"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

-- Jackie Robinson

BYU students should be honored to have the second most powerful man in the world speak at their graduation ceremony today.

There is a certain amount of respect and decorum that accompanies the office of vice president of the United States of America -- no matter who happens to occupy the office.

If the world is truly BYU's campus, then BYU ought to be a gracious host when it comes to visit.

Several years ago, I attended a convention where President Clinton was invited to speak. Although I disagreed with his politics and his morals (this was post-Lewinski), I was genuinely honored to be in the presence of a sitting president. It was an experience that I will simply never forget.

I did not try to shout him down, carry a sign, or turn my back as he spoke. Instead, I listened to his remarks and applauded when appropriate. I respected the office that he held, and treated him accordingly.

The thought of intentionally trying to show disrespect to an invited guest never even occurred to me.

For those BYU faculty and students who oppose Dick Cheney's politics, I have two words for you: common courtesy. Do not embarrass yourself or your school by intentionally being rude or disrespectful to the vice president during his visit to Provo. Hopefully your time at BYU has taught you better manners than those displayed by Mayor Rocky Anderson during the president's recent visits to Salt Lake.

Some controversy is inevitable in the selection of a high-profile speaker. According to those behind the petition, Cheney's "sins" include expressing his political views and being loyal to his friends. Cheney's critics refer to his actions as "criminal", though he has been charged with no crime.

They seem more than willing to dismiss the American concept of "innocent until proven guilty" in favor of trying and convicting Cheney in the media.

In 2002, Condoleezza Rice was invited to give the commencement address at Stanford University. An editorial from the student newspaper is particularly insightful: "Anyone who occupies a prominent position on the national or international stage will necessarily possess some views that are controversial -- show us someone who has never done anything to which some students could object on ideological grounds, and we'll show you someone who has never done anything of import in the public sphere."

For good or bad, Cheney has been one of the most influential national figures during the graduating seniors' lives. In addition to being vice president, Cheney has served as White House chief of staff (under President Ford), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (from Wyoming) and House minority whip (in 1988), and the Secretary of Defense (under President George H. W. Bush). While at Defense, Cheney directed Operation Desert Storm and the invasion of Panama.

In the private sector, Cheney has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Halliburton Energy Services -- a Fortune 500 company. He also sat on the board of directors of Procter & Gamble, Union Pacific and Electronic Data Systems.

Although Cheney's selection has been divisive, it has also facilitated a thoughtful debate about his career and the war in Iraq -- which is precisely what an academic institution is suppose to do. This exchange of opinions would not have occurred if the university had invited a church official or some unknown academic egghead.

Some have complained that the invite shows that BYU is not politically neutral. This is a particularly naïve complaint. Impartiality does not mean that a university must avoid hosting guests who lead nations or set public policy. Nor does an invitation constitute an endorsement of everything the speaker has ever said or done. Instead, "the speaker's role is to lend the wisdom and experience of a distinguished and relevant life course to an event that celebrates outgoing seniors' potential to become the leaders of the future. The people who are best able to do that are unlikely to be neutral figures with perfectly unassailable records," as the Stanford Daily reported about Rice's speech.

I graduated from BYU in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in business, and again in 1996 with a law degree. Although most BYU graduates (including me) will not remember the name of their respective commencement speakers, the Class of 2007 will never forget theirs. And that is something worth talking about.

Todd D. Weiler is vice chairman of the Utah Republican Party.