Students and faculty at Brigham Young University (BYU) are not known for political protests, especially those aimed at U.S. Presidents and their administrations. The Provo, Utah, school is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church. And the Church, the school and the surrounding county and state are strongly identified with conservative ideals and support for President Bush.
"The University is nestled in a conservative county in a conservative state," notes Kelly Patterson, director of BYU’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "And (Mormon) voters in statewide polls and national polls have shown a disposition toward conservative voting and support for the president over time, as well."
That may be why staffers for Vice President Dick Cheney called BYU and offered Mr. Cheney as a commencement speaker. The Vice President is giving just two commencement addresses this year. One is at West Point. It seems BYU and Utah would be a safe place for the second, a place free from protest.
But, hundreds of BYU students, faculty and alumni find a Cheney commencement speech disconcerting. They’ve been signing an on-line petition and they organized a rare campus demonstration, in which speeches, shouting, slogans, marching, personal attacks and criticism of BYU and the Mormon Church were prohibited. BYU’s College Democrats, a campus club, organized the protest and agreed to the restrictions.
"The College Democrats have agreed to keep it tame," explained Richard Davis, a BYU professor of Political Science and faculty adviser for the club. The students agreed "not to be riotous or disrespectful … or even say anything. It was not (designed to include) speechmaking."
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