Thursday, May 19, 2005

FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WRITE LETTERS TO OPPOSE BUSH'S VISIT

americanprogressaction.org
FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WRITE LETTERS TO OPPOSE BUSH'S VISIT

On Saturday, President Bush is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at the religious Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The college's self-described purpose
(http://www.calvin.edu/about/mission.htm) is to "engage in vigorous
liberal arts education that promotes lifelong Christian service." In
advance of his visit, one-third of the faculty members have signed a letter
of protest (http://www.freep.com/news/mich/bush19e_20050519.htm) that
will appear in a half-page ad in the Grand Rapids Press on Saturday.
"As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only
as a last resort," the letter says. "We believe your administration has
launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq."


More than 800
students, faculty and alumni also have signed a letter protesting Bush's visit
that will appear Friday as a full-page ad in the Grand Rapids paper,
saying, "In our view, the policies and actions of your administration,
both domestically and internationally over the past four years, violate
many deeply held principles of Calvin College."