Re: [wc] back to Gallaudet

[Hannah Robinson]

Sigh, I meant to respond in a less harsh way.  Let me apologize for sending that off in anger and try to clarify further. I am sorry, you merit more of a response than that swipe.

So to clarify: I think we can agree that, for the most part, opinions held by people not directly involved with Gallaudet or the deaf community are irrelevant.  My point was that your irrelevant opinion, rooted in your own admitted ignorance of the subject, has no value to the discussion because there is no logic beyond your own instinctive response to it. 

Asking a question is great.  Saying "It seems to me that they're overreacting, but what do I know?" is okay.  Sticking your fingers in your ears every time someone says, "Ellen, I think your wrong," is immature.

Listen, I have lots of opinions, too.  Some of them are well-founded, some of them aren't.  I struggle too with Know-It-All Syndrome and with intellectual stubbornness.  I have spent most of my adult life learning to back off of untenable positions when people with greater claim to knowledge challenge them.  I'm not always successful.  Frequently, I am full of shit.  But I KNOW I'm full of shit.   I KNOW this is my problem.  I don't think you recognize that you have the same one.

Again, allow me to apologize.  It was wrong to send that message, and it certainly did not contribute to the discussion.  You, and the group, desrve better.

On 10/20/06, Ellen < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Of COURSE my opinion has no bearing on what happens at Gallaudet. I
never said it did. What I think is irrelevant to what ultimately
happens there. That doesn't change the fact that I'm entitled to an
opinion, and in addition my opinion jives with about 80% of the
people who posted to the chat with the student. So if I'm being an
obnoxious jerk about this, which I don't think I am but if I'm
entitled to an opinion you certainly are also, then probably the
majority of everyone that is following this story is also. If
students were protesting my presidency of Yeshiva University and
shutting down the school, Derek Jeter's opinion would be irrelevant,
although he would be more than welcome to have one. But that doesn't
mean that shutting down the school to protest the president would be
OK. I don't think this is just about Gallaudet. I think it about
whether these sorts of means justify the ends in any situation.

--- In weingartenchatters@yahoogroups.com, "Hannah Robinson"

<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Let's try a thought experiment. If the students at Yeshiva
University
> were protesting that a person who did not believe in the right of
> existence of the State of Israel was appointed president despite the
> vocal objections of both the student body AND the faculty AND the
> alumni, would that be acceptable to protest?
>
> What if Derek Jeter was walking around, telling the students that
> they're overreacting. Is his opinion at all valid? Does he have
any
> understanding what it means to be a Zionist?
>
> What if they wanted to appoint as president of Howard a light-
skinned
> black man who had been able to 'pass' at will in his life, and had
> chosen do so.
>
> Do you think Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s opinion of the situation has any
> value to the discussion? Do you think that maybe his opinion is
> essentially worthless?
>
> Now before you think I've compared you to an authoritarian idiot,
calm
> down. My point is that you, as a member of the hearing community
with
> no connection and no understanding of the deaf community, are making
> judgements about issues which you do not understand. Your opinion
is
> as valid as Dale Earnhardt's.
>
> Ask questions all you want, that's a good thing. I'm glad you ask
> them because then *I* learn things I never would have. But please,
I
> beg of you, grow up, and learn to back off when you've made an
> ill-considered remark. Stop making us forfeit in these discussions
> because we can't stand throwing ourselves at the brick wall of your
> stubborn ignorance.
>

> On 10/19/06, Ellen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Here is an washingtonpost.com online discussion with a Gallaudet
> > student whom I guess is leading the protests or something:
> > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
> > dyn/content/discussion/2006/10/18/DI2006101800565.html
> > or
> > http://tinyurl.com/ydk6bd
> >
> > everyone's questions to her seem quite similar to mine, so
apparently
> > I'm not alone in my opinion. Does ANYONE think the students are
being
> > even SLIGHTLY unreasonable? I haven't read the information in
the link
> > that was posted, but just from the chat I still think they are
> > overreacting but who knows?
> >
>

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