On January 20, 2001, we witnessed the inauguration of George Bush as the new President of the United States. That inauguration took place amidst understandable protests across the country, and fears in the minds of so many in the world who had become accustomed to perceiving the United States as the leader of "the free world". Certainly, the circumstances that led to Bush’s ascendancy to the presidency were responsible for the protests and fears, but those fears were undoubtedly heightened by his nomination of John Ashcroft to be the country’s next Attorney General.

Who is John Aschcroft? Why should anyone have cared that Aschcroft was about to assume what is arguably the most influential cabinet position in this country? Why, really, should anyone fear John Ashcroft? The responses to these questions were clearly implied in the various reactions that attended his nomination by Mr. Bush who describes himself as "a unifier, not a divider – one who brings people together"? Supporters of Aschroft have consistently argued that he is a man of honor and integrity, a capable individual and good Christian whose dedication to service is impeccable. They also argue that Ashcroft’s critics are anti-Christians determined to persecute him for his faith.

Perhaps I should state that I am myself a Christian and do not persecute anyone for his faith, regardless of what that faith is. However, I am also very conscious of the fact that my responsibility to truth and fairness is a call that is higher than any political cause, and must therefore outweigh any expectations prescribed by man. To that extent, it is important to place the man Ashcroft into honest perspective.

Prior to serving in the United States Senate from 1994 to 2000, Ashcroft was Attorney General and two-term governor of Missouri. As Attorney General of Missouri, Ashcroft fought very hard against school desegregation, and the courts had to compel him to implement desegregation plans. A few years ago, while serving in the Senate, Ashcroft gave an interview to the Southern Partisan magazine, in which he stated that Jefferson Davis, Robert Lee, and others who fought for the right to own slaves were true patriots. As recently as last year, Ashcroft accepted an honorary degree from Bob Jones University, an institution that is widely known for its promotion of racial and religious bigotry. John Ashcroft is a fervent supporter of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and has been known to support their position on immigration, which is hinged largely on the idea that only immigrants from Europe should be allowed into this country. As a Senator, Ashcroft also shamelessly engaged in a sleazy, record-distorting, spiteful effort to derail the confirmation of Justice Ronnie White, a distinguished jurist who was nominated to the federal bench by President Clinton. Justice White, a highly respected man, was the first black member of the Missouri Supreme Court, and still sits on that bench.

All immigrants, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and others of good will ought to be concerned about Ashcroft who now seats in the office of Attorney General. How will a man who is against the immigration of a certain segment of our population enforce the immigration laws that are based on the principles of liberty and justice for all? How will he enforce the laws that are designed to guarantee the equality of all, regardless of race and ethnicity? How will he advise President Bush on nominations of judges to the federal courts and the Supreme Court? How will he enforce the constitutional rights that he has so vehemently opposed throughout his public life? How will he respond to racial profiling on our roads and the corridors of power? How does a President who claims to be "a unifier" select a divisive man for a position which, perhaps more than any other in his cabinet, ought to be led by a person without Ashcroft’s polarizing baggage? These are hard questions to fathom, but the answers may lie in what Ashcroft does as Attorney General of the United States.