krs
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posted on April 19, 2001 03:08:48 AM new
Reason cited: that using sign language on a school bus created a disturbance and thus a safety hazard.
Huh?
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010418/us/sign_language_ban_3.html
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scanJoon
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posted on April 19, 2001 03:28:37 AM new
I suppose that waving your arms and hands about could be distracting, rather than sitting perfectly still and quietly talking to the person next to you.
Why not write notes?
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gravid
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:04:35 AM new
I have a friend who drives school bus in Ohio and this level of activity he would not even notice. He has very rough students who get in fights, urinate in the bus, come out in winter with no warm clothing at all. He has been assaulted by parents.
They have a real problem if they can't drive a bus with someone signing. Plain old prejudice there. The sort of control freaks I remember so well from my school days.
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nettak
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:05:59 AM new
Can you imagine the pain this poor little kid must be suffering. First she loses her hearing, and then she is told that she will be suspended for three days if she does not stop signing on the bus. For goodness sake is this Principal a moron or what.
Is he also going to suspend all the other kids' who open there mouths to talk, this girl is signing as a way of speech.
I hope the parents push it for all it is worth, no child should be treated like that, particuarly by a school principle.
lose only has one 'o' .
[ edited by nettak on Apr 19, 2001 05:39 AM ]
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MouseSlayer
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:09:07 AM new
I agree with the last quote, "It's absurd."
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gravid
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:20:58 AM new
I just sent him an e-mail suggesting he plant a keyring - nailclipper or other dangerous weapon on the girl and he can zero tolerance her out the door and be rid of the problem.
I also mentioned that he was a fool.
Why don't you foolks give him a friendly hi? One all the way from Australia would be nice.
[email protected]
Scanjoon - notes are probably forbidden also - all that scratch/scratch/scratch!
[ edited by gravid on Apr 19, 2001 04:25 AM ]
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krs
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:45:49 AM new
Not to mention the litter. Gravid, The school has an agenda.
tsk
[ edited by krs on Apr 19, 2001 04:59 AM ]
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gravid
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:47:34 AM new
Gee I should get one )
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SaraAW
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:48:50 AM new
Hi Krs...
Could you edit your last post to reflect the topic, not the poster please?
Thanks,
Sara
[email protected]
edited for spelling
[ edited by SaraAW on Apr 19, 2001 05:00 AM ]
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Powerhouse
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posted on April 19, 2001 04:54:38 AM new
I sent my email!
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codasaurus
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posted on April 19, 2001 05:28:22 AM new
I think the parents should contact the ACLU. If this isn't a freedom of speech issue as well as a discrimination issue then nothing is.
I can't imagine how signing can be forbidden on grounds that it causes a problem for the bus driver while talking is permitted.
BTW, I lived for several years in Neshanic Station which is either in Branchburg Township or just next door so to speak. If this is what rural New Jersey has devolved to I am happy that I got out.
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cyanide
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:00:28 AM new
Thats horrible!! Maybe she was signing to loud. I'm sorry bad joke.
One time a friend dragged me to see this horrible 80's hair band out in the middle of nowhere. The place was packed. Sitting right by the speakers was a big group of deaf people. Pretty interesting I thought. Anyways, a couple of them were getting drunk and obnoxious. I went up to the bar one time and a couple of them were there having a conversation (signing). It must have been a heated or deep conversation because they were signing so fast and big I kept on getting hit, poked, bumped. YOu can tell they were drunk. I didn't get mad, I thought it was kinda funny.
I hope the parents take the matter to court.
cyanide3 on Ebay
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saabsister
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:01:31 AM new
Replace the bus driver with someone who isn't so easily distracted. I hate to think about how the driver handles unexpected situations on the road - errant drivers and potholes.
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Scanjoon
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:01:46 AM new
I can't see the problem with her writing notes. I would get upset if my kid was in an accident because the driver was distracted, or if a kid got hit in the face by flailing arms and hands.
It's only a bus ride distance. It is not like she can't communicate at all, just not sign while on the bus.
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nettak
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:11:57 AM new
I agree the driver should be replaced. A school bus should have someone who can handle much worse situations than a young girl signing.
I really do not see that there is much chance of her hitting another child with her flailing arms, I am sure that she does not let rip and lash out with her arms. Talk about discrimination. I bet the complaints do not come from other parents unless they are complete morons' like the principle and the driver.
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Powerhouse
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:33:01 AM new
Some bus rides can be 45 minutes to an hour depending on the route and where in the stop schedule you are.
No telling how long this particular bus ride is since I don't see that info.
I agree that the bus driver must be replaced if he/she can't handle it.
