(W)e Object

Under ordinary circumstances it would be an honor for Furman University to be visited by the President of the United States. However, these are not ordinary circumstances. In the spirit of open and critical review that is the hallmark of both a free democracy and an institution of higher learning, we, the undersigned members of the Furman University community, object to the following actions of the Bush administration:

• Claiming a linkage between Iraq and 9-11, and exaggerating the threat of  weapons of mass destruction, to justify a new and morally questionable strategy of "pre-emptive warfare" against Iraq - a country that did not attack us and posed no immediate international threat; 
• Classifying war prisoners as "detained nonmilitary combatants" to permit their detention and interrogation in violation of our own laws and standards of human decency;
• Sowing fear and using "threat levels" to side-step the Constitution and justify the erosion of individual liberties, such as challenging the Fourth Amendment (wiretapping without authorization of law) and the First Amendment (denying access to information and restricting dissent to "free speech zones");
• Suppressing or ignoring empirical evidence that contradicts administration ideology, such as denying global warming and then obstructing progress on reducing greenhouse gases while favoring billions in tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies that are earning record profits;
• Installing lobbyists for the coal, timber, and mining industries as the chief officials in charge of managing and protecting our public lands;
• Encouraging reckless over-spending (creating the largest deficits in history), expanding the reach of national government into local affairs (No Child Left Behind), and increasing our involvement overseas at the expense of domestic concerns (reconstructing New Orleans).

We are ashamed of these actions of this administration.  The war in Iraq has cost the lives of over 4000 brave and honorable U. S. military personnel, wounded more than 13,000 military personnel so severely that they are unable to return to duty, killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, will cost more than 2 trillion dollars, and has severely damaged our government's ethical and moral credibility at home and abroad.  Because we love this country and the ideals it stands for, we accept our civic responsibility to speak out against these actions that violate American values. 

Cosigners, in alphabetical order:

William Aarnes Ken Abernethy Gilbert Allen William Allen Brannon Andersen Catherine Anderson Erik Anderson Margaret Antonik John Armstrong Tony Arrington Laura Baker Alison Baraty John Barrington John Batson Virginia Batts Kyle Beaulieu Lloyd Benson Jessica M. Berkey Alex Berrios Karni Bhati Temi Bidjerano Monica Black Albert Blackwell Christopher Blackwell Anna Beth Bonney Michael Borer David Bost Ali Boyd Chris Bradt Charles L. Brewer Terri L. Bright Michael Brodeur Kat Brown Alan Bryson Rhett Bryson Tom Buford Marie Burgess Todd Campbell Margaret Caterisano Tony Caterisano Victoria Chevalier Jane Chew Jean Childress Erik Ching Tom Cloer Lisa Colby Jenny Colvin Elizabeth Cooke Shana Coshal Robert W. Crapps Janis Crowe Stanley Crowe Vaughn CroweTipton Angel Cruz Jeannette Cruz-Elledge Doug Cummins Pete Demarco Sarah Dyer Jim Edwards Gil Einstein Philip L. Elliott Abby Elsener Brian Emerson Carmela Epright Beth Evans Julie Eyster Mary Fairbairn Timothy Fehler Chelsea Feustel Danielle Fisher Gwyn Fowler Cathy Frazier Ronald J. Friis Leslie Fuller

McMillan Gaither David Gandolfo John M. Garihan Annie Garrett Matthew Bryan Gillis Graham Gilson Gale Goodwin Dustin Gourdin Sallie Grant D. Jonathan Grieser Nancy Griffeth Judy Grisel David Gross Erin Hahn Dennis Haney Cort Haldaman Jennifer Haldaman John Harris Seth Harrison Vincent Hausmann Joanna Hawley Susan Head A. Scott Henderson Maryanne Henderson Leslie W. Hicken Jimmy Hoke Angela Hollis Larry Hudson Michael Huntsberger Beth Hupfer Hannah Jefferies Gene Johnson Lore Johnson Edward Jones Sofia Kearns Jordan Keels Bob Kelly Elizabeth G. Kelly Martha Kimmel Cynthia P. King Joe M. King Lisa Knight Jessie Koerner Daniel Koppelman Jennifer Lantz Sandra Larson Anne Leen Nick Leitner Adrienne Lemon Aaron Lenox Richard Letteri Greg Lewis Min-Ken Liao George Lipscomb Jason Long Jane Love Angelica Lozano-Alonso Kristy Maher Rebecca Maner Adrian Massei Shelly Matthews Tamara Matthews W. Duncan McArthur, Jr. Austin Wesley McCain Natalie McClearn Madison McClendon Melinda Menzer Elisa Miller Caitlin Montgomery Justin Moore Lisa Mulvey Susan Munkres Scott Murr Savita Nair

Elaine Nocks Bonnie O'Neill Jay Oney Evelyn Onofrio Sean Patrick O'Rourke David B. Parsell Willard Pate Harlan Patton A.J. Pawlikowski Patricia Pecoy Travis Perry A. Joseph Pollard Beth A. Pontari Frank Powell Joel Prather Chris Priedemann Ann Quattlebaum Nicholas Radel Bill Ranson Paul Rasmussen David Redburn Kathryn Rhyne Steve Richardson Shirley A. Ritter Emily Robinson Brenda J. Roche Bobby Rode Carly Roessler Bill Rogers David Rutledge Lane Salter Renita Schmidt Eva Sclippa Pongracz Sennyey John Shelley Brian Siegel George W. Singleton Rachel Smidt John Snyder Bing Somers Alma Steading Cinnamon Stetler Kathy Strother Judy Stuart Michael Svec Emily K. Sweezey Alfons Teipen Adam Tenke Joseph Tenini Paul Thomas Elizabeth Tilley Annette Trierweiler Brian Tropiano Victoria Turgeon J. David Turner Grace Tuschak Bingham Vick,Jr. Kira Vine Robin Visel Steven Walter Adrian Ward Ashley Warlick Marie Watkins Victoria Welborn Harrison Welch Norman E. Whisnant David White Quinton White Claire Willis Sarah Worth Wade Worthen Laura Wright Mark Yates Libby Young