Presidential scholar confronts the president

[unhappycamper]

Mari Oye, 18, of Wellesley, was being honored in Washington as a Presidential Scholar. The night before, she persuaded 49 of her 140 fellow scholars to sign a letter calling on President Bush to reject torture and treat terrorism suspects humanely. (Boston Globe Photo / Patricia McDonnell)


Presidential scholar confronts the president
By Claire Cummings, Globe Correspondent | June 30, 2007


WELLESLEY -- Usually, the high school seniors who win the federal government's highest honor just go to the White House, pick up their Presidential Scholars medal, and get their picture taken for posterity with the president.

Mari Oye had other ideas.

In the Georgetown University dormitory the night before the big moment, the newly minted Wellesley High graduate persuaded 49 of her 140 fellow scholars to sign a letter she and a dozen others had drafted and she had just written longhand on notebook paper, calling on President Bush to reject torture and treat terrorism suspects humanely.

Before the scholars posed for a photo with Bush on Monday, she handed him the letter. He put it in his pocket and took it out after the photo shoot. Reading silently to himself, the president looked up quizzically at Oye and said, according to her, "We agree. America doesn't torture people."

The minute-long confrontation earned the Yale-bound student a mention in The New York Times and other national media outlets. Dana Perino , White House deputy press secretary, also responded later Monday. "The president enjoyed a visit with the students, accepted the letter and upon reading it let the student know that the United States does not torture and that we value human rights," Perino said.

~snip~

"I really felt l could not just go down and smile for the camera and not say anything," she said in an interview yesterday at her home. "There are some things that are more important than the decorum of protocol."


more

[whistle]

1. What courage to stand up to the peer pressure and see through the lies

...by this president and his entire administration. I hope Mari Oye keeps up the fight against deceit and deception and keeps asking the uncomfortable questions of those who abuse their official power and trust...:applause:

[Solly Mack]

2. "There are some things that are more important than the decorum of protocol."

and she's right

[H2O Man]

3. Nominated.

Really impressive. Thank you for posting this!

[malaise]

4. Mari you rock!

"There are some things that are more important than the decorum of protocol."

WTF does Bush know about protocol anyway?

[H2O Man]

5. "When decorum becomes

repression, the only dignity free men have is to speak out." -- Abbie Hoffman

[malaise]

7. Indeed

Good morning H2O Man. :D

We should also congratulate her fellow students. That took guts. Young people like them keep hope alive.

Add.

[tblue]

18. I wanna be just like her when I grow up!

[B Calm]

6. Gutsy little gal to stand in the face of a monster!

[WinkyDink]

8. No, "the United States" DOESN'T torture. But AMERICANS DO. And the psychopath-in-chief knew exactly

how he was equivocating.

[CoffeeCat]

12. In addition....(and most importantly),,,

...this administration went out its way to redefine what torture is.

BushCo and his legal team defined torture as any harm that results in organ
failure or death. Furthermore, further defined what torture isn't, when it determined that if the government is trying
to extract information or stop terrorism--then the actions against a detainee
cannot be defined as torture. Because they're not "torturing", they're attempting
to get information.

In effect, they can do anything they want--as long as they're doing it for the
express purpose of obtaining information.

So....when the pResident says that we don't torture, he is telling the truth,
according to the new definition of torture that is surrounded by a steaming
pile of legalese.

I often forget this, and I don't think we should.

[Bucky]

9. Which secret eastern European prison should we send our thank you notes to?

Nice to see the kids get it. Why can't the Congress?

[tanyev]

10. I am in tears.

WTG, Mari. :applause:



Further down, the DOE shows just how magnanimous it is by stating that those students who signed the letter would NOT be stripped of their titles.

A US Department of Education spokeswoman said yesterday the students who signed the letter would not be stripped of their scholar titles. "Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of our democracy and we're glad American students are exercising a right that so many others around the world aren't able to enjoy," Katherine McLane said.

[barbtries]

26. why would they even be subject to that?

for having courage? for being moral? jeezus.

[ladym55]

27. The fact that the DOE even said that ...

completely freaks me out. Excuse me? LOSE your scholar title for DISAGREEING with the Current Occupant and his henchmen?????

Hello???

Since when does disagreeing with the party in power mean that you are not permitted to win an award?

:shrug:

[DemReadingDU]

11. That is an amazing woman!

Excellent article, thank you for sharing!

[Vidar]

13. Mari Oye gives me hope for the future.

[lonestarnot]

14. Saw her briefly interviewed. She's brilliant and I, for one, am very proud of her.

[wicket]

15. K & R

:kick:

[pacalo]

16. She has a very impressive background, too.

Her mom was a presidential scholar, too, during LBJ & the Vietnam war, & she regrets not doing the same during her presentation. She didn't do so because she didn't want to upset her teacher.

Her dad is an MIT professor, & her grandparents were in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during WWII. The grandfather's experience there impelled him to want to help other people.

Good people!

[tblue]

17. Gives me hope for the future. I wish she were president right now!

[Aviation Pro]

19. Prediction here.....

...in 40 years, this young lady will be vying for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. The Republicans, feeling that the stench of the Bush administration has finally dissapated, will boldly nominate Jenna Bush - or is it Barbara? - thus continuing their losing streak of 10 Presidential races.

[NJCher]

21. I can't imagine a gem like Christina

Wanting to be in our corrupt political system. Nor can she. The article quotes her, "I hope to never run for political office in my life."

Our broken down system gave us the corrupt evil that is bush. It is so far gone that no one with any character would even enter it at this point.



Cher

[pingzing58]

20. Take that Nancy Pelosi/ there are issues more important than the decorum of protocol!

[YankeyMCC]

22. Now there's a Patriot and Valuable citizen nt

[Time for change]

23. Good for her

I'd like to see more people like her in Congress

[Kurovski]

24. K&R. (nt)

[ClayZ]

25. She gives me hope! WHOO HOO for her!

K and R

[tavalon]

28. Portrait of a whistleblower

I recognize her well. Kudos.

[proud patriot]

29. She's A Patriot

:) I love what she did and applaude her fellow scholars
who signed the letter . :applause:

[Greyskye]

30. picture change?

That so rocks!:applause:

I wonder why they changed her picture? I think the non-smiling one they evidently had originally is better.
This is the one currently in the linked article:

[Wiley50]

31. Oye? OH YEAH!

Guts, Brains, and beautiful too

This young woman has great potential

[Enthusiast]

32. Yeah, but.............

Yeah, but she's not a REAL Merican. : )

[90-percent]

33. If only

If only our congress had the courage this exceptional young woman has........

Nari has principals she lives by, congress is clueless about the idea there are principals that go with their positions as elected officials!

-85% jimmy