In September 2004, with a presidential election approaching, the state of Utah was prepared to declare itself “Bush Country.” However, this conservative calm was jolted when Utah Valley State College student leaders announced that they had invited liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to speak at their campus. An explosion of outrage tore the community apart, and those once apathetic to political views rose to the front lines. And so began a heated war of protests, lawsuits, and death threats. Would conservative activists prevent Michael Moore from coming? Would liberal Utahans win their fight for Freedom of Speech? The answer lies somewhere within This Divided State.

Newell Bringhurst, Gary James Bergera, Edward L. Kimball, Boyd J. Petersen, Gregory A. Prince