Anti-Bush objection out of place
I was disappointed in my fellow alumni when I read the letters in your autumn issue objecting to George W. Bush as commencement speaker. Intellectual freedom means, I hope, tolerance for differing points of view. It is intellectual snobbery of the worst kind to condemn the University for inviting the President of the United States to speak simply because one finds aspects of his record or his presumed views personally objectionable. If a commencement speaker is, as these writers suggest, supposed to represent the views of the University then who is to determine what those views are and whether a speaker meets the test? A great University like Notre Dame is made so in part by its diversity. I suspect that at least as many alumni voted for President Bush as voted for others. I personally am proud that Father Malloy invited him as commencement speaker. Since September 11th we have seen the true measure of President Bush’s leadership, and I think the University deserves credit and praise for having invited him.
Brian Lemon ’76
It is interesting that of the multitude of letters that might have appeared in the Autumn 2001 issue you chose six and put two in the first and most prominent position on page two. These two letters are strident attacks on President Bush. If you wish to criticize him, why don’t you do so in an editorial? As for the president’s support of Catholic values, do you think those who respect human life, particularly in the womb, should prefer that his opponent had won the election?
Jack Bruemer
I was aghast that the only letters you published re. Pres. Bush as our commencement speaker were so out of touch with the man and his experience.
I felt very proud of the Univ. back in the spring when I first heard the news that we would have him at ND for graduation.
The two letter writers obviously don`t have all the facts, whether it`s the Kyoto treaty or ABM disarmament.
Today 11/13/01, Father Malloy and the trustees must very happy that we had this president as the speaker for the class of `01.He`s proven he can rally the world in a moral way, as the leader in the battle against terrorism.
Additionally his sitting down with Premier Putin of Russia and negotiating a revision to the ABM treaty shows his leadership capability. One letter writer doesn’t recognize the dramatic changes in technology that have rendered that treaty obsolete.
Congratulations to Father Mally and the Board for having the president at ND
Gerard L. Meyer`56
I was, and am embarrassed, by the letters to the editor in Aug 2001 Notre Dame magazine; the one that I am particularly referring to is the excoriation of the President of the United States. Is the Magazine the proper forum for the mantra of this type?? “tragedy of Kyoto protocol”, “gutting Medicare and Social Security”,maligning the “Christian ideals”. While people of good faith can disagree, I strongly disagree that a magazine devoted, to my way of thinking, to campus views, campus news, activities of classmates,Notre Dame info, should be the venue for such partisan views. Are we now to invite letters letters praising our recently disgraced President for his acknowledged “indiscretions”?? I think not!! Let’s in the future restrict letters to Notre Dame issues and postures, and let our process of the ballot box be the forum for diatribes of this type.
Jack Revord, Class of 1958
The autumn issue of Notre Dame Magazine contained two captious letters to the editor about the selection of President Bush as the June commencement speaker.
I, for one, applaud the prescience of Father Malloy and the Board of Trustees for selecting President Bush who is showing thr leadership, determination and skill to lead our country during the current crisis and, as such, enjoys a favorable rating from almost nine out of every ten Americans.
John M. McGuire ’49
Manchester, NJ
The aumn 2001 issue contained two letters from alumni unhappy because George W. Bush spoke at the 2001 commencement. The only specific criticisms of Bush were his renouncement of the Kyoto protocols and the ABM treaty.
“Kyoto” would devastate American industry — putting millions out of work — while countries like China, guilty of gross pollution, would be untouched. The ABM treaty was with the Soviet Union, which no longer exists and under vastly circumstances than we face today. I am delighted our president intends to protect our country with a much needed misile shield!
George W. and Laura Bush have restored honor and integrity to the White House. Mr. Bush does what is best for America. He is a Godsend, after the immorality, dishonesty and untruthfulness of Bill Clinton, who thinks only of himself.
R.W. Degenhart ’43
Columbia, SC
Unbalanced reporting
O tempora, O mores!
Base on a casual reading of the latest ND Magazine (Autumn 2001) one would conclude the following:
The majority of readers emphatically deplore President Bush as graduation speaker and honorary degree recipient.
Deserving ND students to be denied honor status by switch from grade point to percentage basis.
Seventeenth century Jesuit visitation to du Lac refuted by records
Corporate recruiters love ND MBA — in spite of reduction of the number of firms and 20+ percent unemployment rate of ’01 MBAers!
Three Evangelists’ recountings of Christ’s “render to Caesar” message debunked by ND faculty member.
I rather expected a magazine of the caliber of ND Magazine to be more responsible and balanced in its reporting. My take on these articles is somewhat different.
President Bush – Those of us in attendance in the packed Joyce Center acknowledged the President of the United States with a standing ovation and with graciousness and respect. His speech was well received with only one visible, but polite, student dissenter. His own Alma Mater did not behave very well the following day under the same circumstances. By printing only two letters, disapproving his presence, you have presented a biased and unbalanced view.
