SOAPBOX POST: Veep @ BYU?

Please note: I actually started this post once before, but somehow I lost it--likely operator error, but it was shaping up very well. I hope to recreate what I had previously written and that it will turn out as eloquent as I had been doing before if not more so.

Just when I was beginning to regain what faith and respect I had for Brigham Young University (BYU) they go and do something as silly as inviting Vice-President Richard (Dick) Cheney to speak at commencement services.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

This a school who traditionally have an upstanding member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints speak at commencement ceremonies. An upper member of the priesthood, such as an apostle, whether it is a member of the First Presidency, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, or even a member of the Seventy, that is who should be speaking at commencement. Perhaps a distinguished LDS member whose has made thier way in the world despite the world dogging them for their beliefs. While not all students at BYU may be LDS, all students at BYU are required to take and subsequently pass courses such as Book of Mormon, Church History, etc. There are a certain number of required courses to graduate from BYU that deal with religion, specifically that religion commonly called Mormonism. Students who attend BYU know that, and therefore should expect nothing less than the best of the best when it comes to speakers for their commencement activities. When I say best of the best, the commencement speaker for BYU should be someone who we all strive to be like. Someone who has the highest of honesty and integrity among their strengths and honors truth and virtue.

Cheney spoke at three commencement ceremonies in 2006. One speech for Louisiana State University, one speech at the Naval Academy, and one for his high school Alma mater, Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming. I can understand having him speak for a military academy and even his Alma mater, I can even justify the LSU ceremony by trying to support those in Louisiana after the devastation and government ineptitude after Hurricane Katrina. However, since the commencement season of last year, Cheney has left a lot to be desired.

However, an invitation was extended to VP Dick Cheney, and he accepted. I don't know if this an attempt on his part to redeem some of his mishaps and blatant mistakes or if he thinks this will endear him to these students in a political way. This man has had more foul ups in these last few years of this administration than many, yet, he continues to thrive. I believe he thrives only through the power of his own making. He does not hold the best interests of this country or its citizens in the proper perspective. He makes poor statements and decisions based on what might be best for him or those around him that would ultimately provide him with something he wants or desires. I believe none of what he says or does is out of need, it is only from desire. Like other politicians I feel that he has made a deal with the devil in some way shape of form and in order for him to receive all that he desires he must sell out all of those around him to fulfill that contractual obligation. So what if that means we continue to send innocents to their deaths? They do not matter, whether they are military troops from our country, natives to the current country of conflict, or other persons who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time--collateral damage.

If I were a current or even an alumni of BYU, I think not only would I be up in arms, but I would be making myself heard, very loudly heard. I don't care about the fact that BYU is located in the "reddest" city of the "reddest" county of the "reddest" state. As far as I am concerned Cheney has even gone beyond party lines and I think there are even some Republican he has managed to tick off. He has made too many errors and will likely be remembered as the worst VP in the history of the United States (and honestly that is saying something given we've had a VP like Dan Quayle). I often find the irony in my vehemence due to a prediction I made while I was a Girl Scout in Mills, Wyoming (essentially a suburb of Casper). While we were learning about our political system and we were touring the county buildings in downtown Casper, and had speakers from the local parties tell us about politics and gave us buttons that said "Women for Regan/Bush" and we found out the current Secretary of Defense was Casper's own Dick Cheney, I predicted that someday he would be president. How could I have possibly have known how close I would come to the truth? I remember my troop leader's comment at the time--I hope not--mind you my troop leader was also my mother. When I reminded her of my prediction, she just blew me off, but I stood firm in what I had said all those years before. I just never realized at the time that I would so readily agree with her sentiments from that time.

That being said I hope that students at BYU will rally themselves to one voice to maintain tradition, to vie for a speaker of appropriate measure for the institution of higher learning, and that if it comes down to it, that they consider skipping their commencement ceremony in protest of this travesty to BYU's good name.

In the mean time, I will prepare my signs of protest, slap a few on my truck and consider letting the veep know just exactly what I think of his and his administration. I also plan on praying a lot for the Provo Police Department, the BYU campus police, the Utah County Sheriff's office,, possibly the Utah Highway Patrol, and any other poor law enforcement schmoe that gets dragged into the realm of Secret Service and other government law officials that come in to make sure the VP is safe. I will also express gratitude that at least it isn't "Dub-ya."