Rutgers Students Don’t Want Rice. They Want Rights!
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was asked to be the keynote speaker for this year’s commencement ceremony at Rutgers University. It would seem the perfect fit for such an institution, a powerful official who was a key player in some of the most important moments of this millennium. Here’s the kicker… Rutgers students don’t want her. In defiance of the War on Terror, particularly the War in Iraq and even more particularly the Bush-Era interrogation tactics used by the CIA which have been controversial since they first came to light, students have protested Rice’s appearance and she has now decided against speaking.
The CIA’s Extraordinary Rendition Program involved the illegal kidnapping of people supposedly connected to terrorists. These people would be transported to “Black Sites” where they would endure treatment that was essentially torture. Technically, the treatment fell under the legal limits of the Geneva Conventions but since the program came to light all members of the Bush administration who approved its use have come under fire and even been threatened with trial for war crimes.
Personally, I view the rendition program as a disgusting, evil thing which in a twisted way was able to help save millions of lives. I commend the students for not wanting to endorse such behaviors but I also think it is important to note that many of those students, though they may not want to admit it, are glad that the Rendition program existed because it helped stop the deaths of innocent people.
Check out the full article in the link from CNN.
American Jumbalaya 