Letter from the Mayor of Rochester Tent City

October 22, 2006

 Dear Friends of the Rochester Tent City:

 
I thank you all for coming to the rally in support of the Gallaudet University Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni Coalition (GUFSSA) at the Rochester Recreation Club for the Deaf (RRCD) on October 20^th, 2006.  The atmosphere in the clubroom was electrifying.  Also, I am delighted to inform you that we have collected $738, including $200 from the Rochester School for the Deaf Alumni Association (RSDAA), from this event. 

 For those who wanted to come, but were unable to do so, here is a brief summary of what had happened.  The rally began with some opening remarks by Steven DeBottis, President of RRCD.  I then explained the format of the rally, thanked those who had made this event possible, and made a few important announcements.   Next, brief presentations by various individuals from our area were delivered.  Finally, questions and answers among ourselves about the Gallaudet protests were exchanged.  Richard J. McCollough, a producer/director/videographer of Mirusmedia and a part-time weatherperson for WHAM-13, came to cover a portion of our rally.  Richard and his assistant Waris also shared their experiences of covering the student protest at Gallaudet University last week. 

 At the conclusion of the program, several individuals approached me.  They saw the need for follow-ups.  I agree with their observations.  There should be future public meetings and programs devoted to the issues pertaining to the Gallaudet protests.    To this end, I have asked Randal Kidd, the webmaster of our website (http://rochesterfssa.wordpress.com/), to add special features to allow for our community to organize/have online and face-to-face discussions.

 I met remarkable individuals throughout the evening.  Their personal anecdotes of oppression are real eye-openers.  Each and every one of us has a story to tell.  I have been approached by an experienced user of vlogs who offers her services to anyone wishing to share his/her story with the world through this website.  I hope you will consider this wonderful opportunity.  More details will be forthcoming.  Also, due to popular demand by our community, creative expressions in ASL about the protests have been added to our website.  

In the www.9thprez.com website, Eileen Paul, co-founder of Deafpride, Inc. wrote:

This protest seems to be generating negativity and a sort of crowd mentality that does not allow for critique or differences of opinion. In this sense, while it appears to be about empowerment, it may actually be disempowering, driven by a very short-range definition of purpose.

Quite frankly, I honestly do not understand how this writer can make such a huge claim.  Paul argues that we have not had opportunities to analyze and discuss the selection of Gallaudet’s 9^th president.  Eh?  We have been doing so since last May.  We did it last Friday.  How about the other tent cities that have had their public assemblies?  The proponents of Gallaudet’s 9^th president are basically telling us, “Stop complaining.  Give us a chance.  We have special plans for your future, but will not tell you what they are because you would not understand.”  Heck, their arguments do not really matter anymore because yesterday, over 4,000 people marched to the US capitol, with the supporters of 68 tent cities across the country and the globe watching.  The numbers are showing that we are on the verge of a hard-earned victory. 

At Gallaudet University, our young men and women with their friends have donated thousands of hours since May 2006 for advocating for our inalienable rights.  They are now in need of funds to obtain professional services to continue their fight against social injustice that is widespread at Gallaudet.   Your financial help will be used to support the GUFSSA and especially those in the first line of defense.  I urge other area organizations to seriously consider offering financial help.  If you have waited, now is the time to make your donation.  Donations can be made through PayPal by going to www.paypal.com and logging in with your email address and paying directly to donate@gufssa.com.  If you prefer to pay by check or money order, then make it payable to “Friends of Tent City” and mail it to the following address:

PO Box 560
Middletown, MD 21769

 Please be reminded that there will be a 24-hour Tent City-NTID rally by a group of students in front of the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) building tomorrow.  Join the students and/or stop by to show your support.

 Thank you for your ongoing support for the GUFSSA.  Unity for Gallaudet!  

 
Pamela Conley

Mayor of Rochester-for-FSSA Tent City