Honors – ND is an unusual place. It is often said that the most difficult aspect at ND is gaining admittance. Unlike some other institutions, ND works hard to keep its students. For a host of reasons ND students apply themselves to their studies. Over recent years admission test scores, such as the SATs have increased by approximately 100 points where the average is now about 1300. With this it reasonable to expect grades will also increase. The basis of my experience is having attended and taught at other institutions, and a son (MBA ’93) and a daughter (BBA ’93 and MBA ’93) who both have “Cum Laude” on their MBA diplomas. Their honor achievements were part of the goals they set for themselves as they began their MBA journeys. They knew how difficult that goal would be, but they knew it was a finite goal, and not a relative goal. The grades they achieved were earned!
Perhaps the administration should review the Institutional Research study.
Jesuit Visitation – I seem to recall reading somewhere on campus, perhaps in the log cabin, about a visit by Marquette and Jolliet. Yet your article claims that “History books agree…” they went nowhere near du Lac. You also state that “no evidence exists” regarding any stop on the St. Joseph River. You also state that Jolliet lost his original and copied records. Then what is basis of the history books agreeing no visitation was ever made? Perhaps Marquette and Jolliet journeyed through my town of Gurnee, Illinois on the Des Plaines River. The portage from Lake Michigan is only a few miles, and the Des Plaines River empties into the Illinois River.
MBA Recruiters – Next time do more research on your stories – period! In fact, a follow-up story about recruiters like Ford, who no longer recruit at ND, and the high unemployment rate of the MBA ’01 class, which incidentally was not acknowledged by the MBA administration at the time of your article.
Caesar vs. God – It may not have been your intent to cause doubt about the written word of God, but how else would one interpret your article? It would seem to me that prudence might have led you to the ND Theology Dept. to seek an explanation of this apparent conflict. One could easily use your article and your masthead for a byline such as — ND publication quotes ND faculty member as claiming Christ could have never said, “Render to Caesar….”
Having raised several issues with which I take, I would also applaud the many excellent articles over the years, and also the standard features. I especially applaud Mary Pat Dowling’s photos.
While at the keyboard I would like to comment on a past article regarding ND’s admission policy. If I recall the policy correctly, if two students applied for ND and each were equal in all aspects save an association with ND, the seat would go to the student without any ND association. The argument for this policy is that ND would become known to others through the student without any previous ND association. I would argue that ND would benefit more over time and become better known to more by one with some previous association, especially one who really wants to go to ND. I have seen this with some of my childrens’ classmates. Some with impressive credentials came to ND and graduated and have not been heard from since. Those who came with some association left with the “We are ND” family connection. Most of those have given in terms of service work and also to ND alumni activities. Who is more likely to encourage his firm’s recruiting at ND? Who is more likely to take an active role in alumni activities?
Robert E. Sommerlad
Gurnee, Illinois
More of the same
Imagine my surprise, when reading the article about ‘rendering unto Caesar.’
“More of the same” were the words that popped into my mind… The mindset used by ND Prof. Udoh to make his case reminded me of a recent personal experience at Bible class at Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church in Miami, where the Maronite Pastor, in effect, rendered Saint Matthew’s account of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents “null and void,” because such a massacre of children was not recorded by any of the other three Evangelists, nor by any Jewish or Roman historians of that period…
The point I made at the Bible class then, and I make now is this: what about Our Lady, Saint Peter and the others? Would they have allowed lies in any of the Bible’s Books? What about the Catholic Church’s having a Feast Day to honor the Holy Innocents? I made my Confirmation at Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Pleasantville, New York, in 1959.
Yet, these so called “experts” of the New Testament now expect us to believe them, when they blasphemously suggest that Jesus never said what He said about taxes, that Jesus never performed the multiplication of the loaves and fishes miracle, that Herod never had the Holy Innocents slaughtered, that Saint Joseph never had a dream warning of Herod’s evil designs, etc., etc. ad nauseam…
Is it not so that US courts accept as true the corroborative testimony of just two witnesses? The witnesses to the happenings and miracles recorded in the Bible’s New Testament would have had their testimony accepted by any impartial US court of law…As the witnesses of such Biblical happenings, in many cases, were holy, their testimony would have had even greater credibility then and now…
When the Chastisement of GOD that was prophesied at La Salette, Fatima and Akita gets underway, then those people it who survive it may rise up against such “experts”. Many of these ‘experts’ are really wolves in sheeps’ clothing with an agenda, such as Communist Dictator Fidel Castro’s agenda. Namely, the destruction of the Faith in the souls of all authentic Cuban Catholics.
May GOD have mercy on such “experts,” as the people will have no such mercy!
Sincerely yours in Christ the King,
Arthur Leighton Denchfield III