With three weeks to go before former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is scheduled to speak at Washington University's 560 Music Center, students across campus are preparing a myriad of responses to his arrival.
Several St. Louis area organizations including the College Democrats and Washington University Peace Coalition will be staging a peaceful protest on Feb. 19, the day of Gonzales' appearance. Ben Guthorn, president of the College Democrats, also stressed his group's campus educational campaign leading up to the event.
"Our main goal is simply to educate the public about Alberto Gonzales-his past record, what he's done in the past, quotes he has said and the things he's done to condone torture," said Guthorn, a sophomore.
Guthorn blames Gonzales for allowing the ill treatment and abuse of captured Al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, which Guthorn says violated a code in the Geneva Convention.
The torture issue, according to sophomore Sean Rhoads, a member of the Peace Coalition, is the main cause of disapproval for many students planning to attend the protest, although some also hope to address Gonzales' role in the misuse of the National Security Administration (NSA) surveillance program in 2005 and the controversial dismissals of U.S. Attorneys in 2006.
"Gonzales is in the epicenter of all those things if you look at the paper trail," said Rhoads.
According to sophomore Becky Hufstader, vice president of the College Democrats, large posters detailing Gonzales' actions in the Bush administration will go up around campus two weeks prior to the event. A faculty panel coordinated by the College Democrats and the Peace Coalition will also lead a discussion on torture issues at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at Ursa's Fireside.
"Gonzales has been indicted in Germany for war crimes," said Hufstader. "That really plays into the question of why we're inviting an indicted criminal on campus to speak."
Several St. Louis area organizations including the College Democrats and Washington University Peace Coalition will be staging a peaceful protest on Feb. 19, the day of Gonzales' appearance. Ben Guthorn, president of the College Democrats, also stressed his group's campus educational campaign leading up to the event.
"Our main goal is simply to educate the public about Alberto Gonzales-his past record, what he's done in the past, quotes he has said and the things he's done to condone torture," said Guthorn, a sophomore.
Guthorn blames Gonzales for allowing the ill treatment and abuse of captured Al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, which Guthorn says violated a code in the Geneva Convention.
The torture issue, according to sophomore Sean Rhoads, a member of the Peace Coalition, is the main cause of disapproval for many students planning to attend the protest, although some also hope to address Gonzales' role in the misuse of the National Security Administration (NSA) surveillance program in 2005 and the controversial dismissals of U.S. Attorneys in 2006.
"Gonzales is in the epicenter of all those things if you look at the paper trail," said Rhoads.
According to sophomore Becky Hufstader, vice president of the College Democrats, large posters detailing Gonzales' actions in the Bush administration will go up around campus two weeks prior to the event. A faculty panel coordinated by the College Democrats and the Peace Coalition will also lead a discussion on torture issues at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at Ursa's Fireside.
"Gonzales has been indicted in Germany for war crimes," said Hufstader. "That really plays into the question of why we're inviting an indicted criminal on campus to speak."
1 comment:
would love nothing better than to see a group of students block the entrances.
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