Some students of BCLS have gathered to write a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey respectfully asking him to reconsider his decision to be our commencement speaker for this year. The full text of the letter is printed below so that students may read the letter at their leisure before signing it. It is our hope that students will sign it within the coming days so that it may be sent to General Mukasey at the earliest possible opportunity.

Signing will be possible during lunch hours this week in the yellow room.

The Text of the Letter is as Follows: 

The Honorable Michael Mukasey
Attorney General of the United States
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530

Re: Boston College Law School Commencement Address

Dear Attorney General Mukasey,

We, the under-signed students of Boston College Law School, respectfully request that you reconsider your decision to deliver our commencement address this May.

While we appreciate the difficulties inherent in the position of Attorney General, we are disturbed by the statements you have made in support of the Administration’s position regarding the legality of waterboarding. As students of a law school that has a long-standing reputation for high ethical standards and a historic commitment to social justice under national and international law, we feel that your comments regarding waterboarding do not comport with the ideals we strive towards. Your widely recognized position in the Senate hearings on waterboarding would significantly detract from our commencement celebration and the values represented by our school. In addition, this would bring unwanted media attention to the event.

We are unequivocally committed to the values of free speech and believe that a democratic society can only function with open debate. In that spirit, we welcome you to come and speak at our school at a time and forum where the merits of these issues can be directly discussed. Specifically, we would appreciate the opportunity to hear you discuss the role of the Justice Department in the War on Terror and our government’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques.

We sincerely hope you will reconsider your plans to serve as our commencement speaker, and instead will consider coming to speak here before May or thereafter next fall.

Respectfully,