By Laura Rodell

The university on Tuesday welcomed former Attorney General John Ashcroft as guest lecturer in an address entitled “Leadership in Challenging Times.”

Ashcroft expressed hope that his legacy would center upon his role in significantly renovating the FBI to make a priority out of preventing terrorist activity. He noted the inherent challenge in re-motivating a nearly 30,000 member bureaucracy toward preventing terror, and pointed to the abatement of additional terror attacks as evidence of its effectiveness thus far.

“To the extent that it represents a success in preventing additional terrorist attacks, I suppose it’s the thing that we consider to be the most valuable contribution, and we are grateful to God and everybody else that we have not been attacked again,” he said.

In the wake of the governmental shift, the USA Patriot Act drew critical attention, though some question whether the intense spotlighting of the legislation has made Americans better informed or more confused. All debates aside, Ashcroft points to the senate’s overwhelming enactment and reenactment of the legislation as a barometer of the public’s support.

“There is a sort of artificial level of controversy that’s been stirred up on the Patriot Act but when it came time to vote, the House and Senate made it very clear that they, representing the American people, endorsed it overwhelmingly,” he said.

Recently, Ashcroft’s successor as attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, has come under investigation for what some contend was the politically motivated dismissal of eight federal prosecutors. In addressing the issue, Ashcroft said his chief concern was that administrative officials – anticipating having to appear before a congressional committee – might restrain their comments when the president solicits their input on personnel appointments. Such would compromise the president’s constitutionally granted authority to nominate and dismiss federal attorneys.

Ashcroft offers his perspective on some of the other headline-making issues and events during his tenure as attorney general in his 2006 book “Never Again.” For the author, it was a way to catalog his recollections and correct misconceptions and, for the reader, it is a means of accessing a branch of government sometimes perceived as shrouded.

“I thought it was important, given the fact that the story had been told by so many people who didn’t really know what was happening, that I had the opportunity to relate the story in the way which I felt was accurate,” he said.

“My own sense is that, for personnel matters and for matters relating to presidential appointments, the president is due very substantial deference,” he said

At the beginning of his tenure, Ashcroft unwittingly attracted media scrutiny for holding of morning prayer sessions with Justice Department employees. He responded to criticism by pointing out that it is against his religion to impose his beliefs. Ashcroft feels most people understood this as the issue had receded by his time as attorney general.

“I believe that one of the hallmarks of America is that religion is not something to be imposed, [rather] it is something to be inspired. But inspiration is not really the business of the government,” he said.

Ashcroft spoke optimistically about students’ ability to think critically.

“I find there are a lot of students thinking carefully about their futures, their lives, political issues, about governance and about the philosophy of freedom, and as long as students are working at those things, I think the future for America is bright,” he said.