Not only is Bush’s current approval rating lagging in the sub-40’s — the worst treand of any President in modern times — but he’s not very popular as a soon-to-be ex-President.
The Bush Presidential Library [insert "My Pet Goat" joke here], like all presidential libraries, is intended to serve as a respository of all the great things and writing of the Bush presidency [oh, the jokes are everywhere, aren’t they?].
What’s more, it is supposed to serve as a "think tank" in which the Bush policies are (it is hoped) further advanced into the future politics of American. [Good luck with that].
And it’s supposed to be housed at Southern Methodist University in Texas.
Well, Methodists have a huge problem with an association of their university and their religion to Bush and started an online petition today directed at the SMU Board of Trustees to stop the project/library. Some comments already from petition signers (including a vast number of clergy):
It is unconscionable that a man who boasts about his Christianity can not only advocate war as a first option in his foreign policy actions toward Iraq, but also actively authorize and condone the torture of individuals. A Christian institution like SMU should condemn these actions, and should not seek to put a Bush Library anywhere on its campus.
Wesley United Methodist Church, Rochester, NY –John Wesley is spinning in his grave. Bush’s policies have diametrically opposed Wesley’s vision of social outreach, equality, justice and peace.
Policies of the George W. Bush administration run counter to the principles of the United Methodist Church. UMs reject war, do not condone torture, support human and civil rights for all, and recognize care for the environment as a sacred trust. It would be inappropriate for a UM institution to glorify the Bush presidency by hosting a library, museum and think tank.
We are Christians who attend local Methodist churches and believe that what Bush’s view of Christian life is, …is so awful. Torturing people, incarcerating w/out representation, starting war based on lies, and simply being mean to others who may have a different view is not Christian.
Grace United Methodist Church I think George W. Bush is an abomination to our faith as Methodists. I have been born and raised into the Methodist faith my entire life and confirmed all my children in my Church as such. He does not have the same Christian grace, conscience and philosophy that I was taught and consequently taught my children along the way as good Christian believers. Nothing could be further from the truth from this Administration. They are a disgrace. Let another University and faith claim them. We should not.
And so on and so on….
UPDATE: The SMU faculty is protesting, too.