Codypendent

Snide Remarks #293

"Codypendent"

by Eric D. Snider

Published in The Daily Herald on June 7, 2002

In today's edition of Crazy People Running for Office, we will discuss Cody Judy.

On Feb. 7, 1993, Cody Judy interrupted a BYU fireside where LDS apostle Howard W. Hunter was speaking. Judy held a briefcase containing what he said was a bomb, and in his other hand he held what he said was a detonator. Those of us in attendance wet what we said was our pants.

We also sang some inspirational hymns of God's love and mercy, which distracted Judy long enough for a bunch of guys to tackle him and beat him senseless. It was soon discovered that he had neither a bomb nor a detonator nor a weapon of any sort. He served eight years in prison and is now running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, making him different from most politicians, who tend to do their illegal things AFTER being elected.

If you visit www.codyjudy.com [no longer functional] you can read all about Judy and his platform. (He's anti-gun-control, but he has no problem with polygamy or same-sex marriage.) He speaks openly about what happened in 1993. He does not, however, address the issue of whether we ought to have an elected official named "Cody" or "Mr. Judy." It would be hard for me to support a government leader with either of those names.

Judy didn't want to meet for a face-to-face interview, but he did answer a few questions I sent him via e-mail. I have not altered his statements in any way, nor did I make them up.

It all started when he suffered some financial trouble and the LDS Church refused to help him (he says it's because he was disfellowshipped at the time). He became disenchanted with how the church was not helping its members live "celestial laws."

He writes: "How many members would say we are NOW LIVING those laws..or even close. We are not. As a member...I protested this first by approaching the leaders through letters...second through my attempt to visit with a general authority where I was rebuffed and rudely treated....thirdly, the marriott center was 'rude' of me."

He had tried to meet with church leaders in Salt Lake City and was rebuffed; his shenanigans at the Marriott Center were his last resort to get someone to listen to him. It makes sense, really. Who among us hasn't lost patience with The System and threatened a revered religious figure with an imaginary bomb?

Oh, but don't use the word "threatened" in regards to what Judy did. "Threaten an Apostle...how so?" he writes. "I never threatened Howard W. Hunter in any word...in fact the tape of the innsodent you can hear me telling him there was no threat, no one would be harmed or hurt, and assuring peace."

Yes, Mr. Judy, but you said you had a bomb. Surely you can understand how that could be taken as a threat.

But Judy says he never claimed to have a bomb. He said he had a B.O.M. (pronounced "bomb") -- a copy of the Book of Mormon, which in fact is what was in the briefcase. "We constantly use metephoric and symbolic meaning to many things in a church meeting," he writes.

He goes on to ask, "What do we do with all the seminary students who call out they have a b.o.m.; Or are asked by their instuctors if they brought their b.o.m's? Prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law?"

So you can see how it was all just a big, wacky misunderstanding. He said he had a B.O.M. in his briefcase, but everyone thought he said he had a BOMB in his briefcase! Wasn't there an "I Love Lucy" episode like this?

Judy is obviously still at least slightly crazy -- he's running as a Democrat in Utah, for heaven's sake -- but he does make a good point about something else: Eight years in prison is a bit excessive for nothing more than interrupting a fireside. In fact, I went to all the firesides that year, and his is the only one I remember anything about. Some prison time for the threat and the bomb scare makes sense, but eight years? I don't know. I figure the only way we can make it up to him is to elect him to public office. Once he's a representative, we'll never hear from him again.

Comments & Reaction:

I feel a special bond with Cody Judy. His shenanigans took place during the first semester of the Garrens Comedy Troupe, and we wound up doing seven or eight sketches making fun of him. He was the Dan Quayle of BYU comedy. I've often wondered how successful we would have been if it hadn't been for our Cody Judy-related material, which was some of our most popular stuff, and which sort of demonstrated our usefulness.

Mr. Judy sent me an e-mail the day the column was published:

Eric...,

I just saw this. While maintaining your sense of humor, you have probably made history in printing more of what I said then anyone else!

While it is not easy to be known in a shameful way as a felony pronounces, it is probably a GOOD THING for me to live with as a prominent reminder to me to be humble...because I've made mistakes. And it is a definite asset for me in reminding me to be merciful because I need mercy....to be caring and more considerate...and in many ways my empathetic qualities have grown and my altruistic sense has been polished.

