Well, this is it. D-Day. Zero Hour. The Iceman Cometh. As I type this, Michael Moore is addressing a packed house at UVSC. And as far as I can tell by looking out my office window, the world has not — repeat NOT — come to an end. Oh, sure, it’s cold and rainy, and I can’t see the Wasatch Mountains through a low-hanging raft of gray clouds, but I’m pretty sure they’re still there. You wouldn’t know it from the nonsense that continues to swirl because of Moore’s visit, though. Before I left the house this morning, I caught a live broadcast from the parking lot of the McKay Events Center showing the police department’s mobile command center — basically a big RV, no doubt fitted out like a technophile’s best dream on the inside — set up and waiting to control any riots that may break around lunchtime today. I can’t wait until the evening news tonight to see if this precaution was needed or if the ravening mobs managed to restrain themselves from tearing the guest speaker limb-from-limb.

In case you couldn’t guess from my snarky delivery, this whole “controversy” continues to rankle me. I am simply appalled at how the people of this state, and of Utah County in particular, have reacted to the “threat” of hearing one man’s opinion. From the news segment this morning I learned that a number of donors to UVSC have made good on their threats to pull their money because of Moore’s visit, and there’s even been a last-ditch effort to cancel the appearance by means of a lawsuit. It’s all such nonsense.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we need dissent in this nation. You can argue about Moore’s methods or the accuracy of his views, but many of those who would silence him aren’t concerned with these issues so much as the fact that he dissents at all. They want him to shut up and go away because he says things they disagree with. And that’s not right. That’s not America. I only hope that someday things calm down enough for people to start to realize that again…