Don't be silenced

Students should join D.C. protests

Recounts were demanded, the Supreme Court ruled and the election was decided - George W. Bush will be our 43rd President. This fact is not only an insult to the majority of Americans who placed their vote for Al Gore, but also an insult to the Presidential Office itself. George W. Bush does not deserve to be the leader of the free world.

However, because the election has been decided is no reason for the voice of opposition against Bush to become silent. The inauguration on Saturday is the perfect opportunity for the American people to make their voice heard once more and reiterate that they do not support a President who has an inadequate political record and "won" the election through highly questionable means.

Members of the University community should go to Washington, D.C. to protest the inauguration of a man who has said that he believes that the foundation of peace is a strong military, who has a minimal knowledge of American foreign relations and has been quoted saying "there ought to be limits to freedom" in reference to a Website opposing his campaign.

Bush's record as governor of Texas especially in regards to his unmerciful sponsorship of the death penalty and abominable educational policy is unacceptable. Bush has and probably will continue to oppose civil rights, including same-sex marriages and the expansion of hate crimes laws. Not only does he fall far short of reasonable expectations in terms of basic human rights, his environmental record is equally if not more abhorrent. The hypocrisy of promising environmental preservation while at the same time remaining an adamant opponent of the Kyoto global warming agreement and supporter of the drilling for oil in the the Alaskan wilderness is enough grounds for any environmentally conscious citizen to doubt Bush's qualifications.

Bush's platform alone, according to the popular vote, was enough to convince the majority of the American people that he is not the most qualified man for the job. His platform was also enough to convince 93 percent of Black voters to vote for Gore. The systematic disenfranchisement of the Black and Hispanic vote in Florida indicates that Bush does not have the support of large groups of Americans behind him. It also indicates there was enough wrong with his platform and political record to discourage minority voters from supporting him, a fact that should also discourage white voters from supporting his administration.

Bush's cabinet picks have done nothing but to confirm many of the fears of those who voted against him. Many Republicans are opposed to the Attorney General pick of former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft, who opposed racial desegregation in the 1970s. Although former Labor Department pick, Linda Chavez, withdrew herself from consideration of the position, the fact that Bush considered a longtime opponent of minimum wage, as Secretary of Labor is a testimony to his poor judgment. Gale Norton, Bush's choice for Secretary of the Interior, has a history of putting private property concerns ahead of the environment and faces opposition from a coalition of environmental organizations, including well-respected groups such as the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club.

Social protest can be a powerful vehicle of change. Members of the University community should do whatever they can to attend the inauguration and voice their opposition to our next President. Anyone who can provide transportation should be willing to take others to exercise their right to peaceful demonstration and to witness and voice their opposition to what will surely be an historic event.

How you can join the protests

WHEN: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: West Front, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Protesters will gather at two primary sites in Washington, D.C.

at 10 a.m. Saturday

n Dupont Circle, Massachusetts and Connecticut Avenues

METRO: Red line to Dupont Circle station.

n Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Ave. NW at 14th Street NW.

METRO: Red, Orange, Blue lines to Metro Center station.

n REMEMBER: Police will only allow handmade signs up to 3x20 feet held by sticks up to 3/4 of an inch thick; there will be numerous checkpoints, so get there early and watch what you are carrying.

Protest information

http://www.inaugurauction.org

http://www.democracymarch.org

http://www.votermarch.org

http://www.iacenter.org