From the Deseret News story, BYU announces plans to confer an honorary degree on visiting US Vice President Cheney.
Cheney will arrive in Utah Thursday at 1:55 p.m. and meet with the First Presidency of the church at 2:30. Commencement begins at 4 p.m.Well, I'll save some trouble by agreeing that none of this means a whole lot.
The visit with the First Presidency is the norm for international leaders who visit Utah. Church and BYU spokesmen said the honorary degree is not an endorsement of Cheney's policies.
Those who can't attend can watch the commencement live on KBYU-TV Channel 11 in Utah and on BYU Television on cable or satellite stations, or listen live on KBYU-FM 89.1 or BYU Radio on the air or the Web.
The commencement exercises will be rebroadcast Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (MDT) on BYU Television. The event also will be available through video-on-demand to Comcast digital cable subscribers in Utah from Saturday through May 4, Jenkins said.
The First Presidency routinely meets with visiting officials. Not all of them are particularly nice people.
And the news article points out that such attentions as paid to Cheney do not constitute tacit approval of his politics, nor are they a reflection of any personal merit. He is an official representative of our government, and appropriate respect for his office must be given.
However, I think perhaps it might suggest to the dispassionate observer that it would be quite remarkable for church leaders to meet with such a devil incarnate as Cheney has been portrayed. Who knows? Perhaps they are not even wont to think of him as a murderer or a liar.
Looks like I have a front-row seat at the Marriot Center for Cheney's speech. I will post a report later.
I think part of the problem with the protesters position on this matter is that it doesn't seem to be all that well based in reality. Too wrapped up in divisive hyperbole.
So far as I know, Vice President Cheney has not been convicted of any of the crimes he has been accused of, though the issue has been tried in court a number of times. His culpability has all been established through "trial by media".
Look at this example from yesterdays DesNews article, quoting a protesting BYU history professor.
"I believe this is the first time in BYU history the school has so honored a commencement speaker who is in the process of being impeached by Congress."
This is baffling to me, as I have yet to learn of any official impeachment proceedings by the Congress. (Though I'm certain that members of MoveOn.org have tried, convicted, and burned him at the stake many times over.)
If we simply imagine such things, will it make them so?
5 comments:
Articles of impeachment have been officially introduced in the House. They probably aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but it has happened. Google is your friend.
Well, thanks for the info. I suppose maybe having Dennis Kucinich printing up articles of impeachment is the same thing as "in the process of".
Sorta.
Maybe.
Jim,
Denial is not usually a good refuge
Guy, thanks for pointing that out. But I suppose wishful thinking is just as fruitless.
As far as I have been able to learn, the Articles of Impeachment submitted by Sen Dennis Kucinich have little chance of ever being considered by the Congress. I would have thought you would be more aware than most that attempting to introduce a legal motion doesn't mean mean much unless the legal body consents to pay attention to it.
In my opinion, Kucinich knew he had no support for Congressional imeachment hearings. Submitting the proposed articles was just an empty gesture.
Time will tell.
Cheney was great.
Nader speech, on the other hand, disappointed all 17 people who went. I shouldnt have went, and left only 16 to be disappointed.
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