Sign Bahl Petition Now!

September 19, 2007 at 3:13 pm (Deafness)

I have created a petition on-line, to object about Bahl’s treatment by the Ramsey County Sheriff Department.

Doug Bahl, a deaf man, was pulled over by the Ramsey County police and Mr. Bahl informed the officers that he was deaf. The police officers, now aware that he was deaf and therefore needed his eyes to understand communication, willfully pepper-sprayed him in his eyes because of his apparent noncompliance with verbal commands. The officers subsequently proceeded to physically assault Mr. Bahl.

Mr. Bahl then was held in jail for four days incommunicado. He was not allowed access to a TTY, a device that enables him to use the phone. He could not contact an attorney, or his family to inform them of his situation. This is a blatant violation of his civil rights and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The petition checks for spammers and duplicate ip addresses, so this will be a valid on-line petition. So, please make a difference and show your support for Doug Bahl, by signing the petition HERE.

* Sorry for the quality of the vlog. I’m not feeling so good, so it’s not my best, but time is of essence.

60 Comments

  1. Oscar Serna said,

    September 19, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    Thanks for the link. Signed my name.

    P.S. Hope you get well soon.

  2. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 19, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    Thanks, Oscar. :)

  3. Diane said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:38 pm

    No offense but the story is somewhat unclear … Best to hear from Doug’s story directly – more facts. You quote “Doug said “I am Deaf and police rolls his eyes and sprays Doug’s face with the mace”. I think Doug was trying to get the pen and paper in order to communicate. Police overreacted and grabbed his arm. Let’s hear from Bahl’s story one day. I don’t know the whole story either. By the way, I am happy to sign my name on petition.

  4. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:38 pm

    Thank you, DP, for making that petition. My signature has been added. Where do you click to see how many people signed? Just curious.

  5. Seek Geo said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:39 pm

    Hey,

    I don’t believe in petitions myself but I went ahead and signed anyways because this is something what we really need to do at this point.

    Thanks so much for doing this! And I hope you will get better in no time, take it easy and rest! :-D

    -SG

  6. Diane said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:42 pm

    I am kinda wary of this petition thru internet .. ummm.

  7. Deaf Pixie said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:47 pm

    Hi Deaf Pundit,

    I already signed up before your blog from USA L-News. Good luck for Doug Bahl’s right need clarifty to Ramsey Police Department in Minnestoesa. It is part of our deaf community in USA need signing the petition. It is seem unfair!

    Deaf Pixie

  8. Deaf Pixie said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:48 pm

    SG and Diane,

    I can understand of your related issues about the petitions. Talk too cheap??

    Deaf Pixie

  9. The One and Only Ridor said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:52 pm

    Petitions online do not work. Therefore I do not sign.

    R-

  10. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:53 pm

    YOu know Deaf Pixie, I most definitely AM going to send those specific police officers, the judge, and whoever runs that station the links to my own post, David Stuckless’ post, and a few other posts probably that were written in direct or indirect response to this incident. Maybe that will help too. I don’t know what else I can do from Washington DC.

    I’m STILL stewing over this…

  11. ALAN JEFFERS said,

    September 19, 2007 at 5:55 pm

    I HOPE EVERYTHING IS STRIGHT OUT AND LET ADA LAWYER TAKE CARE OF JUDGE THAT BEEN WRONG PATH BEAT TOWARD DEAF PEPPER MINT IN YOUR EYES THAT IS WRONG AND LOOK IN MY EYES WRONG WAY CALLED ABUSE AND POSSIBLE YOU CAN SUE THEM AND I HOPE SETTLE DOWN MADE DEAF LAWS ABOUT HAPPEN

  12. Edward Nugent said,

    September 19, 2007 at 6:01 pm

    Will Doug Bahl use vlog to explain to us clearly what really happened that night he got arrest???

  13. GullyK said,

    September 19, 2007 at 6:23 pm

    Where is the petition we are to sign up?
    Thanks,
    GullyK

  14. Deaf Pixie said,

    September 19, 2007 at 6:24 pm

    Chris Heuer,

    Yes, I agree with you to know what was going over there instead of petition for Bahl’s. I am apprectiate of your thought about sign petitions is not always working well during online. Without know what they will do with petition,too.
    Chris Good point!

    Actually I am from Seattle,WA. I have no idea what the peition would helpful with his legal case might not solved for other state,too? Also, I am not able to know what they would to count with the petition from Minnestoea. Will Deaf Pundit will update with us?

    Let us know the world meaning that we need to communicate no matter what if Any of Police Department must write down instead ofsaying NO TTY ,Cannot call relatives or who worry about someone who loves the deaf person as Bahl’s family were worried so much for 4 days for nothing!!

