Alumni Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 6)

ON CAMPUS erty. And I think that’s what security is for— it is for the purpose of securing liberty. For those who say we have two values that need to be balanced—one security and the other liberty—I say I think we have one value that needs to be protected, and that’s liberty. That’s what security is for—to protect, enhance, and enrich liberty. But I do see in young people some of the ﬁnest human beings, with tremendous aspirations for achievement and for sharing their achievements with their community. And some deﬁne their communities very broadly, which is very admirable. They want to help make the world a better place. [Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives] Newt Gingrich recently was quoted as saying that Americans will gladly trade freedom for security. Would you agree? ten minutes with JOHN ASHCROFT Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft came to Lehigh in late April to discuss leadership in challenging times and the importance of securing liberty in the United States. Ashcroft was named to the position of Attorney General on Dec. 22, 2000, just days after the controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the contested presidential race. He served one full term, announcing his resignation from the post in November 2004. He officially stepped down on Feb. 3, 2005, following the Senate confirmation of former White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez as the next attorney general. During his time in the Bush administration, Ashcroft was at the center of controversies including enactment of the U.S. Patriot Act, the existence of the Guantanamo Bay detention centers, and the use of harsh interrogation techniques on detainees. 6 lehigh alumni bulletin Ashcroft, who also served as governor of Missouri and later as U.S. Senator, took time before and after his talk to discuss with Linda Harbrecht some of these controversies and the mood of the country as he travels to college campuses as the Harold Simmons Lecturer for the Young America’s Foundation. You’ve been to several colleges over the past few months. What’s the mood of the students you’ve met? I don’t think that’s the analysis I would prefer. I think when you say security, you have to say, securing what? And freedom is the reason to have security and if security doesn’t enhance your freedom, it’s not worth having. So my own sense is that he and I might arrive, after a discussion, at the same sort of awareness of the importance and value of liberty. But that’s what security is for—not security absent a purpose or a goal, such as liberty, which is what distinguishes America and where we’ve been so profoundly in advance of other cultures and what has given us the advantage of attracting real talent from all over the globe. The formulation of the issues is not that security is supposed to compete with liberty. It’s that it is to reinforce, enrich, and enlarge liberty. I’d rather that, rather than seeing security as a competitor of freedom, we see security as a supporter of freedom. Where do you think most Americans are on this issue? PHOTO BY THEO ANDERSON I think they agree with me 100 percent. One hundred percent? Well, I really hesitate to say because I don’t know that I see a representative group of students. But people are concerned with national security and the issues related to it and the fundamental core value of America, which is lib- Absolutely. They are not in favor of having a lot of rules and laws and regulations unless they are rules and laws and regulations that promote the fundamental core value of this culture, which is liberty. According to news reports, you had a very testy exchange with a student on one of your recent

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Alumni Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents From the President's Desk Mailbox On Campus Research Arts & Culture Sports Alumni News Cover Story: In Galileo's Wake Technically Funny The Healing Game Looking for America The Last Word

Alumni Magazine - Spring 2008

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