I agree with you. I like to talk you about this. How we can talk VP, AIM, or email?

Thanks,
Mateo

My dear friend! you made me cry to watch your vlog as my niece is a junior student at VA Tech and she was there when it was happened. She walked into her sorority house from her dorm when the shooting went off and she was lockdowned at sorority house. She lost her one Sorority sister from shooting.
When I found out from the internet news on very same day, I emailed her with my blackberry and prayed to hear from her. I talked with my mom and my brother who is a father of his first child. I then received my niece’s email, I was so relief she was okay. She is remaining to stay in school to finish this semester. She is brave enough to go back in one more year to get her degree next year. She got plenty of support from her friends and family. I checked out on her to be sure she is okay and so far she is fine and move on with her life.

Then my sister in law wanted to set up the FAMILY HOTLINE and I told her it would be the best to do with cellphone along with text msg/email. whole 30 members of my family agreed wih us. I also did signed up the local news for my pager to know what the warning will be in San Diego County where I live.

Excellent thoughts on this situation. One of the things that has bothered me for a long time pertains to the radio in cars. In spite of the increasing number of deafies using mobile devices as a means of communicaton and news, there ARE still quite a few out there who do not have access to them. In this case, just suppose there was a lockdown at an university or school (either deaf or a public school with a deaf program) while the high school/ college student was on their way to classes. They would have no way of catching the latest bullentin sent out via radio news. As advanced as technology has become, it would be a advantage to us if a way was found to utilize the car radio. Not necessarily just for lockdowns and dangerous situations in an educational setting but can also include sudden weather and traffic warnings.

I digress a bit here.. I agree wholeheartily with you on the concern regarding couseling services for the deaf. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such service here in Arkansas that is readily available for the deaf community here – unless an interp is used (and who wants to spill their guts in the presence of a third party, regardless of their skill level?)

This not only concentrates on the depression aspect but also pertains to drug abuse and alcoholism – often hand in hand with depression. Again, because of the communication issues involved, many deafies end up not seeking treatment via AA, drug rehab, etc.

But then, this is a problem we all already aware of.

As ever, you made good points

RFW

You got us feeling and thinking! It is surely rambling my emotions and thoughts!

First of all, I want to express my deepest sympathy for the victims and their families. It is the worse tradegy in history of the mass shooting on an educational campus.

Secondly, that’s where you got us thinking..it can happen anywhere.

You had asked about how can the message can get across to students about the lockdown. As Karen had explained, RSD is not exactly located in a friendly safe neighborhood making increased security and system necessary.

In every classroom, we have a message board. We experienced a lockdown last fall that we immediately locked our rooms and that the perpetrator was not able to get in the building. This type of communication system was effective where we were all informed simultaneously.

Thirdly, we need to re-evaluate the availability and quality of counseling service for the deaf. I believe that it is more difficult for the deaf to receive proper service and that is the main concern.

As we bow down our heads with grieve, may the families find their ways to heal.

And Amy- I respectfully disagree with you here. Let’s focus on the sufferings of a community- we will have plenty of time later to come up with solutions to our Deaf community problems.

First, let’s us try to focus on the issue about how can we be proactive with this current situation. We, deaf people and the community is not immune to terrible violence, mental health issues, and safety issues… and I know it is an emotional time for all of us and we are seeking for answers to understand this senseless situation.

Many mass shootings done by one person or two, always end up killing themselves. We will never know why they want to do that. We only can learn from what they wrote, their previous experiences, background, etc… but I wish what caused them to ’snap’ and how can we help to prevent this kind of ’snap’.

Thank you for trying to keep the topic about proactiveness.

Amy Cohen Efron