  15. GullyK said,

    September 19, 2007 at 6:28 pm

    Why do we need to sign up petition?

  16. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 6:44 pm

    GullyK,

    It creates public pressure. It lets the police department involved know that the larger Deaf/Signing community outside of that immediate area is now watching what it does. Maybe that won’t mean too much initially, but as it grows it can cause other types of pressure, including media reporting (the fact that 10,000 or 50,000 people sign something IS news.

    It’s something you CAN do even if you live far away.

    That’s why I think you should sign this.

  17. Deaf Pixie said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:03 pm

    Deaf Pundit,

    I hope you feel better since I did not realized you were not feeling well during your vlog/blog.

  18. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:06 pm

    Hold on a sec I think I might be doing something wrong… I clicked on it but I don’t see my name… what am I doing wrong..?

  19. Diane said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    lol lemme see if I can try to get in and sign the petition … I just learned that someone can check the IP of each signature. lol Sorry for not being a computer expert :) *Shrug*

  20. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:20 pm

    Hm, odd. I tried it again and it said I was already signed in under my email but my name still isn’t there…

  21. Oscar Serna said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:24 pm

    It is moderated.

  22. Diane said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:25 pm

    Chris — Same here … *scratch my head*

  23. Diane said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:27 pm

    Ooooh It is Mo”DUH”ated!

  24. Jean Boutcher said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:34 pm

    Thank you, Deaf Pundit! I am proud of your leadership as well as of your ability to write an article AND a petition.

  25. Jean Boutcher said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    P.S.

    To all readers:

    Please share Deaf Pundit’s Sign Bahl
    Petition Now with your friends by sending
    this link to them. The more people the
    better.

    http://deafpundit.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/sign-bahl-petition-now/

  26. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    Oscar,

    So… does that mean you can’t see all the signatures or…? Sometimes it just helps to see how many other people signed…

    Or do more signatures show up later after a holding period or what?

    I just want to learn more about how it all works…

  27. IamMine said,

    September 19, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Thanks, DP.

    I signed up.

    I’m not feeling good either…ugh.

    I’ll forward that to friends/family/Deaf Community.

  28. IamMine said,

    September 19, 2007 at 8:53 pm

    Oscar – I liked what you left in addition to the petition.

    :)

  29. DeafMICAN said,

    September 19, 2007 at 8:53 pm

    I googled it and found this related story with Mr. Bahl. It’s shocking. Is USA becoming a police states ? Looks like it. It’s happening on increasing frequency.

    http://www.ythree.com/?p=89

  30. DeafMICAN said,

    September 19, 2007 at 8:58 pm

    It happened in around Dec. 2006. It got pictures of his bloody pictures and battered face. Looks like a brutality. Police didn’t stop there to mace and put him in cuffs. He had to be beaten savagely to cause bleeding and puffed eyes. It’s not necessary. Police have to DETAIN the person like holding it down to be cuffed that’s it. It’s pretty simple thing to do unless you fight the police back but still police only DETAIN you to be cuffed. Beating up will get them dismissed from court. Police in MN who did this to him is an idiot and should be FIRED! It will cost the city millions of dollars if they keep thugs on the police force. I see it too often in DETROIT!!!

  31. Jared Evans said,

    September 19, 2007 at 9:40 pm

    Online petitions don’t work. There are other better courses of action to undertake to bring around the desired changes.

    Signing the online petition may make some people feel good but these petitions are essentially worthless because they cannot be verified.

  32. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 19, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    Sorry guys, the way it set up was that I had to approve the signatures. Go look now. There are 45 signatures. :)

  33. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 19, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    Jared, it can be verified. This site records your IP addresses.

  34. Chris Heuer said,

    September 19, 2007 at 10:00 pm

    You know, I think we’re going to SOON need to have a discussion on tactics and techniques that we can use to effect change from where we are. Obviously we can’t go driving to every state to be there physically…

  35. Julie B. said,

    September 19, 2007 at 10:01 pm

    For some reasons, I couldn’t view your vlog, but I would like to ask some questions about how you plan to do with the petition. How do you plan to do with the petition? Who is going to keep the petition? Are you planning to show the petition to the U.S. Congress? or what?
    Thanks

  36. John said,

    September 19, 2007 at 10:04 pm

    I support Bahl, hopefully they will realized how power ADA is. It happen to me when police pull over, and request interpreter, they refuse to call, so I rebelllion them and they take me to jail, not inside jail, just put me on hold room, until the admistation read the law, realized I was right,so they release and waive the charge.

    Hopefully all fo you share what you been thru.

  37. gally82nyu84 said,

    September 19, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    I applaud your activism however a petition isn’t going to really change the outcome of this situation or the future for other deaf drivers. Someone needs to file an official complaint with the office of civil rights.It would be great to see NAD or one of the legal centers for the deaf file a complaint….

