Nazi Bush mural receives mixed student reactions

 by Joseph N. Hermiz
 published on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Joseph N. Hermiz / THE STATE PRESS

PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAYAL: A mural including President George Bush in a Nazi uniform was part of the West Campus’ Border Justice Event last week.

Despite controversial displays at last week's Border Justice Event held at the West campus that aroused mixed emotions in students, ASU West's Public Affairs Director Steven Des Georges said he is proud of the event.

The event's goal was to provide commentary and discussion by field leaders that provided different perspectives regarding illegal immigration.

The event, which took place April 7 and 8, featured public art, theater, film, music and town hall-style discussions on Proposition 300, the DREAM Act, affirmative action, English-language learning and education about border justice. However, the talk of the event was the "Education without Borders," an installation by the CALACA Cultural Center.

CALACA, along with other artists from the West campus and the surrounding community, decorated a mock border wall that was made of eight-foot-high metal panels.

A mural of Che Guevara jointly displayed images of John McCain, Dick Cheney, President George W. Bush and Joe Arapaio portrayed as Nazis, in addition to the image of a Statue of Liberty painted as a skeleton and the American flag on the ground.

ASU West College Republicans President Matt Wharton, a political science junior, said he believed the display's "radical images" did nothing more than create "hostile feelings."

"When trying to affect policy decisions, completely telling off one side is not a good idea," Wharton said.

Des Georges said the illegal-immigration issue is more then just a two-sided debate and that the purpose of the event was to explore the issue and engage the audience in discussion.

"[Illegal immigration] is a difficult subject with varying opinions," Des Georges said. "However, anytime you are looking at any subject that is as highly emotional as this, you are always going to run into things you are not going to agree with, but the attendees should have been made to engage in discussion and thought."

Matt Roberts, a finance senior, said he felt the event lacked good judgment.

"While I certainly support the freedom of speech and oppose censorship in all of its forms, I find it innately repugnant to portray George W. Bush as a Nazi," Roberts said.

William Simmons, an assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences in ASU's New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and co-coordinator of the event, said he believed some of the imagery wasn't entirely appropriate. However, he said, the channels of dialogue need to be open to all sides of the argument.

"Several images and words that were expressed during the event and during past events were abhorrent," Simmons said. "However, this happens whenever we take on a highly charged issue, such as border justice.

"One of the main goals of the event is to foster dialogue and get beyond the clichés that are thrown around about immigration policy, [and] to do that, it is important to have a free exchange of ideas."

Simmons said the coordinators provided several forums for people to express themselves during the event, including a message board and a question-and-answer session during panel discussions.

Reach the reporter at: joseph.hermiz@asu.edu.