Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The Anarchy of Gallaudet

The WashPo reports students at Gallaudet University have taken:

over the main administrative building on campus overnight, chaining the doors and saying that school officials cannot enter until they are more responsive to the on-going campus unrest
"More responsive" means un-hiring Jane Fernandes, the incoming president.

I still don't get this. The student reaction seems dissproportionate to the alleged and vague offenses of Fernandes:

Protesters say the selection process was flawed and call the incoming president aloof, ineffective and insensitive to their needs. Fernandes so far has refused to give up her appointment, and accuses her critics of faulting her for valuing both deaf and hearing cultures.


In addition, the protestors appear to be upset that they aren't being paid attention to (absent the national media coverage, of course):

Plummer, a 25-year-old junior, said protesters are frustrated that neither Fernandes nor Jordan has approached several students who are staging a hunger strike in a tent by the main campus gate, to "find out what's going on."

The Post points out that University health officials have been routinely visiting the hunger strikers.

Seems like the protest is becoming about the protest.

The president of the University of Illinois when I was there was a WWII Vet -- in fact had served on the staff of Gen. George S. Patton. I doubt very much he was all that sensitive to the needs of a shy, rural kid struggling with deep questions about religion and sexuality.

If the protestors want their actions to have meaning beyond themselves, they need to articulate it. Otherwise their protest looks like a temper tantrum that is not serving any purpose.

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