2008 Woodie Awards
Pope not friends with Bush
COMMENTARY
Issue date: 4/14/05 Section: Opinion/Editorial
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First, I have to say that I mean no disrespect for late Pope John Paul II.
Now, I am not a Catholic and I certainly did not agree with most of the pope's points of view. For instance, his stances on reproductive rights, women in the priesthood and women's roles in general gave me heartburn.
But, despite my gastrointestinal discomfort, there is one man who can always piss me off just a little bit more than anyone else. I'm talking about President George W. Bush.
On the day of the pope's death G. Dub, the dutiful dictator, announced to the world that he would lead the delegation for the United States at the pope's funeral.
It's a nice gesture, but is it possible the president forgot, or, dare I say, ignored the fact that the pope was vehemently opposed to the death penalty and the Iraq War - two things Bush is both responsible for and in support of.
Let's start with the death penalty.
During Bush's three terms as governor of Texas, 152 death-row prisoners were executed in his state.
Most governors, when considering a stay of execution, review death row cases for at least 24 hours.
Bush has said that he reviewed each case for a "full 15 minutes." He even went so far as to mock one of the inmates-Karla Faye Tucker.
In a 1999 article in Talk magazine, a journalist described how Bush mimicked Tucker's plea.
"Please," Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "don't kill me."
By the way, Tucker, a born-again Christian, was the first woman executed in Texas.
On the subject of war, the pope was not shy about stating his opposition to the United States invasion of Iraq, calling it a "crime against peace" and a "defeat for humanity."
In a March 2003 article, the pope was quoted as saying the potential military strike on Iraq was immoral and risky.
Did Bush listen? No.
The good and moral, born-again Christian world leader ignored the advice of the highest religious leader in the world and went ahead and ordered the strike.
Upon returning from the pope's funeral, President Bush addressed the press corps aboard Air Force One.
"The pope taught us that the foundation for human freedom is a universal respect for human dignity... so we must work for a society where the most vulnerable among us have the greatest claim on our protection," Bush said.
Is that really what you believe, or is it just about image and sound bytes? My guess is the latter.
Emily Dale Swoboda, a senior journalism major, is the online editor for The Journal.