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I Need to ID This Image

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
Hi all,

I was referred here by the members at the Mastermason.com Forum as they think this is linked to the GL of Texas.

The image below of George W Bush is often rolled out on conspiracy/anti-Masonic websites in order to prove that GW Bush is supposedly a Freemason.

president-bush-skull-&-bones-yale-freemason-texas-.jpg


IN order to counter this lie I am trying to discover what the image actually is. So does anyone here know where it originally appeared and what was actually happening?

Mike
 

david918

Premium Member
Just a guess but he's probably signing a proclamation honoring public schools week when he was governor or something simular.
 

tomasball

Premium Member
That's Mike Gower as Grand Master, so it should be about 1999. Bush looks like he's signing a proclamation.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
it was taken Feb 2000 with a bunch of officers from masonic district 50a and 50b in texas. it was a texas law to "reclaim public schools" or something along those lines.
 
H

Huw

Guest
Thanks, JTM, it's always handy to know the real facts.

Unfortunately it probably doesn't help Bro. Martin's problem as much as it might if it were something else. Now, instead of saying "Bush was a Mason!", the conspiracy nuts will be saying "Masons are subverting public education!" Of course, it probably doesn't really matter what we do (or don't do), conspiracy nuts will always find some way to claim that there's something wrong about it.

A point to bear in mind is that, in some other countries, public education is more of a partisan political issue than it generally is in the US. In the US, the Brethren can (and do) get involved in public education initiatives and it looks good, but elsewhere (such as here in the UK) it'd be quite difficult to do that without being accused of getting involved in partisan politics, so we generally steer clear of that field. Thus a photo of Brethren looking as if they had something to do with a policy decision about public education may well look good over there, but it'd be a tricky PR problem over here. Unfortunately.

T & F,

Huw
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
it was taken Feb 2000 with a bunch of officers from masonic district 50a and 50b in texas. it was a texas law to "reclaim public schools" or something along those lines.
Hi TJM,
That's a good start but do you know where I can get "chapter and verse" on what exactly and specifically is occurring.

Mike
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
from GLoT. send an email to the grand secretary (Tommy Guest) at this address:

E-Mail: gs (..@..) grandlodgeoftexas (dawt) org
254.753.7395
FAX 254.753.2944

he'll point you in the right direction at least.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
Thanks, JTM, it's always handy to know the real facts.

Unfortunately it probably doesn't help Bro. Martin's problem as much as it might if it were something else. Now, instead of saying "Bush was a Mason!", the conspiracy nuts will be saying "Masons are subverting public education!" Of course, it probably doesn't really matter what we do (or don't do), conspiracy nuts will always find some way to claim that there's something wrong about it.

A point to bear in mind is that, in some other countries, public education is more of a partisan political issue than it generally is in the US. In the US, the Brethren can (and do) get involved in public education initiatives and it looks good, but elsewhere (such as here in the UK) it'd be quite difficult to do that without being accused of getting involved in partisan politics, so we generally steer clear of that field. Thus a photo of Brethren looking as if they had something to do with a policy decision about public education may well look good over there, but it'd be a tricky PR problem over here. Unfortunately.

T & F,

Huw

they don't look like they have anything to do with policy decisions, they look like they are there to support the signing. just like any number of groups that have representatives behind someone when they have a signing.

if they just keep saying that the masons were pulling the strings there, then there's no point in trying to convince them otherwise because they've already made their decisions.
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
from GLoT. send an email to the grand secretary (Tommy Guest) at this address: he'll point you in the right direction at least.
I'm sure we all know that Masonic protocol prevents me from contacting a foreign Grand Lodge without going through my own Grand Secretary (nice bloke but he won't help me with this) unless I am actually within its geographical territory.

This is, of course, why I am asking the question of Masons who are likely to be members of the Grand Lodge in question and are therefore likely to have access to the info.

Mike
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
oh, yea, okay. you're from out of texas. sorry about that. silly protocol in my opinion.
 

cambridgemason

Premium Member
Premium Member
mike is a friend of mine from across the pond. he is looking for the info on that picture, it was by my recommendation that he seek out the brethren of this forum, since he can not contact the GL of Texas directly. Any help with his quest would be greatly appreciated from this brother in Boston. Thank you all for the info thus far, I knew that you brothers could give a helping hand to such noble and glorious an undertaking.
 

LRG

Premium Member
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (1798–1859) 2nd President of the Republic of Texas.
Lamar has been called "the Father of Texas Education." During his administration, he convinced the legislature to set aside 3 leagues of land for each county to equip schools. He also allotted 50 leagues of land for the support of two universities, later Texas A&M University and the University of Texas. Although nothing was implemented during his term, these actions led to the foundation for a statewide public school system.[5]
One of his quotes sums up his views "Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy and, while guided and controlled by virtue, the noblest attribute of man. It is the only dictator that freemen acknowledge and the only security that freemen desire."

As a master mason, we are honored to be apart of public school week.
Hope this helps
 

LRG

Premium Member
I must be on the wrong thread-sorry-
The picture deals with then Govenor Bush with Master Masons from The Grand Lodge of Texas. They were dealing with public school week. Why Master Masons and public school week? see above
 
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