In short I became a better person by going through the trial of fire that I have...and recognized more plainly my weaknesses. Thank you for the good humor of which is a healing agent if I ever heard of one. We all do much better if we can smile a good smile and feel our weaknesses can be made strengths.

As Always...my apologies for those wetting their pants...,smile, and more sincerely, my respect to the leaders of the LDS Church.

Cody Robert Judy

Crazy, but harmless. That's our Cody!

This item has 8 comments

Phil Cardenas says:
December 4, 2006 at 12:30 pm
This article reminds me of one of my coworkers back in '93 who used to do an impromtu finger puppet skit called "The Punch and Cody Judy Show" (you know, just for laughs). It was pretty hysterical and true to both the old show and the event in question. "You can't go in there with that case...what, is that a detonator? No, Cody Judy, NO!!!!!"
Sean says:
January 27, 2007 at 5:37 pm
This column is funny, but I think the not-so-angry letter at the end is the most impressive part. I don't know what it says about your readership when Cody Judy can take a joke better than most of them, but I'm sure it says something.
Mike Norton says:
October 23, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Amen, Sean.
Leland Miller says:
July 10, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Actually the funniest thing happened today. While I was at a gold's gym in St. George I was stuck in a sauna With Mr. Judy for a good 15 minutes. Crazy is definitely the word to describe him.
Cody Judy says:
July 10, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Mr. Miller didn't last 15 minutes... I'm surprised; I mean the door wasn't stuck or anything. He could have left any time. ; ) I do stay in quite along time. That might seem crazy to someone who can't stand the heat of the sauna for 4 minutes.

Let's see things I talked about to a friend that he must have over heard..there were only 3 of us.

1- Got the book finished... writing books that's crazy! It should be out in 30 days in Barnes&Noble and available on Amazon.com. The book is called- Taking A Stand- The Conservative Independent Voice.

2- Got the web site up... yup I'm running again. I just can't stomache John McCain after McCain/Feingold-limits free speech, McCain/Liberman- propostorous greenhouse and global warming taxes, and McCain/Kennedy -Amnesty for illegals- I think anybody in Utah that votes for him really doesn't care about the U.S. Constitution being ripped to shreds and probably has become a silent democrat.

That leaves Barrack Hussein Obama to get all warm and fuzzy about never mind he is as far left as the pendulmn swings. The Dem's have forgot, "ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country along time ago..they just ask what the country "gots' now they can have.

http://www.codyjudy.us The time has come for a conservative independent.

Mr. Miller...I hope you get involved in politics. The choices are clear, and from them we need a few more choices.

As a conservative independent who proudly stand up for the constitutional principles, I guess crazy is a word a liberal would use to demean me; the kernal of truth.. I am crazy for the constitution and American Liberty and Independence. Why else would I do what I do? Getting laughed at just doesn't add up to a positive incentive for me.

I can't believe this is still up Eric- my best to you.

Cody Judy
www.codyjudy.us
Gary Moore says:
September 12, 2008 at 10:36 am
Subduing a man posing a threat is one thing, but you seem to to take some pride in stating that they beat him senseless.
Melanie Sorensen says:
October 28, 2009 at 7:31 pm
I'm not sure what part of this whole dialogue has me more in shock. Unbelievable. Gary obviously wasn't there that day. Eric, did they really beat him senseless? I don't ever remember hearing that. I think it's easy in hindsight to say, oh, he didn't really have a bomb, no big deal. Well, we didn't know that at the time. He was in every way acting dangerous and unpredictable: his entrance, the bomb threat, running around yelling, pushing down old men, and threatening the lives of all of us. I'm not for beating anyone senseless, but please, do we gently subdue Al Qaeda? You don't know what people are capable of until it's all over.

It's completely annoying that this man has a forum whatsoever, since it is obvious that he is desperate for notoriety. I just told this story to my son this week. I'm sorry he's not still in jail, if only for his cute little "B.O.M." joke.

Eric, you are as funny as ever. I still remember the time you took pictures in sacrament meeting freshman year. Good luck with all you do.
Martin Smith says:
November 10, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I was also there, I can't recall if they were beating him or kicking him after he was down, but I do remember one of the "subdoers" yelling, "Don't mess with the Elders of Israel!" or something very close to that.

The most amazing thing was how calm Elder Hunter was the whole time and that just a few minutes later, he was able to give to give his talk about overcoming adversity!

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Eric D. Snider