happen after IKJ’s departure of the campus on December 22nd, it will be on the board’s shoulders, not Dr. Davila. Too bad we don’t get the data about the reprisals, probably we will hear more from the parents of students when they face the board again.
December 15th, 2006 at 8:46 am
I disagree. I think the protesters who broke the rules should be punished. Jesse Jackson, when he protests, he gets sentenced. Others like Al Sharpton get fined or suspended 30 day sentences. Why should the Gallaudet students be exempt from the consequences of their actions?
December 15th, 2006 at 9:43 am
They should not be granted amnesty. They should accept the consequences of their actions. This is not “reprisals” because they are not being punished for what they believe, they are being punished for violating the code of conduct! Why are they trying so so hard to get away with this? I just don’t understand…If you are willing to get arrested and you are willing to be booked and jailed, why are you not willing to be punished by the university? Because there is no glory in that? I’m sorry but this is downright pathetic.
December 15th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Anon and ryani, the problem is that they are being punished way out of proportion to the offense. Why are the paid employees of Gallaudet who committed felonious assautls on students, breaking multiple DC and federal laws in the process, not being held accountable? They sent students to ERs, for goodness sake! Why are they still working, with pay, while the students are in fear, seeing them around on campus?Â
December 15th, 2006 at 10:21 am
Rayni,
The Code of Conduct is *corrupt* and should be considered invalid if it does not allow administrators to take into account heroic and profoundly *moral* actions by the protesters.
–Brian Riley
December 15th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Ah, how do you define “corrupt” and “moral”? What is your “corrupt” may be nothing more than my “playing by the rules.”
December 16th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Well, BoT, the administrators weren’t playing by the rules and that’s the reason why the protest occurred. And they continue to violate the rules to this day