All My Right-Hand Men are Dicks

Maybe you heard, our esteemed Vice President recently spoke at the commencement our own Brigham Young University. I'm sure his speech was full of platitudes and was boring. In short, a boiler plate graduation speech. But it's kind of hard not to read this as a tacit endorsement of the current administration by the conservative-but-not-willing-to-endorse-a-particular-political-party Mormon majority of Utah.

Some BYU students who felt that Cheney completely lived up to his name, decided to hold an alternative commencement ceremony as a protest (there was also a standard protest with signs earlier). These students scored a minor coup by getting Consumer advocate and liberal pariah Ralph Nader as well a human rights advocate Jack Healy and hero to Utah liberals Pete Ashdown to speak at this alternative commencement.

Ashdown's speech felt like a church talk but was a nice commencement speech. Healy gave a passionate speech about moral imperatives.

Nader's speech was full of vitriol and anger (rightfully deserved) at our current administration and their policies. He took the concept of "alternative" to heart. Giving his thoughts and opinions on everything from having an option of voting none of the above on ballots to corporate greed.

I'd like to say that his speech was inspiring. Though-provoking, yes, but unfortunately these kind of things have a tendency to make me feel more cynical than uplifited. It seems impossible, what can anyone do? Systems are in place, stoic and immovable. People are more and more apathetic, content to watch Dancing with the Stars and not worry. Maybe its easier that way.