 "Photo: Sara Young/The Daily Texan")
 "Photo: Sara Young/The Daily Texan")
The stage was set for former Attorney General John Ashcroft to speak on campus Wednesday night well before he arrived.
A group of protesters stood around the double doors of the crowded University Teaching Center lecture hall waving signs of dissent.
“It’s okay, I wasn’t using my civil liberties anyway,” one person’s sign said. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength,” read another, echoing George Orwell’s words.
Despite the small number of banner-waving protesters who booed as Ashcroft first appeared, there seemed to be a buzz of anticipation before the former attorney general began to speak on his controversial political career.
Most in attendance were respectful of Ashcroft’s right to speak, but as he took to the stage, a procession of about 15 protesters marched single file to the back of the room holding their signs.
Ashcroft began the night by poking fun at his own political past, drawing applause from all corners of the room upon mentioning his failed 2000 Missouri Senate race, when he lost to a dead candidate. That humorous moment was the last time the politically charged audience agreed on anything.
”What’s absurd about this event is that Ashcroft is someone, along with many people in the Republican Party, who is totally irrelevant in American politics,” said mathematics sophomore Michael Schwartz. “This is the guy who, without any remorse, ripped up the Constitution.”
Not everyone who attended the event, however, had a negative opinion of Ashcroft.
“Whether you agree with him or not, he has a lot of leadership experience, and I want to learn from what he has to say,” said College Republicans Treasurer Justin May. College Republicans and Young Conservatives of Texas co-hosted the event.
At numerous times throughout his speech, Ashcroft had to pause in response to comments made by the line of protesters in the back.
“I appreciate the fact that I’m not welcome back there,” Ashcroft responded to one comment, “But your voice is not welcome up here.”
Ashcroft spent much of the night discussing the Patriot Act, explaining what he believes to be the fundamentals of the act: roving wire taps and increased communication between law enforcement agencies. Ashcroft tried to explain the importance of the law in protecting American lives. Many agreed and showed their support with applause. Others disagreed in low-groaning boos.
“I think history will be very kind to [former President George W. Bush],” Ashcroft said as he began discussing the powers of the president, drawing cheers and gasps.
Ashcroft acknowledged the fact that Bush is not a perfect man and made some mistakes.
However, he made sure to express his support of the former administration, describing many of its policy decisions as “necessary.”
At one point Ashcroft noticed a dry-erase board to the side of the stage and began to describe the overlap of power between Congress and the president to declare war. As Ashcroft made his way to the right side of the stage, one protester made sure to exclaim, “No, it’s not a waterboard!” Ashcroft didn’t hear him and proceeded to draw a Venn diagram.
“I don’t know of anybody who says that the president shouldn’t have any authority to declare war,” Ashcroft said. “The deliverablity and lethality [of weapons] are at a different level today.”
Ashcroft said he doesn’t regret any decisions he made during his time as attorney general.
“I don’t have a mark on my conscience,” Ashcroft said.
Wanting to end the night on a positive note, Ashcroft fell back on the safety net of freedom, discussing America’s responsibility to make the world a better place.
“Freedom is important, and it is our responsibility,” he said. “My greatest privilege has not been holding any government position but seeing that liberty will prevail.”
But from the mouth of John Ashcroft, even that comment recieved about as many boos as cheers.
Let's get 'em!!!!1!!!1!!!!!!1!
[grabs pitchfork]
I believe in the power of public protest, and those in attendance would have been more effective if they had stood quietly with their signs and contributed to a defiant atmosphere. I think that had a valid point, one that I probably would agree with. But by making a loud ignorant remark every thirty seconds, including some unconsciously offensive and irrelevant outbursts such as shouting "Hiroshima," I felt nothing but disdain for their night of self-deprecating behavior.
One final point. If any one intends to protest in the future at events like these and, god forbid, participate in the Q@A, please do your research about the speaker. John Ashcroft was asked to help a disabled veteran receive benefits, something that he can obviously not do as a civilian and that would have been out of his jurisdiction even as attorney general.
I should add that Ashcroft himself presented little substance. I was hoping for a heated evaluation of the Obama administration's domestic security policies. Instead, I saw convex cells used to demonstrate the overlap of powers between Congress and the President, something that seemed misguided considering that this overlap is largely the product of the Cold War and not current politics.
Finally, Ashcroft ominously said during his speech that 9/11 was committed "by a foreign power." I would love to know which foreign power Ashcroft was referring to, because it certainly was not Afghanistan or Iraq.