Objections to Bush Library Mount at Texas University

[Dos Equis]

Interesting story. 

Objections to Bush library mount at Texas university

RAW STORY
Published: Monday December 18, 2006
 
As planners moved closer on deciding where in Texas to site President George W. Bush's library, members of the community at one candidate university expressed objections about the establishment of the facility at their school.

Southern Methodist University is one of the three schools that may play host to the presidential library of George W. Bush, along with the University of Dallas and Baylor University.

The blog of Paul Burka, the senior executive editor of the magazine Texas Monthly, includes excerpts of a letter written to SMU's president by faculty, administrators, and staff of the university's Perkins School of Theology, worrying about siting the library at the university. In it, they say they would:

...regret to see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing depends.
An article following up on the story, written by Scott Jaschik and published in the journal Inside Higher Ed, notes that SMU is considered the frontrunner among the three schools hoping to host the library. It also reports that the organizers of the letter and the critics of the library have been trying to make the debate on the library focus on academic standards instead of Bush bashing.

According to the article, Susanne Johnson, an associate professor of Christian education, said she "would understand the value of an archive of the Bush administration, and sees how many SMU scholars would benefit from having such a collection on campus. But she said that the campus has been left 'uninformed and naive' about President Bush’s plans to create a policy center to promote his view of the world."

Jaschik's article further explains that if the Bush library is sited at SMU, two graduates of the school have stated their plans to lobby to have "Methodist" removed from the university's name.

Paul Burka's blog can be accessed at the Texas Monthly website. The Inside Higher Ed article can be read in full at this link. An excerpt is provided below.

#
Some faculty members are not happy generally to be associated with the library of a president who — his librarian wife notwithstanding — isn’t seen as a big fan of intellectual life. When the reported price tag of $500 million for the library was publicized last month, professors didn’t like their institution being linked to the jokes being told. (Conan O’Brien: “President Bush is putting together his presidential library and apparently the library is going to cost $500 million, which will work out to $100 million a book.")

Johnson said that there are also real problems with the message the library could send. SMU historically has had a reputation for attracting wealthy students — a reputation that the university has tried to fight in recent years by offering generous scholarship to low-income students. “I think it might be a setback in terms of trying to attract a different constituency among students,” Johnson said. “Children of wealthy, leading Republicans in this state come to SMU, and then they are groomed here to become Republican leaders in all sectors of society. We shouldn’t be in the business of just replicating Republicans.”

Brad Cheves, vice president for external relations at SMU, said Sunday evening that officials couldn’t comment on the faculty letter, when it hasn’t been delivered and it is unclear how many people have signed. Likewise, he said he couldn’t comment on the Daily News article because the university was communicating on library matters strictly with the selection committee working with President Bush.

However, Cheves stressed that “SMU has and continues to celebrate a diversity of thought.”   

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Objections_to_Bush_library_mount_at_1218.html

[Parker]

They actually read in Texas?

[Dos Equis]

Ouch.     SMU is a good school.  At the end of the day, the only reason they would reject the library is the Dedman family has contributed millions to the school.  I mean tons of money.  Still, they would be stupid to reject this IMO.   

[rockyfortune]

I wonder if Dubya is going to donate his Archie and Jughead comic collection too.

[Dos Equis]

Methodists: No Bush Library at SMUMethodist Ministers Launch Petition to Stop Bush Library at SMU, Says It's Inappropriate
By ANGELA K. BROWN

DALLAS Jan 18, 2007 (AP)— A group of Methodist ministers from across the nation launched an online petition drive Thursday urging Southern Methodist University to stop trying to land George W. Bush's presidential library.

The petition, on a newly created Web site, http://www.protectsmu.org, says that "as United Methodists, we believe that the linking of his presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is utterly inappropriate."

"Methodists have a long history of social conscience, so questions about the conduct of this president are very concerning," said one of the petition's organizers, the Rev. Andrew J. Weaver of New York, who graduated from SMU's Perkins School of Theology.

Brad Cheves, SMU's vice president for external affairs and development, said Thursday that the Methodist church is diverse in its membership and opinions and that those involved with the petition reflect only one view.

"We believe the vast majority of the Methodist membership, university and community support the library and that it will benefit the faculty, students and community for generations to come," Cheves said.

SMU emerged as the apparent winner in the library competition last month when the site selection committee said it was entering into further discussions with just SMU, the 11,000-student, private university, which is first lady Laura Bush's alma mater. The Bushes are Methodists.

