Bush must regard rights
COMMENTARY
Ryan Salzman

Throughout the history of the United States there has been a steady, progressive move toward liberal social policies that then permeate our society.

During the majority of our nation’s first century in existence, slavery was a common accepted practice. By the early 20th century the idea of owning a man was considered nothing less than barbaric. Although, blacks were still considered second class citizens it was admittedly a step up.

Then the civil rights movement brought the idea of equality to a new level by insisting on legislative action and commanding the attention of the country.

Finally, we wrestle with affirmative action in today’s society. The progression is obvious.
During each of these major steps there were individuals and administrations who tried to stand in the way. Many times they used the guise of “this is best for America” to fuel their desires. We look at those people and governments now in a shameful manner. No one in mainstream America would hold that Strom Thurmond was acting in a noble manner as he preached racism on the floor of our Capitol building.

This Bush administration will be viewed as the antithesis of progressive thinking. Many years from now we will shake our heads when we say the name George W. Bush.

During the last two years we have witnessed a steady decline in civil and individual rights in this country. The possible ending of Title IX does nothing but undermine the integrity of the Civil Rights Act. Women have fought for the last 100 years for equality and now it is obvious that our current government does not find any value in that struggle. The constant attempts to control what a woman does with her body shows nothing but inconsideration for the intellectual aptitude of more than 50 percent of our population.

This is a dark time for women’s rights in America.

John Ashcroft just can’t find enough toes to step on. He has adamantly insisted on the suspension of civil liberties to preserve the safety of Americans. He will gladly deport anyone regardless of the threats that await them in their home countries. For a man that couldn’t even beat a dead man in an election, I would say that he is living up to expectations.

This administration will not go down as ridding the world of evil. Instead it will be considered the purveyor of evil. We take free lunches and health care from children and give welfare to corporations. Airline companies receive bailouts while their former employees receive nothing. Our economy is horrid and our foreign policy is worse. We have a president who won’t listen, a vice president whose morals are as good as his heart, a Secretary of Defense who has a bad habit of shooting off his mouth and an inept Congress (both Republicans and Democrats).

It is all okay though. Why, you might ask? Well because “this is best for America.”
Ryan Salzman is a senior political science major from Temple. He can be reached at (r.w.salzman@tcu.edu).