In their first joint public appearance, Liz and Mary Cheney spoke at Scripps' Garrison Theater on 15 Nov. Students hoped the Cheney's would offer stances on key political issues and challenge the largely Democratic college community. However, they delivered an uncontroversial speech on their experiences working on father Dick Cheney's campaign trail.

"They basically talked in circles and didn't address issues. They just gave anecdotes instead," said Jenny Brody (SC '09). The Cheney's recounted lighthearted moments of family campaigning: their kids making confetti angels after a rally, watching Dick Cheney back the car into the garage while trying to avoid the press and sabotaging a Kerry photo-op on Ellis Island by luring hundreds of seagulls with french fries.

"I thought the speech insulted our intelligence level. I think they think we're a joke, that we're a finishing school," said Alex Pauley (SC '08).

Before the speech, several student protesters lined the Garrison steps, handing out flyers and chanting "Cheney, Cheney, you can't hide. We charge you with genocide."

"Our college is welcoming supporters of Dick Cheney and of an administration that has acted so violently against women and people of the world," said one protestor.

Not only has the lecture itself sparked a lot of negative attention from the college community, but several students and some faculty members were angered by the Scripps administration for monitoring the question and answer session and permitting only questions submitted beforehand.

"I'm protesting against the restrictions on free speech, specifically against any prior restraint on speech," said Pitzer professor Dan Segal as he handed out flyers. "It's an offense no matter who the speaker is. It was an offense at CMC with Bono and it is tonight."

However, Ilan Wurman (CMC '10), president of the Republicans of the Claremont Colleges, commends Scripps for monitoring questions. "If this were really an issue of academic freedom, there would not have been filtered questions at President Bill Clinton's talk last year."

There was no protesting at Clinton's speech against monitored questions, Wurman said. Because of polarization in the current political environment, Wurman believes that in an open forum, Liz and Mary Cheney may be heckled with comments about their support of Vice President Cheney's controversial political affairs.

"Questions are not being 'filtered'" said Professor Kerry Odell, who collected and organized submitted questions to be read by the moderator. She said that with time constraints, more questions can be asked using a moderator. Although this process enables monitoring, for the moderator only asked a select few of the many submissions, many questions raised hot political issues. Questions addressed waterboarding as torture, pulling out of Iraq and the reconciliation of Mary Cheney's homosexuality and Republicanism.

While the Cheney's speech lacked contentious political undertone, their answers to controversial questions aggravated the college community.

When asked about backing a party that does not support gay rights, Mary Cheney's roundabout response frustrated many students. "I think the biggest challenge facing our country today is national security, Islamic fascists who want to ruin our way of life." Citing the Republican party's emphasis on combating terrorism she continued, "How can I vote otherwise? I'm not a poster child for the right or for the left."

"Mary and Liz Cheney are no more than political puppets for the Bush and Cheney administration," said Annie Mcshiras (SC '08). "I was disappointed to find that they were using exactly the same language and rhetoric used by the Bush administration. It only reinforces the brainwashing jargon, in my opinion."

In addition, the Cheney's use of the term "Islamic fascism" offended Fatima Elkabti (SC '09). "I had heard the use of this term by the Bush administration. I'd thought that it was a slip of the tongue," Elkabti said. "Using this term addresses Islam as if it were some disease. I think Islam is a beautiful thing that is not incompatible with democracy. It needs to be recognized as such, as a beautiful faith and way of life. With that in mind, our foreign policy toward the Middle East would be more agreeable to Middle Easterners and Muslims in general because it would not be perceived as an attack on their faith."

The Cheney's were asked if they considered themselves feminists, a loaded question coming from Scripps students. "This might get me in trouble," Mary Cheney answered. Referring to one definition of feminism, the equality of the sexes, she said "I think that unfortunately, a good percentage of women in the feminist movement have lost sight of that role and see women as victims. I'm a women, I'm not a victim."

After the talk, some students still felt their voices had been screened. Danielle Winner (SC '09) wanted to ask if Iraqi women are still experiencing rape as a war crime by U.S. soldiers and how the rights of Iraqi women are being promoted by US occupation.

"I felt that this question was especially relevant because of the Cheney's work regarding Middle Eastern women's rights," she said. "I was disgusted with Scripps's treatment of the questioning process and am ashamed to be a part of an institution that censors student voices."