Giving George Bush a humanitarian award has created such a firestorm of controversy inside the University of Denver that the Josef Korbel School of International Studies has backed away from its plan to give the former president an award for “Improving the Human Condition,”
Denver university in uproar over plans to honor George W. Bush
By Greg Campbell
Former President George W. Bush will be honored in September by the University of Denver, but not for “Improving the Human Condition,” as previously planned.
“Former President George W. Bush left behind a legacy of human rights abuses, including the torture of detainees in extraterritorial jails, preemptive war, domestic surveillance programs and other egregious actions that deleteriously impact the human condition,” wrote Christine Hart, an alum of the college, in an online petition that has been signed by more than 1,100 people since June 23.
In addition, about 20 faculty members circulated a letter to university officials saying they were “shocked, disappointed and embarrassed” that Bush would be considered an appropriate recipient for a humanitarian award, according to the Denver Post.
Bush is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Korbel School’s annual fundraising dinner on Sept. 9. The blowup creates an awkward situation not just for Bush, but also for the school. The annual dinner is its biggest fundraiser.
So now the Josef Korbel School of International Studies is considering changing the name of the award to be given to Bush to something else.
In my opinion Bush's unnecessary invasion of Iraq that inflicted a great deal of suffering and many needless deaths on the Iraqi people should disqualify Bush for any kind of a humanitarian award. Yes Bush did some very good work fighting AIDS in Africa be we need to weigh the sum of his actions as President before giving him accolades as a Humanitarian.