Sounds to me like a psychotic that must spend all of their time looking in the rearview to see if anyone is flipping them off.
[ edited by Powerhouse on Apr 19, 2001 06:34 AM ]
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xifene
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:40:37 AM new
[quote]Some bus rides can be 45 minutes to an hour depending on the route and where in the stop schedule you are.[/quote]
When my older girl was in school (she's homeschooled now), the bus ride began for her at 6.30 am and she ended up at school just past 8.00 am most days.
I don't think you could pay me enough to be a bus driver. I've not the patience for it.
--xifene--
http://www.auctionusers.org
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bitsandbobs
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:45:59 AM new
Really puts a new twist to that old saying Kids should be seen but not heard.
To intimidate and embarass any kid is bad enough but this eally sucks.
Bob, Downunder but never down.
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HJW
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posted on April 19, 2001 06:49:08 AM new
I'm wondering what kind of message she was
attempting to send.
Helen
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krs
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posted on April 19, 2001 08:54:30 AM new
scanjoon,
The use of sign language can hardly be described as "flailing arms and hands'
or "waving your arms and hands" as you have described it. It's really an artful form of communication quite beautiful to watch. Ordered and precise, each movement expressive of a sound or word.
Perhaps somehow you've gotten the impression that the subject deaf girl is mentally deranged in some way which might cause the behaviors you so insistently describe?
If so, then you know more than the rest of us do, and I'm sure that others would appreciate your sharing of that further and enhanced information. If nothing else such sharing might enable someone to better understand your point of view.
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gravid
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posted on April 19, 2001 11:06:47 AM new
In LA lasrt year there was a deaf fellow shot because a gang member saw him sign something and thought it was a sign from some other gang as they use hand signals, and whipped out his gun and shot him.
I have often worried that if a cop ever shouted for me to stop and I did not hear him I would get a bullet in the back.
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mEyA
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posted on April 19, 2001 11:16:10 AM new
I've actually spent a good deal of time around those from the deaf community. Our church used to have a deaf ministry, and some good friends went on to start a deaf church in another city.
If you have even seen a group of deaf "talking", it is very animated, to say the least. It is beautiful, yes, and amazing to watch.
As far as the bus driver etc., I can't imagine this holding up in any court. Unless they are demanding no talking of any kind on that bus. Isn't it like refusing entrance to a person with a guide dog or wheelchair?
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gravid
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posted on April 19, 2001 11:54:15 AM new
I was in an Italian restaurant here in Troy MI and a group came in with a lady with a guide dog and the owner chased them out with quite a fuss saying to get the dog out of here. Actually scared the dog rushing up to them like he was going to grab the dog to remove it. I have to admire the man in the lead stepped between and told him "You touch the dog you are dead fella." Looked believable.
We were just recieving our entrees and just got up and walked out without any discussion.
Never been back - never will.
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zoomin
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posted on April 19, 2001 11:56:02 AM new
nettak:
>> I am sure that she does not let rip and lash out with her arms <<
PIMP! well said!!!
scan: (is that what I should call you?)
>>can't see the problem with her writing notes. I would get upset if my kid was in an accident because the driver was distracted, or if a kid got hit in the face by flailing arms and hands.<<
I would get upset if my kid had his eye poked out by a pencil in that accident.
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Bunnicula
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posted on April 19, 2001 12:56:30 PM new
Actually, Gravid may have hit the nail on the head. It's what came to mind for me when I read this before zipping off to work this morning. If rival gang members are sharing the bus with these girls, her use of sign language may indeed be causing problems on the bus. However, I would be restraining the gang members in such a case, not the girl.
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krs
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posted on April 19, 2001 02:49:53 PM new
Maybe, but you'd think that the principal would know that. Instead he went: "Westerholm said he could not describe how using sign language could cause a disturbance and referred the question to the district's transportation office, which would not comment on the matter".
It sounds to me like a crusty bus driver who chose this poor girl to dump on, and then received support from the school administration.
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nebula5
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posted on April 19, 2001 02:56:19 PM new
Taken from the school's web site (emphasis mine):
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School District Elections –Tuesday, April 17th
The poles are open from 7 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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Uh-huh.
[ edited by nebula5 on Apr 19, 2001 03:01 PM ]
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Powerhouse
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posted on April 19, 2001 03:01:17 PM new
That's unions for you.
Funny, the principal never replied to my email.
Must be too busy monitoring that noisy Mime class.
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krs
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posted on April 19, 2001 03:10:36 PM new
"The poles are open from"
The Dumbya School of International Eurodiction
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HEPburn
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posted on April 19, 2001 09:38:24 PM new
It would be a cold day in the hottest hell imaginable that I would ever not fight that idiotic order.
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