By Rusty Tomlinson

The al-Zeidi Society was named in honor of Muntadar al-Zeidi, who threw his shoes at George W. Bush.  He told his judge "While he was talking, I was looking at all his achievements in my mind, More than a million killed, the destruction and humiliation of mosques, violations against Iraqi women, attacking Iraqis every day and every hour. A whole people are saddened because of his policy, and he was talking with a smile on his face-and he was joking with the prime minister and saying he was going to have dinner with him after the press conference.... He was going to have dinner after destroying one million martyrs, after he destroyed the country. So, I reacted to this feeling by throwing my shoes."

We have taken his name, al-Zeidi, as a reminder of this anger and pain, which George W. Bush caused. Our mission is to work to see W held legally accountable for his actions while president.

Our current campaign is to prevent the creation of the Bush Policy Institute that is planned as part of the Bush Presidential Center. The stated aim of the institute is to promote the policies of the Bush presidency. The center is to be built at SMU, which is in the city of University Park, TX. The Bush Foundation, which is responsible for getting the center built, is asking for a zoning change. The Planning and Zoning Commission has scheduled a series of open forums, where residents voice their concerns with the plans. The museum part of the center is going to exhibit different parts of the Bush presidency. We decided to get the jump on them by exhibiting how their policies are crimes. Last month, we focused on pre-emptive war. This month we are exhibiting enhanced interrogation and next month, the Patriot Act.

In order to provide a buffer zone between the parking lot and the center, they have planned the parking lot quite a ways from the center and across a street. With Bush people's usual concern for the people, they have placed it right against some back fences, so the P&Z Commission told them, very literally, to go back to the drawing board.  There are going to be quite a few more meetings. Then it goes to the City Council. The meetings are held every second Tuesday, the next one January 12, at 4:45.