The negative response to the Bush library, based on the fear of being associated with President Bush, would be laughable if it weren't so frightening. Religious types who oppose free discourse and academia should return to the dark ages.
If we're lucky enough to be the home of this library, SMU would not be associated with the negative aspects of Abu Ghraib, Hurricane Katrina, Guantanamo Bay or the war in Iraq.
We would be known for intelligent research and scholarly papers on those topics, produced by studying the resources that the Bush Library will provide.
Nobody likes where the Bush administration has taken us today. But to have the opportunity to research first-hand documents about the events that changed the lives of my generation is unparalleled. It would be ignorant of us to refuse such a collection based on disliking the contents.
We can either turn our heads and pretend it Bush's presidency never happened or use our (potential!) resources to research and better understand it. Let it be a lesson and let us not forget what has happened and will happen during the George W. Bush presidency.
Sincerely,
Cristin Lavelle
Hunt Scholar, Magna Cum Laude, Class of 2004, BA History & Spanish
Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment
You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now