A privilege, but a disappointment

This year Tufts is once again honored by the generosity of the Fares Foundation in bringing a distinguished speaker to campus to discuss major issues facing the Middle East. Certainly President George H.W. Bush has a unique perspective on the current climate in the Middle East, having opposed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait during his term as the 41st President of the United States.

Still, what many students may not have known upon receiving the e-mail announcement concerning the upcoming Issam M. Fares Lecture is that Bush has already spoken as part of the Fares series, having delivered the 1994 address. It seems impossible that other equally qualified speakers do not exist, thereby necessitating two Bush lectures in fewer than ten years. It remains unclear why Bush has been selected twice, when so many other important figures have not yet visited the University. As long as we're hosting former presidents, for example, why not host President Carter, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, who reached an immeasurably significant Egyptian-Israeli settlement with the Camp David Peace Accords in 1978? Carter, of course, has the added benefit of having never lectured as part of the Fares lecture series.

A brief examination of Bush's 1994 comments leaves something to be desired. A significant portion of his address was devoted to praising Fares, who was a significant financial contributor to Bush's 1988 inauguration. In comparing excerpts from Bush's address with those from the lectures delivered by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Giscard d'Estaing of France, Bush appears to have brought far less to the table in terms of revealing a great deal about his experience as a world leader in dealing with the Middle East. And unlike speakers such as President Clinton, who delivered the 2002 address, Bush certainly is not renowned for his oratory skills. We can only hope that this year's lecture will yield more substance than the 1994 address did.

Furthermore, one cannot help but raise an eyebrow at the fact that in promoting the Clinton lecture last year, the University PR office repeatedly mentioned that Bush had been one of the previous speakers. While recently, Bush's name was mysteriously missing from the list of past speakers in President Bacow's e-mail announcing Bush as this year's speaker. Why ignore the fact that Bush is a repeat speaker?

The University should welcome President Bush with respect, and students should prepare provocative, well-researched questions in advance of the lecture. There are, after all, new issues to discuss, particularly since George W. Bush is now in the White House. Still, the University should ensure that in the future the Issam M. Fares lecture series attracts speakers with entirely new perspectives.