June 23, 2001

CSDR Rally Poems

I am sharing with you my poems.  Okay, here they are: 1.Deaf of Honor, 2.Free from Oppression ,3.We Cry Out , and

4.Break Down!  Break Down!  Break Down! 
****1.) DEAF OF HONOR******
WE WANT HONOR.
WE WANT RESPECT.
WE WANT OUR DR. STONE BACK IN FULL CONTROL.
DEAF OF HONOR
WE WORK TOGETHER AS ONE
FOR OUR DEAF CHILDREN
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
TOGETHER!  TOGETHER!  TOGETHER!
SUPPORT!  SUPPORT!
BREAK THROUGH!  BREAK THROUGH!
CHANGE!  CHANGE!
PANIC!  PANIC!
WHAT!  WHAT!
NO VOICE!!!
WHAT!  WHAT!
ASL!  ASL!
BE SEEN!  BE SEEN!
EYES WE LEARN!
EARS WE UNHEAR!
HANDS WE SIGNTALK!
ASL!  ASL!
AMERCIAN SIGN LANGUAGE!
OH, LORD, HELP US BREAK THROUGH.
EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT OUR WORLD WE ARE SO PROUD OF.
WE WANT HONOR.
WE WANT RESPECT.
WE WANT OUR DR. STONE BACK IN FULL CONTROL.
DEAF OF HONOR

****2.) FREE FROM OPPRESSION******
OUR FOREFATHERS OF AMERICAN DEAF PEOPLE
FIRST DEAF TEACHER
FIRST DEAF STUDENT
FIRST DEAF SUPERINTENDENT
OPPRESSED!  OPPRESSED!!
NO!  NO!!  NO!!!
CAN'T!  CAN'T!!  CAN'T!!!
NO SIGNING BE ALLOWED!!!
WHY  WHY  WHY 
BECAUSE...
ORAL ONLY
ORAL  ORAL  ORAL
NO DEAF TEACHERS
NO DEAF SUPERINTENDENT
NO DEAF PRESIDENT
WHY  WHY  WHY
BECAUSE...
THE DEAF CAN'T BE EDUCATED AS HEARING PEOPLE ARE.
ROCHESTER (FINGERSPELLING) METHOD
SIGNED EXACT ENGLISH
SIMULATANEOUS COMMUNICATION
ALL METHODS HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
YET MOST DEAF PEOPLE HAVE NOT
ACHIEVED HIGHER THAN THIRD GRADE.
STILL DENY OUR RIGHTS
TO DEVELOP OUR OWN METHODS
BI-BI METHOD
(BILINGUAL - BICULTURAL)
ASL APPROACH
GIVE US A CHANCE
TO TEACH DEAF CHILDREN
IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE
HIGHER EDUCATION.
BE EQUAL.
BE FAIR.
BE LIBERATED.
WE ARE ALL EQUAL IN ALL THINGS -
PROSPERITY, HAPPINESS, AND PEACE.
BE FREE FROM OPPRESSION!!!

***** 3.) WE CRY OUT! ******
WE CRY OUT!
OUR NEEDS BE HEARD!
IT IS TIME TO HAVE A MAJOR CHANGE IN DEAF EDUCATION.
WE CRY OUT!
OUR NEEDS HAVE BEEN STEPPED OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN.
OUR NEEDS HAVE BEEN DENIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
OUR NEEDS HAVE BEEN WAY WAY WAY LONG OVERDUE.
WE CRY OUT!
FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS
OUR NEEDS BE HEARD!
WHY?  YOU ASK ME.
LOOK AT THE STATISTICS.
ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED STUDENTS GRADUATED
FROM CSDR.
ONLY NINE GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE.
A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE GROUP LIVE ON
SSI (SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME).
WHY?  YOU ASK ME.
THE TEACHERS TAUGHT THEM TO FILL OUT THE SSI FORMS.
WE CRY OUT!
YES, WE DO NEED TO HAVE A MAJOR CHANGE
IN DEAF EDUCATION.
YES, WE DO NEED MUCH TRAINING
IN LEARNING ASL/ENGLISH APPROACH
TO TEACH DEAF CHILDREN
TO BE INDEPENDENT, TO BE PROUD,
AND TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ALL THINGS.
YES, WE DO NEED MORE DEAF CHILDREN
BEING HAPPY, BEING EDUCATED
AND BEING EMPOWERED TO BE THEMSELVES.*****4.) BREAK DOWN!  BREAK DOWN!  BREAK DOWN! ******
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!!!
THE BARRIER
THE LOWER EXPECTATIONS OF THE DEAF
THE DEAF CAN'T...
- LEARN ENGLISH.
- BE EDUCATED IN ENGLISH.
- READ ENGLISH.
- WRITE ENGLISH.
- THINK ENGLISH.
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!!!
THE BARRIER
THE CONTROL OF THE DEAF
THE DEAF CAN'T...
- BE A LEADER.
- BE A SUPERINTENDENT.
- BE A PRINCIPAL.
- BE A SUPERVISOR.
- BE A DIRECTOR.
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!!!
THE BARRIER
THE OLD HABITS OF TREATING THE DEAF
THE DEAF CAN'T...
- THINK CREATIVELY.
- HEAR WHAT WE SAY.
- HELP DEAF CHILDREN.
- TEACH DEAF CHILDREN.
- BE A ROLE MODELS.
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!
BREAK DOWN!!!
ALL THE BARRIERS!!!
BE FREE!
BE FREE!
BE FREE FROM ALL THE BARRIERS!!!

Please pass the poems on... Many thanks for your time and support !!!
Smile! 
Melinda Moore-Reins