Friday, February 6, 2009

Save the Scranton State School for the Deaf!

G'day Everyone!

OK, now I'm angry with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. I personally think he's crossed the line in his budget talks with the lawmakers. I wish this is an impeachment waiting to happen and Gov. Rendell would do well to remember of what just happened to the former Illinois Governor recently. This is NOT a season for Governors to play around with the lives of the disability community in these budget talks. But, from a re-election stand point, Gov. Ed Rendell won't be getting any votes from our deaf community after this at all!

If he's (Gov. Rendell) thinking to use the deaf school situation as a "sympathy vote" to cause lawmakers to save the Scranton State School for the Deaf (SSSD) and find a way to make a better budget for Pennsylvania, he's going to be way wrong. Very wrong!

Senator Bob Mellow of Peckville may be opposed to the pre-emptive closing, I still disagree with Bob Mellow. Sen. Mellow wants to close the SSSD in phases. I say, The SSSD, in my opinion, should NOT be closed at all! Just because the State of PA has invested more than 129 years of Deaf Education, they have greatly impacted the lives of many deaf people.

Why do I fight for the SSSD when I was a half deaf/half hearing impaired kid that was REJECTED by them for having "too much hearing"long ago? It was at a time that SSSD discriminated a lot of hearing impaired kids. But today, things have changed.

This is the deaf community that I am a part of here in Pennsylvania. I have some friends who came from SSSD. This will NOT sit well with all of us. Yes, we are going to protest!

Be aware, many deaf clubs, organizations, and friends are getting organized to head to SSSD in the next few days and stage a major protest on the campus of SSSD that is largely expected to be peaceful. All the details for the protest has not all been worked out yet. But when push comes to a shove, Gov. Rendell had better watch out. As I said, we will protest of what he intends to do for the PA State Budget.

When I find out the details of when this protest will be happening, I will be posting them. Stay tuned!

Semper FI!

5 comments:

Jim said...

Speaking of Deaf School. In Virginia, there use to be two schools for the Deaf and Blind. One in Staunton and Hampton, Virginia. Last summer, the one in Hampton closed and consolidated to the one in Staunton. I ain't happy that the State of Virginia did that but they wanted to save money.
Now I can understand how you feel about closing the deaf school in Pa. I am on your side and they better not close that school. If they do that, then they better closed all the Private school in Pa. Why? So that people will understand that deaf deserve their own unique place to learn and to be together like people in Private school has their own unique place. I stand with the protesters at the deaf school in Pa. I hope NTID and Gallaudet help them out.

RLM said...

Good of you doing something about the proposed closing of the SSSD!

Just not talk with your hands, but walk the line!

Look forward to see you there at the SSSD rally protest or at the state legislative chamber!

RLM

Anonymous said...

SSSD OPEN TO 6 years 2015

Anonymous said...

I love to sssd and wpsd friends pay to 2015 years stay!!!!!!!!!

kelsign31 said...

I am in SSSD last fall and i very not happy about sssd close and we use for asl. We have good grade and hangout with friend and family and i really love that school and i just shook that WPSD will chagne the color for our school and we will use sssd sweater and backpack to bring to school and show them how we feeling about our school!!!