Dear Mr. Stephen K. Bannon,
We represent 173 current students and recent alumni from across all eight graduate programs in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and we are reaching out to ask you, a fellow graduate of Georgetown University, to uphold the stated values of our shared alma mater in your role as a Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor in the coming administration.
There is growing concern among Americans about the potential erosion of civil rights, rule of law, and respect and dignity for all people. The recent increase in hate crimes and the growth of organizations that question human equality underlie this concern. Therefore, we, the undersigned Graduate School of Foreign Service students and alumni, ask you to condemn hateful and divisive rhetoric that demeans and ostracizes immigrants, people of color, Muslims, Jews, women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who have been threatened over the past several months. Bigotry, xenophobia, racism, misogyny, ableism, and homophobia run contrary to the ideals and values that lie at the heart of both America and our university community.
Policy should be freely debated within universities, the U.S. Congress, the administration, and the public sphere. What should not and never can be debatable is our nation’s commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms at home and abroad. Now is the time to recommit to these values. As Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the President Elect, we encourage you to clearly affirm the new administration’s respect for fundamental rights and values.
Since its founding in 1919, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service has been committed not only to international engagement, but to an ethical global community founded on respect for the rights and inherent dignity of every individual. The tumult and uncertainty of the post-World War I era called for leaders who pursued integrity rather than antagonism, collaboration rather than isolation, and unity rather than division. Today, as the global community faces increasingly complex challenges, the need for such leaders is greater still. We hope you can be a voice for ethical global engagement, in the spirit of our Georgetown community.
We ask that you reaffirm your commitment above all to American democracy and institutions as you help the President Elect navigate the coming years. Our constitutional rights and values underwrite our great nation, and we hope that we can count on you to defend the values, rights and freedoms we all hold dear.
We would appreciate the opportunity to engage in further discussion with you about our values and shared Georgetown community.
Sincerely,
Ashley Arostegui, MSFS ‘17
Drew Dushkes, MSFS ‘16
Jessica Gott, MSFS ‘18
Rebecca Hughes, MSFS ‘17
Daniella Rose Montemarano, MSFS ’18
Natarajan Subramanian, SSP ‘17
Adriana Teran Doyle, MSFS ‘17
This letter was signed by 173 current students and recent alumni from across all eight graduate programs in Georgetown’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
