In solidarity with many thousands of others across the country who have raised their voices in protest, the signers of this statement call upon the people of the United States to resist the policies and overall political direction that have emerged since Sept. 11, 2001 and which pose grave dangers to the people of the world. Just as our fellow citizens grieve, we too grieve the terrible loss of life that occurred that day as a consequence of terrorist action. But we oppose the spirit of vengeance that has informed both the rhetoric and substance of the Bush Administration response to that tragedy, and the simplistic script of "Good vs. Evil" that has shaped its policies, both foreign and domestic, in the wake of that tragedy.
The Bush administration has intimidated those who would dissent from its policies of domestic repression and unilateral aggression, verging on accusing of treason any who have asked critical questions concerning their policies. With near complete acquiescence from Congress-which has largely failed to fulfill its constitutional role as a check on executive power, a lapse we urge Congress to correct-the Bush administration has arrogated to itself and its allies the right to rain down military force anywhere and anytime. The Bush administration now prepares to wage all-out war against Iraq-a country which has no connection to the horror of Sept. 11. Moreover, it plans to do so with or without the support of the assembled nations of the world.
The U.S. government has rounded up over 1,000 immigrants and detained them in secret and indefinitely. Hundreds have been deported and hundreds of others continue to languish in prisons.
The government has brought down a pall of repression over civil society. Dissident artists, intellectuals and professors find their views distorted, attacked and suppressed. The so-called Patriots Act gives police sweeping new powers of search and seizure, supervised if at all by secret proceedings before secret courts. In short, in the wake of the tragedy of Sept. 11 the Bush administration has declared a war without limit and instituted stark new measures of repression.
President Bush has declared, "You're either with us or against us." In response, we declare that you do not speak for us. We refuse to support this vast war against "terrorism," including those actions proposed and imagined by the Bush administration as part of that large war, and we repudiate any inference that any of these wars are being waged in our name or for our welfare.
We who sign this statement applaud and support the questioning and protest now going on, even as we recognize the need for a greater mobilization of the public against this juggernaut. We pledge to resist the current policies of war and repression and to petition our government and exercise our right to protest these disastrous policies. We urge others to raise their voices as well as to do everything possible to resist the Bush administration's policies.
Thomas Dumm, Political Science
Barry O'Connell, English
Kannan Jagannathan, Physics
Andrew Parker, English
Martha Saxton, History and
Women's and Gender Studies
Marisa Parham, English
Catherine Ciepiela, Russian
Nicola Courtright, Fine Arts
Paul Rockwell, French
Allen Guttmann, English and
American Studies
Judith Frank, English
Elizabeth Garland, Anthropology
Kim Brandt, Asian Languages
& Civilizations and History
Deborah Gewertz, Anthropology
Patricia O'Hara, Chemistry
Martha Umphrey, LJST
Kim Townsend, English
Patrick Caddeau, Asian
Languages & Civilizations
Hilda Otaño-Benitez, Spanish
Antonio Benitez-Rojo, Spanish
Burlin Barr, English
Leah Hewitt, French
Constance Congdon,
Playwright in Residence
George Greenstein, Astronomy
John Cameron, English
Michele Barale, English and
Women's and Gender Studies
Roger Berkowitz, LJST and
Political Science
Carol Clark, Fine Arts and
American Studies
Suzanne Dougan, Theater and Dance
Rosalina de la Carrera, French
Kristin Bumiller, Political
Science and Women's and
Gender Studies
Jan Dizard, Sociology
Aida Nawar, French
Aaron Hayden, Capital Project
Manager, Engineer
Marjorie Hess, Head of Catalog
Section, Frost Library
Carol Angus, Director of
Information and Publications,
Five Colleges, Inc.
Jacquiline Bearce, Psychotherapist, Director of Counseling
Robert May, Psychotherapist,
Director of Training, Counseling Center
New publications are disgraceful
The recent appearance of two "publications," The Hamster and The Pupa in the lobbies of several campus locations is the lowest I have seen students sink to in the name of free speech.
In an attempt to one-up the already offensive Hamster, The Pupa reaches a level of offensiveness that is truly beyond acceptable. They manage to offend just about every race, gender, sexual orientation and religion you can think of. As a parent and member of the staff at Amherst College, I find the references to pedophilia absolutely intolerable.
I am all for free speech, I am not a conservative or a person who believes in censorship. This publication however is too reprehensible to go unnoticed. So I say to those who distribute The Pupa, do not waste your time putting them in the building where I work, because I will recycle them just as I did the remaining pile I found today.
Greg Wardlaw,
Manager of Dining Services and Catering
Freshman lecture disappointing
I am honestly a little bit confused. When I decided to attend Amherst College, I thought that I would be attending an institution that would prepare me for making a difference in the world. According to our first-year speaker, Kevin Phillips, I am seriously mistaken. Our country is apparently in a state of decline, and I cannot do anything to prevent it. If I wanted to be an engineer, then I might have a chance of helping the U.S. maintain its status as a superpower, but as a student who wants to pursue a liberal arts degree, I am a lost cause.
In his day, Thomas Malthus was nicknamed the prophet of gloom and doom. Kevin Phillips could well be the modern day Malthus.
Other than the fact that Asian countries will soon be taking over the world, it was largely unclear what Phillip's message was. He did have one encouraging remark having to do with voting, but it was nullified when he remarked that nothing ever gets done in Washington and that we have horrible leaders to choose from. I came to the speech looking to be inspired, and I left feeling depressed.
In his speech, Phillips remarked that he was part of the silent generation. It would have served the audience of his speech better if he remained true to his generation's nickname.
Melissa Sidman '06