Ex-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been appointed as a "distinguished visiting fellow" at the Hoover Institution, as stated in the Stanford Report. There have already been quite a few strong reactions on and off campus to news of the appointment, with everything ranging from skepticism to anger. Many students and faculty members are disappointed that Stanford would honor a man who many believe completely mis-handled the war in Iraq, has been accused repeatedly of allowing torture and disastrous human rights abuses to occur in the process, a la Abu Ghraib, and has made remarks that characterize critics of the war as unpatriotic.

Students and faculty are currently circulating an online petition objecting to the Rumsfeld appointment for these reasons, amongst others. If you wish to sign, you can read and sign the petition here.