Some SMU professors have opposed Bush's foreign policy, mainly the war in Iraq. Some faculty members also have complained that the library complex's think tank dedicated to the philosophy of the Bush administration would hurt the school's reputation.

But at a faculty meeting Wednesday, SMU President R. Gerald Turner said those fears were unfounded. He said among the library's benefits were increasing the school's visibility nationwide and spurring economic development in the city.

The project will be financed with a private fund drive aimed at raising at least $200 million.

While SMU's president said his university' exclusive talks with the selection committee would resume in a few days, the other finalists are Baylor University in Waco and the University of Dallas. A decision is expected in a few months.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2803471

[240 is Back]

I keep saying it.

No major religion's basis matches that of the Bush Doctrine.

Pre-emptive mass bombings and nation exploitation just aren't on Jesus' "nice" list.

[Dos Equis]

I keep saying it.

No major religion's basis matches that of the Bush Doctrine.

Pre-emptive mass bombings and nation exploitation just aren't on Jesus' "nice" list.

Except you don't know anything about religion, so your comments are quite hollow. 

[240 is Back]

Except you don't know anything about religion, so your comments are quite hollow. 

au contraire.  I attended gr 1-8 at a private school and went to a private high school, both religious themed.  I read many a bible verse in my day and in HS classes, was quizzed on the major groups/beliefs of the world.

I never encountered a major religion which matches the Bush Doctrine.  Is there one?

[Dos Equis]

au contraire.  I attended gr 1-8 at a private school and went to a private high school, both religious themed.  I read many a bible verse in my day and in HS classes, was quizzed on the major groups/beliefs of the world.

I never encountered a major religion which matches the Bush Doctrine.  Is there one?

Just fyi, attending a private school and reading the Bible doesn't give you knowledge of religion.  I question whether you know much at all about Christianity.  But I can give you some resources if you're willing to learn. 

I have no idea what the "Bush Doctrine" is.  Definitely sounds like a straw man.  I don't usually bite.   

[240 is Back]

Just fyi, attending a private school and reading the Bible doesn't give you knowledge of religion.  I question whether you know much at all about Christianity.  But I can give you some resources if you're willing to learn. 

You not going to answer this? Is there a religion which supports the Bush Doctrine?

I have no idea what the "Bush Doctrine" is.  Definitely sounds like a straw man.  I don't usually bite.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Doctrine

[Tre]

It's worth cash to play host, but they don't need the money. 

[240 is Back]

Bush Doctrine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Bush Doctrine is name given to a set of foreign policy guidelines first unveiled by President George W. Bush in his commencement speech to the graduating class of West Point given on June 1, 2002. The policies, taken together, outlined a broad new phase in US policy that would place greater emphasis on military pre-emption, military superiority ("strength beyond challenge"), unilateral action, and a commitment to "extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions". The policy was formalized in a document titled The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, published on September 20, 2002. The Bush Doctrine is a marked departure from the policies of deterrence and containment that generally characterized American foreign policy during the Cold War and the decade between the collapse of the Soviet Union and 9/11.

The Bush Doctrine provided the policy framework for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Which religion supports the Bush Doctrine?

[Dos Equis]

It's worth cash to play host, but they don't need the money. 

True.  That would be the only reason they reject it IMO.  The Dedman family provides a lot of the funding for SMU.  That family has bank. 

[Dos Equis]

Bush Doctrine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Bush Doctrine is name given to a set of foreign policy guidelines first unveiled by President George W. Bush in his commencement speech to the graduating class of West Point given on June 1, 2002. The policies, taken together, outlined a broad new phase in US policy that would place greater emphasis on military pre-emption, military superiority ("strength beyond challenge"), unilateral action, and a commitment to "extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions". The policy was formalized in a document titled The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, published on September 20, 2002. The Bush Doctrine is a marked departure from the policies of deterrence and containment that generally characterized American foreign policy during the Cold War and the decade between the collapse of the Soviet Union and 9/11.

The Bush Doctrine provided the policy framework for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Which religion supports the Bush Doctrine?

It's still a straw man.  Really makes no sense.  I cannot speak for other religions, but neither the Bible nor Christianity supports a particular political philosophy.

[240 is Back]

It's still a straw man.  Really makes no sense.  I cannot speak for other religions, but neither the Bible nor Christianity supports a particular political philosophy.

Cool.  I agree with ya.  Which is why it makes no sense when some people here will claim to be super-religious people yet support the bush doctrine.