From Deseret News archives:
Students peacefully protest Cheney's upcoming appearance
Cheney is scheduled to speak to be BYU's commencement speaker on April 26.
"Replace Cheney with President Hinckley 4 commencement," read one sign, referring to the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
German professor Rob McFarland held another sign that proposed a new presidential ticket for the next election: "Cheney and Voldemort in 2008."
McFarland earned a degree at Cal-Berkeley, where protests have a lot more bite and happen almost daily.
At BYU, a private, religious university, protests are rare; on-campus demonstrations require administration permission.
"It's very kind of BYU to provide this kind of venue where without vandalism and slander we can share ideas," McFarland
The relative tameness of the protest was intentional.
The BYU College Democrat club sponsored the event with permission of the dean of student life. The president of the club, Diane Bailey, asked the dean's office to help her police the event.
"I told the dean I wanted help to make sure causes against our church did not hijack our event," she said.
One of them, Tom Doggett, created an involved sign with pictures of Cheney, President Hinckley, deceased former LDS President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Russell M. Nelson of the church's Quorum of the Twelve.
The sign mimicked the Sesame Street song, "One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong."
"I love the prophet and apostles," said Doggett, a BYU graduate whose wife attends the university. "I'd rather have them come speak at commencement."
While the message didn't attack the church, a condition agreed upon by Bailey and BYU, some might take it that way, she said.
"If you put up pictures of the prophet or First Presidency at a protest like this, the automatic assumption for some is that it's an attack," Bailey said.
She had another reason for objecting to the sign.
"We want to let our community know you can be a faithful Mormon and be against the Bush administration. Signs like that convey the idea that liberalism is something to be afraid of and it's not."
Bailey carried her own sign: "Faithful Utah Mormons Against Cheney."
The student Democrats hope the strong-but-organized showing proves to the university's administration that it can handle another protest on the day of Cheney's speech.
A relative smattering of people could be found at a simultaneous rally sponsored by the College Republicans club. Several hundred students stopped by the simultaneous rally to grab cookies and pick up blue armbands in support of Cheney.
E-mail: twalch@desnews.com
Comments
- Mistake vs. repeat affairs probed 10:49 a.m.
- Overweight pets have health problems 10:46 a.m.
- Eastwood, Freeman back in 'Invictus' 10:44 a.m.
- Party security? Come down South 10:43 a.m.
- Treasures: From Paris with porcelain 10:41 a.m.
- Nature themes popular in decor 10:40 a.m.
- S.L. grant for smoke, CO detectors 10:37 a.m.
- No-pull leash is a hit 10:34 a.m.
- 101 Ideas: Great holiday ideas 10:32 a.m.
- Make your own holiday centerpiece 10:29 a.m.
- Crash landing next to I-15
- Palin signs books, chats with fans
- Psychologist: Mitchell schizophrenic
- Panel passes BCS playoff bill
- Nude bathers cited for lewdness
- Hot Rod behind mic for Lakers
- Max Hall wants to look ahead
- Cougars use depth to beat ASU
- Non-BCS schools not given fair shot
- Jazz fall apart late at L.A.
- Letters: Global warming a lie
236 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
206 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
186 - Cougars going back to Vegas
150 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
147 - Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
140 - Max Hall wants to look ahead
121 - Palin signs books, chats with fans
117 - Revive full food tax?
101 - Panel passes BCS playoff bill
99
Love him or hate him, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch knows how to get attention.
My wife Lisa and I would prefer never to argue. But that's not going to...
For the latest news in the health care debate and how it affects you...
Roland Kayser | 9:08 a.m. England's traffic fatality rate is lower than...
Husband took two preschoolers on impromptu camping trip in the winter? A...
So Sick of the Establishment and their expensive parties with their little...
Bathing nude?!? I've never heard of such a thing! That's just crazy!
WOOWH!! HONORABLE MENTION. RIGHT ON!! :)
Stop with the racism accusations. It's not racist to disagree with the...
Wow, one of the Flash major sponsors is also saying it was just in good,...
Ah yes- spreading the wealth- in a very appropriate way. So unlike the...
Winning the BCS Trophy is like winning the Nobel Peace Prize......you claim...
'Sometimes pagans, you make me sick.' - 9:21a 'Pagan - sometime you make me...




You can be the first to comment on this story.