Kerry and Bush stay silent about society
Geoff Korff
Issue date: 3/9/04 Section: Campus
http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2004/03/09/Campus/Kerry.And.Bush.Stay.Silent.About.Society-629800.shtmlThe candidates for president of the United States this election year are both members of the same secret society. The idea of secret societies in this day and age sounds ridiculous, but it is real. This one in particular has a list of known member's that almost reads like a Who's Who of the business and political world.
The secret society is the Order of the Skull and Bones at Yale University. Sen. John Kerry admitted his membership to Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press" but refused to comment on anything beyond his affiliation. His campaign spokeswoman Kelley Benander was quoted as having said, "John Kerry has absolutely nothing to say on that subject. Sorry."
When questioned by the Boston Herald, Kerry's campaign staff further indicated he will not comment on anything related to this topic in the future. President George W. Bush and his father have long since been known to be members of the society but have never commented on its activities or purpose.
The roster of other members of the order include names such as Harold Stanley, the founder of Morgan Stanley; Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine; Frederick Weyerhaeuser, founder of the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company; and Dean Witter, Jr. of Dean Witter investments, which merged with Morgan Stanley in 1997.
"The longer you look at this thing, the more you start to think 'can this actually be true,' because the reality of why this group exists is staggering," said Kris Millegan, editor of the "Conspiracy Theory Research List."
"It's the ultimate system of networking to get what you want," she said.
The Skull and Bones "taps" 15 juniors every year for membership during their senior year and in life after college, according to documents that were stolen from the secret society almost 130 years ago. The members take oaths of loyalty and swear themselves to secrecy about the group's purpose, organization and standards.
According to documents stolen by a 1988 raiding party of a rival society - the Skull and Key - the general purpose of the order is to "propel our members to places of control in every facet of life in the world."
Kerry was tapped to join the order in 1968, two years after Bush.
The Order of the Skull and Bones has existed at Yale University since 1832 when it was founded by William Huntington Russell, of the now defunct Russell and Company trading group.
The primary purpose of the company, from its inception, was purchasing opium in China and then reselling it across the world and in the United States. The Order of the Skull and Bones was built on this fortune, said Alexandra Robbins, author of "Secrets of the Tomb," an expos about the society's activities and existence.
Robbins said the group is "probably the most secretive and successful club in America," and adds, "it's also pretty bizarre.
"Its hard for most people to comprehend that this is actually true, that our two candidates for the presidency are member's of a secret club that was founded from money made in an opium empire,"Robbins said.