  38. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 19, 2007 at 10:45 pm

    Thanks Gally82… The petition might work and it might not work. Moveon.org has done online petitions, and so has the ACLU. It’s had a tremendous effect. So… Why not give this a shot? And I agree, NAD or one of the deaf legal centers need to get involved.

  39. Ella Lentz said,

    September 19, 2007 at 11:14 pm

    I too thought online petitions arent effective, but I am going to sign up anyway!!! Just think…all the names signed up in support of Bahl and objecting to the brutality and offering a few sensible demands can be empowering by itself. And if as Deaf Pundit said, careful screening of IP numbers will make this petition effective, like Nike says “JUST DO IT!!” What harm can it be? Thanks, Deaf Pundit for this!

  40. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 19, 2007 at 11:28 pm

    Oh, I forgot to answer someone’s question.. This petition will be sent to the Ramsey County Sheriff Department, the County Commissioner, and the District Attorney.

  41. mishkazena said,

    September 20, 2007 at 12:03 am

    Thanks for setting up the petition, Deaf Pundit! :)

  42. Chris Heuer said,

    September 20, 2007 at 1:03 am

    Mishkazena could you post a link to this petition on your blog too? Encourage people to sign? And Ricky Taylor too even if you don’t believe it works? Even if nothing comes of it, all that’s lost is the amount of time it takes to sign it. Meanwhile others involved will continue their efforts with different tactics.

  43. astralwicks said,

    September 20, 2007 at 1:51 am

    the offenders must be punished. period.

  44. びっくり said,

    September 20, 2007 at 1:58 am

    If anyone, deaf or not, was held for four days without being charged and without access to legal aid, then they don’t need a petition; any lawyer could press a case for violation of civil liberties.

  45. Mishka Zena » Blog Archive » Bahl Juror Who Swayed The Jury Speaks Out said,

    September 20, 2007 at 5:34 am

    [...] Please show your concerns in how Bahl was handled by the police during the traffic stop by signing this petition. This online petition is montiored for duplicated IP addresses and spammers, so it’s a valid petition. http://deafpundit.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/sign-bahl-petition-now/ [...]

  46. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 20, 2007 at 9:15 am

    To comment #34, yeah. I saw this coming a long time ago, and that is why I proposed having an organization set up very similar to what Moveon.org has. But not very many were interested. :P

  47. IamMine said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:12 am

    Well, DP…I was interested and still am!

    I think you can pull it off this time. ;)

  48. Emily Hensel said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:21 am

    Sign my name to the petition or tell me where to sign the petition!! What happened to Mr. Bahl is horryfing!!

  49. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:23 am

    See the capital letters “HERE” on my blog? Click on it and it’ll take you to the petition so you can sign it.

  50. Emily Hensel said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:29 am

    I found the petition and I will sign it!

  51. Sara said,

    September 20, 2007 at 11:11 am

    Let you know I already Put it but Didnt show up and I was Puzzle if you see my name is Sara > Pls Let me know as soon if you can

    Thanks
    See you around
    Sara

  52. Diane said,

    September 20, 2007 at 11:39 am

    A Deaf Pundit – I didn’t realize that you are sick in this vlog. Oops.. Hope you are well!

  53. Hammond taylor said,

    September 20, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    i hope she will wins in court

  54. Bill said,

    September 20, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    NAD on Law Enforcement communication

    http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=139133

  55. My Petition Comment Regarding Doug Bahl « ReunifyGally said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:20 pm

    [...] But, at least now I’ve done a little something about it. I’ve signed a petition protesting Doug Bahl’s treatment. [...]

  56. A Deaf Pundit said,

    September 20, 2007 at 10:40 pm

    Sara, sorry about that. Your comment was caught in the spam filter.

    With the petition, I have to approve the signatures, so they won’t show up until I do that. Yours is now showing. We’re up to 90 signatures by the way. Let’s keep them coming!

  57. KH said,

    September 21, 2007 at 11:55 pm

    Hi I support Doug Bahl’s petition for his civil rights. I would like to get the story straight from the Horse’s mouth like Doug on his vlog as soon as he can… thank you for this information… hope things will work out fair and justice for everyone in his next court time.KH :)

  58. Jean Boutcher said,

    September 22, 2007 at 1:09 am

    #39 (Ella),

    Online petitions are very powerful. Look
    at President Bush yesterday’s news conference. He was quite upset with MoveOn.Org about the Iraq war. I am one of people signing MoveOn’s petition criticising Gen. Petraesus.

    Vox populi!

  59. cathy hardy said,

    October 1, 2007 at 4:37 pm

    We needs our rights, so fight for it.

  60. Idetrorce said,

    December 15, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
    Idetrorce

Comments are closed.