Is Michael Moore evil?

Back in October of 2004, Utah Valley State College (located in Orem, Utah) paid Michael Moore to speak at their school. The studentbody presidency was willing to shell out $40,000 for the "honor" of Moore's presence. The invitation ignited a firestorm of controversy but the studentbody governement would not back down saying, in essence, that though they disagreed with Moore's views, they felt it important to have someone speak at USVC whom represented a viewpoint that differed from the mostly conservative studentbody. At his blog (http://www.jinxidoru.com/), Michael Bailey, an alum of USVC's "parent" school, Brigham Young University, has ridiculed the protestors as bigots and accused many of them of writing "horribly ignorant" letters to the editor. Apparently, Bailey's feathers were ruffled after some anti-Moore folks called Mr. Moore "evil". Other Moore supporters, like Bailey, have accused the anti-Moore folks as being intolerant of opposing views and so forth. The pro-Moore side has been especially troubled by the threat of USVC supporters and alumni to withdraw support from the school because of the invitation and subsequent appearance of Moore.

Michael Bailey and his ilk just don't get it.

One, people weren't upset because Moore has an opposing view. They were upset because Moore doesn't counter conservative ideology with intelligent discourse. Moore instead counters the right with misleads, half-truths and lies. Fahrenheit 9/11 is all one, huge lie. I needn't go over the lies again. Writer Christopher Hitchens, who ironically is a liberal, has already done a superb job of exposing Moore for the liar he is (http://slate.msn.com/id/2102723/).

Two (this shot isn't necessarily aimed at Bailey), the pro-Moore folks in Utah, in their hysteria over supporters of USVC possibley withdrawing support from the school, have accused the anti-Moore crowd as being against free speech. What a bunch of ignorant nonsense. Free speech is a two way street, guys, and if supporters of USVC want to stop donating to the school over the controversy, that's their right to do so! They are simply speaking out with their pocketbook. I don't completely agree with the way they are speaking out against the Moore invitation but, as I said, free speech is a two way street.

Three, anyone who goes around making up horrific stories of American abuse (of Americans and non-Americans alike), falsely accusing the Bush administration of heinous crimes, and fomenting hatred from abroad toward America certainly comes close to evil in my book, Michael Bailey. So please, next time you refer to those of us in Utah as bigots and horribly ignorant letter writers, perhaps you should really take an honest look at Michael Moore. I don't throw the word evil around carelessly and hesistate to do so now but Michael Bailey, if Michael Moore is not evil, he is certainly something akin to evil.