The Methodist ministers’ petition to stop SMU from getting the George W. Bush library hit a milestone on the same day SMU’s Young Conservatives announced plans to start a petition of their own.
The group organizing the Methodist petition said Wednesday that more than 9,000 church members have signed the online form since it was launched two weeks ago at protectsmu.org.
Fourteen Bishops in the United Methodist Church are now signatories along with the past president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, two superintendents in the British Methodist Church and more than 600 United Methodist clergy, according to the Rev. Andrew Weaver. Weaver, the head organizer of the petition drive, graduated from the Perkins School of Theology and currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The petition objects to all parts of the proposed library complex coming to campus and says the linking of Bush’s presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is “utterly inappropriate.”
“We’ve had an outpouring of support so far from those who don’t wish to have their beloved church associated with a man who has authorized torture and a lie-based war of aggression against the people of Iraq,” said Weaver in a prepared statement. “The comments on the petition are a modern epistle to the church and the 45 million Methodists worldwide, pleading for justice.”
Several notable names connected with SMU’s past have signed the online petition.
Kathryn Prothro, the great-granddaughter of Perkins-Prothro family, signed the petition. She noted that the “Perkins family of Perkins School of Theology gave 30 producing oil wells to found the seminary at SMU.”
Louise M. Tate also signed the petition. Her late uncle was SMU President Willis M. Tate (1954-1972, 1974-1975), and her late great-grandfather was Bishop Hiram Abiff Boaz, SMU President from 1920-1922. Tate wrote that “I am very glad to see and sign this petition.”
Students and faculty of SMU will have a chance to show their support for landing the Bush library complex today when members of the Young Conservatives of Texas start a petition drive.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., members of the organization will be on the west bridge of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center gathering signatures.
“Much attention has been devoted, both locally and nationally, to the viewpoint on the Bush Library of a few faculty members. We, as students at SMU, feel that students need to be involved in this decision,” said SMU Chapter Chairman Anthony Bednarczyk in a prepared statement.
“It is the opinion of our group that the opponents of this library have waged war on this proposal primarily because of their opposition to the President’s policies,” said SMU chapter executive director Andy Hemming.
YCT members are encouraging students and faculty to stop by the table for discussion, regardless of their views on the library complex.
