By Shelley Kofler, ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-935013.mp3
Dallas, TX – Southern Methodist University began closing streets around the campus this morning in preparation for tomorrow's groundbreaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. ËÄ»¢Ó°Ôº's Shelley Kofler reports the event will draw thousands of dignitaries and some protesters.
Nearly two years after leaving the White House George and Laura Bush have invited some 3,000 to attend the groundbreaking of Bush's presidential center on the SMU campus.
Alan Lowe is director of the library. When it opens in 2013 the library will exhibit some of the millions of artifacts, documents and photos that chronicle Bush's eight years in office.
Lowe: That museum is going to tell the story of the Bush administration looking at four important principals: freedom; responsibility; opportunity and compassion. So it's not done in the typical, traditional chronological way. Instead we look at the issues, the developments the events of the Bush administration through those four principals.
The complex set on 23-acres will also house the Bush Institute, a think-tank already sponsoring forums on policy issues important to the 43rd president.
Some academics have objected to the institute being at SMU. They claim the university will be perceived as supporting Bush's controversial decisions for war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SMU expects anywhere from 100 to 1,000 anti-war protesters to gather for the groundbreaking. The university says it has coordinated with the protesters to locate them at a site on campus that will be visible to the public but where the protesters will not interrupt the ceremony which begins at 10:30 Tuesday morning.
Street Closings:
Bush Center Info: