Political Scriptures Index (ongoing)

Here is a list of scriptures that discuss themes of government, citizenship, politics, etc. I also want to provide links to the actual text as well as my own thoughts about each one. I intend for this to be an ongoing project to supplement my daily scripture study.

OLD TESTAMENT

• Exodus 18:13-27
• Deuteronomy 1:16
• 1 Kings 21:7
• Psalms 67:4
• Proverbs 24:21
• Ecclesiastes 8:2

NEW TESTAMENT

• Matthew 7:12
• Matthew 19:19
• Matthew 22:21
• Luke 19:14
• Acts 23:5
• Romans 13:1
• 1 Corinthians 12:28
• Ephesians 2:19
• 1 Timothy 2:1-2
• Titus 3:1
• James 4:11
• 1 Peter 2:13

BOOK OF MORMON

• Mosiah 4:13 
• Mosiah 23:8
• Mosiah 29:25-26
• Alma 1:1, 14
• Alma 43:48-50
• Alma 51:6
• Alma 51:22
• Alma 60:14

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS

• D&C 31:9
• D&C 42:59
• D&C 58:21
• D&C 63:26
• D&C 88:34
• D&C 98:4
• D&C 98:10
• D&C 101:77
• D&C 105:32
• D&C 134:7

PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

• Abraham 3:3

PROCLAMATIONS

Why Get Involved Politically?

Yesterday I received an interesting and welcome invitation. The teacher for today's Gospel Doctrine class in church asked if I would take a few minutes to share some of my political experiences and my thoughts about why we should all be politically involved. The topic for the class is Lesson 44, "Being Good Citizens". (See https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-44-being-good-citizens?lang=eng )

Why do I get involved politically?

Well, one somewhat selfish and personal reason is that I really enjoy it and feel like I have been blessed with talents and skills that help me to excel there. It's kind of like Harry Potter getting on his broomstick and realizing that flying is just "his thing" - he's good at it and it's fun for him. Where other people track sports teams statistics, watch the draft picks, and gear up for the Big Game, I feel the same sense of anticipation and excitement when it comes to the legislative session and election night results. Kind of weird, perhaps, but I don't mind being a political nerd.

Of course, I realize not everyone feels this way and that's okay.

But through my involvement in politics, I've learned that there's more at stake than just political nerds having a fun time. Government is something that affects almost every single element of our lives and the lives of our loved ones. I often see people with the attitude of  "I just don't do politics", as if it were an a la carte option on our menu of things to do with our lives. I would dare say it's the whole reason the cafeteria is there in the first place!

So, here is my list of reasons why I feel everyone who reads this blog post should be involved in politics, especially if you are a Latter-day Saint:

·         To OBEY the commandments of God

·         To PROTECT our families and property from evil, selfish people and unjust policies

·         To PROTECT our neighborhoods, cities, states, country, etc. from evil, selfish people and unjust policies

·         To UPHOLD our God given rights as written in the Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights so they can be passed on to future generations

·         To ENJOY PEACE by avoiding war and civil unrest

·         To TEACH OUR CHILDREN THROUGH EXAMPLE that freedom and peace requires a cost of involvement and virtue

·         To FULFILL OUR MISSIONS that God has reserved for us

·         To BE AN INFLUENCE FOR GOOD, instruments in the hands of God

·         To CREATE RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST with those who represent us

·         To LEARN who to trust and where to go for answers about government policies

·         To HAVE A SAY in how we will be governed

·         To DEVELOP CIVIC VIRTUE, WHICH IS THE CAPACITY TO GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDING TO JUST AND TRUE PRINCIPLES

This is just a bullet point list. I have so many thoughts and quotes I'd like to share about each point that I think I'll dedicate a separate blog post for each one. Then, of course, I will follow up with blog posts about how anyone can get involved politically, regardless of money, class, race, education, etc.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Why do (or don't) you get involved in politics?

A Plea for Healing

Now that the Utah County Republican Party Organizing Convention is over, I am grateful for all of the candidates for running positive, issues-oriented campaigns. I am especially grateful for the opportunity I had to meet and talk with so many delegates who gave their time to get involved, ask questions, and show up to represent their neighbors last Saturday. What an amazing process!

As a final message in this campaign, I wish to express my personal plea for healing in our party.

In my church, there is a story told of three brothers – Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni – who campaigned to win the leadership of their people. When Pahoran won the election, Pacumeni chose to “unite with the voice of the people.” But Pacumeni and those who supported him became angry. Instead of uniting, Pacumeni used flattery and anger to stir up his followers to rebel against Pahoran. Although Pacumeni himself was held accountable for his rebellion, the resulting contention caused their government to be distracted from their most important priorities. Within one year, the city was overtaken by their enemies and all three brothers had been killed (see The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Helaman 1:1-21, pages 368-70).

I saw firsthand something similar happen when Taylor Oldroyd was elected chair of the Utah County Republican Party several years ago. From his very first Executive Committee meeting, there was a group of individuals who, perhaps upset because their candidate did not win, kept opposing Taylor at almost every possible opportunity. Regardless of what you believe of Taylor’s leadership, I am convinced that the constant fault finding and bickering weakened our party and distracted us from our most important priorities. And that negativity only seems to have increased over the years.

I have told my children hundreds of times, “If you ignore your teeth, they will go away.” Sometimes, even with the best of intentions and efforts, infection can creep in where we least expect it. A couple of weeks into this campaign, I developed an abscessed tooth. The pain was very uncomfortable and distracted me for a time from many important priorities. It required that I see a professional who prescribed some antibiotics and created a treatment plan to take care of the infection. As I mentioned in my campaign speech, we have an infection in our party that needs to heal!

Do we accept the voice of the people and look to see what we can learn from our losses, or do we try to find blame and nitpick over trivial details? Do we have humility, faith, and good will in our hearts, or are we filled with pride, doubt, and cynicism? Do we share our opinions without name calling or personal attacks? Do we listen to and acknowledge valid and reasonable opinions even though they differ from our own? Do we withhold judgement until we have verified facts to the best of our ability? Do we treat our fellow party members the same way we would want to be treated?  If not, we must change and seek to heal the infection in our own hearts if we wish to have any collective influence for good as a party.

And just how do we heal?

I know from personal experience that if I stop and honestly listen with my heart I can identify a specific action or change that needs to be made. When I act upon that impression, I feel a sense of healing and integrity. Then I am ready to listen again and act, and so on. On the other hand, if I ignore or rationalize away those internal suggestions, I tend to sink into defensiveness and negativity. (I suggest reading the Arbinger Institute’s Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box for an excellent discussion on this topic!)

The first sentence of our Utah County Republican Party Platform reads, “We the members of the Utah County Republican Party do hereby affirm our belief and trust in God and that it was through His intervention that this nation was established.” 

Likewise, Benjamin Franklin noted during the Constitutional Convention of 1787:

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that “except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest (James Madison, Records of the Federal Convention, pages 451-52).

Can you not see the parallels between what Franklin described and what has been happening in our party and even our country?

Even with all the work that we ourselves must do to make positive changes, ultimate healing comes through God, the Master Healer.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

As a member of the Utah County Republican Party, my hope and prayer is that we now unite behind our elected county party officers and do all we can to help them successfully lead us. I encourage each of us to look inside our hearts and resolve to become better individuals, ruled by personal integrity instead of self-deception. And most importantly, I invite each of us to remember our God who is the Author of Liberty, and trust that He can help heal our hearts, heal our communities, heal our party, and heal our nation.

New Leadership for Utah County Republican Party!

Now that the Utah County Republican Party's 2015 Organizing Convention is over, I wish to congratulate Craig Frank, Kevin Braddy, Kristen Chevrier, and Rob Craig on their victory as our new Utah County Republican Party leadership!

Craig Frank, new UCRP Chair

Kevin Braddy, new UCRP Vice Chair

Kristen Chevrier, new UCRP Secretary

Rob Craig, Continuing UCRP Treasurer

The Caucus System: A Great Tool for Political Participation

[Editor's Note: This op-ed piece was first published in The Crossroads Journal on December 26, 2013] 

Recently I attended a meeting for the “Count My Vote” initiative, a movement that proposes to replace political party caucuses and conventions in Utah with a direct vote to place candidates on the ballot. Most of the people who showed up to this meeting supported neighborhood caucuses, A few citizens, however, said their experiences with the neighborhood caucuses left them feeling disenfranchised and disgusted with politics.

I can understand. I’ve been there.

My first caucus meeting here was horribly disorganized and stacked with pre-decided friends of candidates. Back room deals were made and anyone could have easily slipped in extra ballots. The delegates didn’t represent my opinions and were hard to contact later. Finally, the Precinct Chair we elected stopped working after “his candidate” failed to make it through convention.

I too could have become disillusioned. But I didn’t. I believe that each one of us has the ability to change our surroundings and our circumstances, if only we learn from the past and work hard for something better. Two years later, after I got more involved, the next caucus meeting was dramatically – and positively – different for me.

No matter what system we use, many of us may still experience negative situations because WE are not perfect. Human pride, selfishness, prejudice, and other vices can and often do lead to negative outcomes in our political relationships.

But the opposite is also true. We Americans are likewise capable of selfless service, patience, fairness, kindness, and respect. These attributes don’t just come automatically. We have to learn them, usually through our own experiences, but we can also learn from those around us.

Unlike a direct primary where the vast majority of voters study candidates and issues on their own and then show up individually to cast their ballots on election day, the caucus system involves neighbors in a political dialogue that accomplishes so much more than merely casting a vote.

I know of no other nominating system that has a greater potential to educate everyone who wants to learn, create a consistent two-way, face-to-face communication between ordinary citizens and their elected leaders, teach principles of representative government and majority rule checked by law, increase voter turnout and citizen political involvement, and hold candidates and elected officials personally accountable for their words and actions.

Utah’s Neighborhood Caucus system is a pretty awesome way to govern ourselves. Let’s be wary of any alternative that would dilute or eventually replace it.

Wendi Baggaley graduated from BYU with a degree in political science and has been involved for many years in local and state politics. She is a homemaker residing in Eagle Mountain City with her husband and four children. Wendi welcomes considerate comments and discussions at wendispolitics@gmail.com.

Introduction to the UCRP "Grassroots" Debate

The Utah County Republican Party (UCRP) has been dealing with some pretty major internal rifts over the past five years or more. One of these wedges concerns the interaction between regular party members, party officers, and public officers:

• Who should receive the delegate seats at convention?
• Who should be members of the party's governing bodies?
• Who should determine the agenda for the party (For Central Committee Meetings, Executive Committee Meetings, Conventions, etc.)?
• What part should publicly elected Republican officers have in shaping the direction of the party?
• What is the best way to run the party?

In my studies of the governing documents of the county and state parties, I have developed a decided opinion on this issue:

To be an effective force for good in our community/state/nation/world, we need all the different perspectives we can get. What good is a platform if the party structure is so weak and dispersed that the party's message isn't communicated to the public nor the ideals passed into law through energized and connected policy leaders?

My opinion puts me at odds with several of my fellow Republicans from Utah County - including state and federal legislators, party leaders, and friends. While many of them have some good arguments, I tend to see the other side of the argument. Because I see the same situations differently, I tend to come to different conclusions.

I plan to explore these situations, complexities, arguments, and conclusions in future posts over the next few months. My hope is that members of the Utah County Republican Party can come to this blog to learn first hand about a viewpoint that may not be proclaimed as loudly as the "grassroots" side. Then, when these issues are presented in Central Committee or Conventions, everyone can make an educated vote that will help determine the majority opinion, hopefully bringing some more peace to our party.

Stay tuned for more ....

Course 101 Why I Love the Constitution

For Goodness’ Sake:
Developing a Love for the Constitution of the United States of America

[Editor's Note: I wrote this essay for the George Washington School of Freedom, a free online course that encourage students of all ages to learn more about our heritage of freedom. Please check out the main website at gwschool.net.]

Sit back for a moment, if you will, and focus your mind’s eye on something you absolutely love. What would it be? Why do you love it? What memories do you recall? How does it make you feel?

One of my favorite places to visit is Thanksgiving Point Gardens. I love walking through the vibrant flowers set against the multihued greens of the sweeping lawns and trees and bushes. I laugh at the bronze statues of kids at play appearing next to the trickling brook. I smile at the joy on my children’s faces as they roll down the grassy amphitheater slope or spy a rainbow in the waterfall mists. And, oh, how I love to breathe in the sweet fragrance of roses, tulips, honeysuckle, lilacs, mint, and lavender!

What about your favorite things? I’m sure the answers would vary like the sands of the sea. But I suspect one common aspect would tie all of them together: an inherent sense of goodness. In a majority of cases, the things that we most love somehow lift us, inspire us, bring out the best in us, and increase our own goodness just for being there. This is precisely why I love the Constitution of the United States of America.

I realize that the term “goodness” may cause some confusion. After all, you can’t really measure goodness like you can measure someone’s height or weight. Also, one culture may see a practice as good while another culture would consider it to be an insult. Finally, it seems that many people tend to confuse “good” with “perfect” and so they discount or dismiss something completely at the sign of any weakness. Consequently, let’s briefly discuss these ideas to understand a little more why I use the term “goodness”.

1. My personal faith and belief is that both good and evil certainly exist in our world. Additionally, I believe that every human being possesses the capability to sense the difference between them just as much as we can discern the difference between the day and the night. Some things are just inherently good and some things are just inherently evil, albeit in varying levels. We can’t necessarily see or measure them with our five senses. But as we develop our abilities to focus on the feelings we consistently get when we experience one or the other, we can better discern the differences between them.

2. While “goodness” can vary based on culture, “Goodness” (with a capital “G”) is universal.In my early twenties, I lived in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, for a short time serving as a missionary. One night, a neighbor brought over a bag of ripe avocados. I absolutely love sliced avocados sprinkled with a little bit of garlic salt. As I was reaching for the salt shaker, my roommates – all native Brazilians – gasped and wondered what in the world I was doing. I knew Brazilians enjoyed avocado-flavored pudding, smoothies, and even ice cream, but hadn’t they ever heard of guacamole? Apparently not. For my roommates, eating avocados with sugar was “good”, but eating them with salt was “bad”.

That was just one of several experiences that taught me that so many of our differences with others are not better or worse, they’re just, well, different. It really will not affect the fate of my life or my family or the world if I choose to eat avocados with sugar or with salt. This is what I mean by “goodness” with a small “g” – perceptions of what is good based on the patterns, customs, or traditions of a particular society.

On the other hand, most human beings would consider behaviors such as murder, dishonesty, theft, kidnapping, etc., to be inherently evil. Sometimes in our efforts to avoid offenses, seek common ground, or validate our own actions, we overlook the fact that some things really are better or worse than others. It seems easier just to claim that neither good nor evil exists. But why would there be a need to justify an action if there was nothing inherently wrong with it in the first place? Do we find ourselves making excuses for being kind, honest, loving, forgiving, etc.? Usually not. This is what I mean by “goodness” with a capital “G” – attributes or behaviors that in and of themselves are universally uplifting, helpful, enlightening, or in other words, just plain Good!

3. “Goodness” doesn’t necessarily equal “perfection.”A final observation I have about goodness lies in the pernicious habit of perfectionism. With our increased abilities to measure and quantify, we tend to focus so much on the weaknesses of something that it becomes difficult to see any good in it whatsoever. We get caught into the mind trap that if something is not perfect, then it has no worth and should be thrown out. I have read multiple articles over the years from critics who discount the inherent goodness in U.S. Constitution because of the slavery question, the vagueness of language, or the indiscretions of some of the men who wrote it.

It’s interesting to me that in the Biblical account of the Creation, God repeatedly states that His creations were “good” (see Genesis 1: 4, 10, 12, and 18). What He doesn’t say is that they were “perfect”. We can observe from the next few chapters that Adam and Eve were certainly not perfect. Some harsh consequences followed from the choices they made because of their imperfections. But did that mean that Adam and Eve had no goodness left in them whatsoever? They must have had something of goodness in them or they would have been destroyed like Jericho, Jerusalem, or Sodom and Gomorrah. For those who reject the Bible as a historical document, even Darwin’s Theory of Evolution suggests progression or continual growth, not a static state of perfection.

So, when I talk about the “goodness” of the U.S. Constitution, I am not claiming that it is a perfect document. Neither do I excuse it away as a relative standard from a bygone era. As I have read, studied, and pondered the Constitution of the United States, I have come to see and appreciate many points of inherent goodness in both its words and meaning. I lack space and time to write even a part. In a nutshell, here are a few examples:

1. The Founders held a hopeful but pragmatic view of human nature.

2. They created a system of checks and balances to allow for governmental efficacy while protecting us from governmental abuses.

3. They rejected the European notions of divine right and aristocracy.

4. They created a near-perfect balance between tyranny and anarchy by institutionalizing the rule of law.

5. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proved that people of varying opinions, backgrounds, and temperaments could unite in self-government.

6. The Founders placed their hopes and faith in us for the preservation of our freedom.I hope to be able to illustrate these points and many others in future lessons. I also encourage you to look for points of goodness in the U.S. Constitution as you study, ponder, and write about what you learn.

In summary, I have grown to love the Constitution because I can discern the inherent goodness not only in the document itself, but in the people who created it and in the process by which it was created. I feel inspired by our Founders’ hope and faith in me. Because of this, I will do my part to cherish our republican form of government and preserve it for future generations. I hope you will do the same.

Ideas for Application and Teaching

1. Points of Goodness File: What “Good” things do you already know about the U.S. Constitution? How do these things inspire you, lift you, or help you to be a better person? Keep track of these ideas by creating a “Points of Goodness” file. On one side of an index card, write down an aspect of the Constitution. On the back, write down how that aspect has motivated you to do or be good. Continue to record your thoughts on cards throughout your studies and keep them together in a small box. You may want to separate the cards into a “To Do” section and a “Done” or “Journal” section. Review the cards regularly.

2. The Big Black Dot: Color a big black dot in the center of a white board or a white poster board. First ask family members what they see. Most of them will probably say “A big black dot”. Share this quote from the lesson: “A final observation I have about goodness lies in the pernicious habit of perfectionism. . . . we tend to focus so much on the weaknesses of something that it becomes difficult to see any good in it whatsoever. We get caught into the mind trap that if something is not perfect, then it has no worth and should be thrown out.” Tell them to think of black as “evil” and white as “good”. Invite them to look again at the white board and ask them what they see. Discuss how we can focus so much on the negative aspects of things that we fail to see the good in them. Discuss one or two weaknesses of the U.S. Constitution and compare them to the big black dot. Then ask family members to think of positive aspects of the Constitution and write them on the white board. Encourage family members to keep this lesson in mind as they’re studying the Constitution this year.

3. Salty or Sweet: Ahead of time, slice up an avocado and divide the slices between two different plates. Sprinkle sugar on one and salt on the other. Invite each member of the family (or just a brave volunteer) to try a slice from each plate and share how the two are different. Read the story about the Brazilians and the avocados. Invite family members to share some differences between cultures, sexes, ages, etc. that in the long run really don’t matter. Next, turn out all of the lights in the room. Discuss together what it’s like to be in the darkness, the feelings, the potential dangers, etc. Next, turn the lights back on and discuss the differences between the light and the darkness. If you already know quite a bit about the U.S. Constitution, share one or two “Good” things about the Constitution and invite family members to think about what the opposite would be. Emphasize that the Founders spent months debating and voting on exactly which principles would go into the Constitution.

4. Read and study The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Write down five lessons the Prince learned throughout his adventures and compare them to principles included in the U.S. Constitution. Alternatively, pretend you are one of the Founding Fathers and write a book review of The Little Prince as if through that person’s eyes, using principles included in the U.S. Constitution.

Why So Quiet?

Hello all (or any) readers!

I'm still alive. I apologize for not posting any blog entries over the last six months or so. I had some health problems earlier in the year leading up to a surgery in the late summer. I'm not completely out of the woods yet, but my health is steadily improving. Now I just have to dig out of under all of the things (particularly in my home and finances) that have piled up over the past year. Writing on this blog was one of those things that just had to go while I dealt with a lot of other issues.

I have started writing again as an instructor for the newly created George Washington School of Freedom (see http://gwschool.net/), a free online resource for learning more about our Constitution, American History, and how freedom principles apply to our every day lives. I strongly recommend that you check it out and sign up!

I was asked to join because I bring a different perspective - that of a mom and community activist - to all of these topics. I've included at the end of each lesson a section called "Ideas for Learning and Application" with all sorts of ideas for teaching these principles at home to your kids, maybe at Family Home Evening or a homeschool group.

The lessons that I write for the school are still mine, so I can post them here. I've already written three: 101 - Why I Love the U.S. Constitution, 102 - George Washington - An American Hero, and 103 - Introduction to the Bill of Rights. The lesson I'm working on right now is about the French and Indian War. I hope to be able to post these lessons here before too long, although this blog still has to take a back row seat from time to time so I can focus on my family and personal health issues first.

In the meantime, check out http://gwschool.net/ and sign up for this amazing free resource.

Take care & have fun reading & learning!

You're Definitely Right, Dr. Elia!

I took a class from Dr. Elia Gourgouris a few years ago at a BYU Education Week class. He is a very talented life coach and counselor. I'm reprinting (with permission) the first few paragraphs of an article he wrote this week that applies equally to families and politics. My feelings after I read this article? AMEN!!!!

Finding hope, peace in these troubled times

By Elia Gourgouris

Published: 2010-03-30 00:22:08

I don't know if these are the "last days," but I do know these are troubled times.

Everywhere I look, I see pain, suffering, anger, betrayal, and most of all fear! Lots and lots of fear. From the destructiveness caused by natural phenomena like earthquakes in divers places (most recently Haiti and Chile) to the continued uncertainty in the world's economy.

In the political arena, I see our country divided far worse than at any given time in the last 40 years. This goes far beyond the normal lack of bipartisanship. It's starting to feel like people are so fearful of the way this country is going that they're willing to take things into their own hands and act outside of the law. It is scary to me to think that we would turn on each other violently. That happens in other, less civilized countries, not to us Americans.

The vitriolic statements and sentiments coming from our elected officials in Washington are unprecedented. But it does not stop there because those same sentiments are heard throughout this great land of ours in our colleges, schools, in small towns and large cities and in the media.

I believe all this collective fear and anger together with the financial insecurity we all feel, is spreading to our homes. I see more couples fighting, more families struggling to keep it all together and more children acting out. There's more divisiveness and blame going around than accountability and personal responsibility. This is not a good sign for our country or our families. The old adage, " a house divided against itself will fall" could not be more true in today's world. Part of the problem of course is that we have stopped listening empathetically to each other. Actually we've stopped listening period! Instead we've turned up the volume and made the one who "barks" the loudest win the argument. So what are we to do?

I encourage you to read the whole article here:
http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/elia_gourgouris/?id=14115

See also: http://www.ldscoaching.com/ and http://www.askdrelia.com/

Oh My, They Actually Did It

Despite the Sunday prayers of hundreds of thousands of Americans, Obama got his way and the horrible "Obamacare" health overhaul package passed the US House of Representatives last night by 7 votes, 219 - 212. (Read the KSL.com story here: House sends health care overhaul bill to Obama) Even more, a companion "fix-it" bill also passed the House 220 - 211, and is expected to be "fast-tracked" in the Senate, essentially strangling the voice of conservative lawmakers that have continually objected to this overwhelming socialist agenda.

I am sure the stories of all the arm-twisting, vote-buying, and manipulating could fill a book even larger than the almost two thousand page bill.

One part of this article, stuck near the very end, caught my eye:

Now Obama will have to sell the bill to the public, and a White House aide said he was likely to take at least one trip this weekend to emphasize the legislation's benefits.

Compare that quote with the one near the beginning of the article stated by Obama himself:

"This is what change looks like," Obama said later in televised remarks that stirred memories of his 2008 campaign promise of "change we can believe in."

"We proved that this government _ a government of the people and by the people _ still works for the people."

The absolutely brazen arrogance and downright obstinate blindness of Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and other Democratic leaders just blows my mind. (I was about to write something awfully strong and not very nice, but I figured it wouldn't do much good to be vitriolic.)

Thank heavens elections are coming up again in November!

Do What Is Right - Let the Consequence Follow

I admit that Governor Herbert has quite a bit more background knowledge and resources than I have on the SB 11 states' gun rights issue. That being said, I have read the bill and it seems exactly something that we need to start getting the federal government off of our backs and out of our pockets.

The last I've heard from online buzz and radio buzz, this bill has passed both houses (Senate: 19-10-0; House: 56-17-2) and now it's on Governor Herbert's desk to sign. I've also heard that he is getting a TON of persuasion to veto it, based on fears of a court challenge, etc.

So, finally this morning I figured I needed to let my voice be heard and I emailed our Governor about this specific issue. Here's the email I wrote:

********************************************

Dear Governor Herbert,

As a citizen of Utah and an active leader in the Utah County Republican Party, I ask you to please sign SB 11 Utah Firearms Freedom Act. This is a time to act out of faith, not react out of fear.

Please consider the following chorus to a song you may recognize:

Do what is right;
Let the consequence follow.
Battle for freedom in spirit and might;
And with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow.
God will protect you;
Then do what is right.

("Do What Is Right", Hymns No. 237.)

I know that God will not only protect you but Utah as well if you choose to act out of faith and principle instead of reacting out of fear and expediency. May God bless you in your service to our state and country.

Sincerely,

Wendi J. Baggaley
Leg. 56 Education Officer
Vice Chair, UCRP Constitution & Bylaws Committee

************************************************

If you want to learn more about this issue and email or call Governor Herbert yourself, please check out the following links:

SB 11 main page from the Utah State Legislature website

Governor Herbert's email: gherbert@utah.gov

Governor Herbert's answering service: 801-538-1000

States' Rights Bills in the Utah State Legislature 2010

For those of you who haven't followed the Utah State Legislature much, there are a whole bunch of bills this session addressing our states' rights that have been taken over by the federal government.

The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution states:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Unfortunately, over the last several decades or more, Congress has used both the "commerce clause" and "necessary and proper clause" in the Constitution to justify micromanaging everything from transportation and agriculture to the water flow in our shower spigots. It's hard to find a part of our lives that hasn't had the hand of the federal government in it. No wonder our country is in such debt - the government is trying to do too much and then give us the bill for it!

Thanks to the efforts of a fairly new movement called "The Patrick Henry Caucus", some of our state legislators (including mine, Representative Ken Sumsion - Go Ken!!!!) have joined with legislators from other states to write bills that directly challenge this usurpation by the federal government. Yes, these bills are designed to get challenged by the US Supreme Court. But what else is going to stop the federal government from consistently overstepping its bounds?

So, here's a few of the state's rights bills/resolutions in this legislative session with links to find more about them on the state legislative website:

SB 11 Utah State-made Firearms Protection Act

HCR 2 Concurrent Resolution on States' Rights

HCR 17 Concurrent Resolution Opposing the Use of Presidential Power to Create New National Monuments in Utah

HJR 11 Joint Resolution Regarding Federal Health Insurance Reform


Since I don't have time to write about all of these, please post a comment if you have a question and I'll try to answer it in a fairly timely matter.

Loss of Sovereignty in England - Ouch!

This obscure article in today's Daily Herald intrigued me today:

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/world/europe/article_3e6ab7db-5eb1-57f6-b3ec-106ea6259360.html

It's about a guy who constructed a castle without going through the local planning authorities and kind of tried to hide it. The local guys claim that he should take down the castle because of the shady beginnings. The castle guy says he's lived in it for enough years to claim protection under another law. The High Court sided with the local planning people, but of course that ruling is under appeal.

In any case, this is the part that caught my eye:

Fidler's lawyer, Pritpal Singh Swarn, said the decision would be appealed at the Court of Appeal because it raised important planning issues. A further appeal to European courts is possible if British courts again reject Fidler's bid to legitimize his castle.

I don't know about you, but I'd be kind of scared by this if I were an English citizen. But what if this situation was applied to America? Those who receive a ruling they don't agree with will naturally want to keep pursuing the issue if there's any chance of a reversal. Regardless of whether a ruling is "right" or "wrong" (a lot is probably based on perceptions and the justices making the best judgment they can given the evidence available at the time) there has to be an end, a place where the buck stops once and for all.

The main question is: Do we want to make a multi-country court or an international court the last word on arguments? If we do, bye bye to our sovereignty!

The Need for Civic Work / Civic Virtue

[Note: This is an excerpt from an email I sent tonight to the members of the Utah County Republican Party Constitution & Bylaws Committee, the four elected County Party Officers, and the County's Education officer. My email was a response to last night's County Central Committee Meeting.]


Rep. Dougall last night referred to our culture as a "fast food culture" - expecting that other people will do the work while we enjoy the benefits. That comment really struck me. On the one hand, I can understand how individuals don't want to sit around for hours feeling like they're wasting their time on a Saturday morning or a Thursday night. And all of us can do our part to make sure that our meeting time together is as productive as possible. (Taylor & Lisa, thank you soooo much for instituting and continuing to provide agendas for our meetings. It makes a world of difference!)

However, despite our best efforts, it seems to me that many people expect to come and be informed and entertained, but don't want to "get into the weeds" as Taylor put it. It's the same with conventions - people want to elect their candidates, but don't want to have to deal with the "messy" decisions. So they walk out right after the ballots are cast, invariably we lose a quorum, and then the convention has to adjourn without finishing the work. What many don't realize is that the price of freedom requires the willingness and ability to confront and clear out those weeds. Anyone who expects anything less is asking for "fast food", a fast fix, a momentary high but short-lived result.

I strongly feel that we need to instill the value of civic work or, as I call it, civic virtue: the ability to govern ourselves peaceably by confronting our differences and resolving them in the best way we can while maintaining trust, good will, and a common purpose among us. In my opinion, it is precisely the lack of this kind of civic virtue that has created the maelstrom we have in Washington, D.C., right now. But how in good conscience can we point fingers at them if we are unable to do it ourselves in our county party?

I think it was Senator Madsen last night that referred to the appalling lack of civic education in our society over the past few decades. Realistically we can't expect everyone to change overnight. But we can and we must start emphasizing the responsibilities as well as the privileges of being a delegate, a precinct officer, a Central Committee member, etc., and we need to emphasize that "responsibility" is not a bad thing. Honestly, one of my several reasons for being involved is to allow myself to learn and grow stronger in civic virtue. I know that people get involved for a lot of other reasons besides wanting to a better person, but we can help point out that it's a good thing to seek for.

I'm really grateful for Adrielle's awesome work at preparing the "responsibilities from the bylaws" page for leg. officers and precinct officers. It's a great start. I know I'll also be emphasizing civic virtue in my leg. district trainings, both before and after the caucuses.

[Note from Wendi: I've also had several people ask me what they can do to get more involved politically. I saw this article by Representative Mike Morley (District 66 - Spanish Fork/Payson area) on UtahPolicy.com and thought it well written enough to post it here. Besides, Rep. Morley uses one of my favorite political quotes at the end, so I've got to include it. Enjoy!]


10/14/2009

What Can I Do?

By Rep. Mike Morley

I have been pleased and encouraged by the increased communication from and with so many here in our community over the past several months. It is obvious that events on a national level and right here in our own state and area have energized interest in and discussion of government and our inspired founding documents and I am thrilled.

Nearly every email, conversation, and letter contains the question, "What can I do?" We all recognize things are not as they should be and we want to make a difference, but it can be difficult to know where to start and what to do. Let me offer a few suggestions:

• Read the federal and state constitutions and the Declaration of Independence
• Read books which inspired our Founding Fathers with the fire and justification to act and the certainty they could succeed. Such authors include John Locke, Adam Smith, and Thomas Paine.
• Understand the difference between a republic and a democracy. The United States of America is a republic, not a democracy. See http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/. [Wendi: I just checked this link and it seems to be broken.]
  
• In a republic, we are ruled by the voice of the people through elected representatives. Do your elected officials represent your voice? If so, help them share their message. If not, find someone who represents your voice and help them get elected or run for office yourself.
• Attend mass meetings. Serve as a delegate or support a good, principled candidate.
• Participate in town hall meetings. They are usually very poorly attended.
• Every city in our area has municipal elections in November. Meet the candidates. Attend open houses. Read their literature. Vote based on how well their principles align with your understanding of our founding documents.
• Communicate with your local, county, state, and national leaders on issues that are important to you. It may surprise you how loudly your voice is heard.
• Realize that local issues are as important as state and national issues. This summer, a $160 million school district bond passed with only about 10% of registered voters participating. Whether or not you supported the bond, it is unfortunate and certainly displays a great deal of apathy on the part of the electorate that 10% decided for everyone.

Edmund Burke, an 18th century British parliamentarian, said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". Certainly, this applies equally to good women. Let us not be content to do nothing. Rather, let us boldly move forward and do all that is in our power.

<http://utahpolicy.com/blog_entry/individual/what-can-i-do>

Oct. 8th Republican Issues Forum Invitation

Please plan to attend this crucially important meeting.

Please also forward this invitation to anyone you know who would be interested.

District 56 Republican Issues Forum

Thursday, October 8th

Rockwell Charter High School

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Neighbor to Neighbor/Voter Registration Kickoff

Discussion of County Party Bylaw Proposals for Oct 10th Central Committee Meeting

(This portion is directed to precinct chairs and vice chairs, but anyone may attend.)

7:00pm - 8:30pm

Representative Ken Sumsion, Senator Mark Madsen, Senator Howard Stephenson

Discussion of Patrick Henry Caucus, Utah Lake Bridge, Government Ethics Initiative,

Fair Boundaries Initiative, and upcoming legislative issues

We hope to see you there!

Rebecca Pirente, Leg. 56 Chair (801-768-3732)
Erin Madsen, Leg. 56 Vice Chair
Wendi Baggaley, Leg. 56 Ed. Officer

Here are some links of interest:

Map to Rockwell Charter High School:
http://www.rockwellhigh.net/contact_info.html

Utah County Republican Party Website:

http://utahcountygop.org/

(Click on "Constitution & Bylaws" for copies of the 8 proposals to be voted on at the 10/10/09 Central Committee Meeting.)

(Click on "Discussion" to go to the online discussion forum)

Patrick Henry Caucus:

http://www.thepatrickhenrycaucus.com/

Utah Lake Crossing:

http://utahcrossing.com/5.html

Government Ethics Initiative:

http://www.utahnsforethicalgovernment.org/

http://www.unethicalreform.org/

Why I Dislike Direct Democracy - Part 2

I defined direct democracy in my last post. So, what's the current alternative? Our republican system of representative government, structured with checks and balances.


The Utah State Legislature (legislative branch) makes laws, the Governor's office and the executive branch enforces and carries out those laws, and the judicial branch interprets those laws and determines whether or not they are constitutional. Each branch checks the other in specific ways.

When a bill is introduced into the legislature, the actual language is up for modification all throughout the process. A sentence changes in committee, a compromise is reached in one house, a different word clarifies intent in another house, a reduction (or increase) of projected expenses is attached from the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, etc. When the bill is finally sent to the Governor to be signed into law or vetoed, it has been discussed, debated, changed, switched, refined - you name it - multiple times. Even then, the law is subject to being overturned by the Supreme Court if it is deemed unconstitutional. And finally, future legislatures may choose to revise, edit, or get rid of the law altogether. (See "How an Idea Becomes A Law" at the Utah State Legislature website: http://le.utah.gov/documents/aboutthelegislature/billtolaw.htm)

One concern that I have with direct democracy ("citizen"-led petitions and initiatives) is the high potential to create BAD POLICY:

1. All 21 pages of this "Ethical Government Initiative" will pass into law "as-is" if Utah voters approve of it in the ballot box. To the best of my knowledge, there is no ability to change, tweak, or refine the language from now till then. So, instead of being discussed and refined by hundreds of involved minds like a legislative bill, the official language of an initiative will only reflect the opinions of the relatively few sponsors who put it together.
   
   
2. When challenged on the previous point, many initiative sponsors claim that the legislature has the power to revise the law in the next session. That may be true, but what legislator in his or her right mind would try to overturn something voted into law by the voters of the state? In the meantime, precious time and resources are wasted to implement a bad policy, only making it harder to change it down the road.
3. 
   
   One common excuse given to legitimize an initiative effort is "We've tried to pass this idea but the legislature (all those evil, nasty, corrupt legislators including the ones we voted into office) keeps shutting us down." Well, could it be shut down because it's just a bad idea, or even more, because the legislators we elect to serve as watchdogs can discern good, effective proposals from those that are little more than a political ploy to gain more power? Some interest groups/factions have a hard time accepting a little "Vitamin N" - "NO!"



4. I wonder if some interest groups try to get initiatives passed in order to circumvent the legislative process. It's a short cut. Let's face it - any type of democratic government is going to be messy because of all the different perspectives that come to the table. It's not easy to get laws passed. It's not an efficient system, but our Founding Fathers knew that and counted on it to keep bad policies in check as much as possible. A truly "efficient" system would be like an absolute monarchy. The problem with that kind of system is a lack of freedom. I tend to be quite wary when a group tries the "short cut" way around the elected legislature.

Okay, that's enough for now. Get ready for some more ideas tomorrow!

Why I Dislike Direct Democracy - Part 1

What is direct democracy? Why do I talk about it now? Why do I dislike it?

1) Direct Democracy Defined:

"A form of democracy in which the people as a whole make direct decisions, rather than have those decisions made for them by elected representatives. Example: A referendum is a form of direct democracy, as is the practice of recall, by which an elected official may be voted out of office between elections if enough people sign a petition to remove him and then win the subsequent vote."

(Direct democracy. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Dictionary.com, LLC. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/direct democracy (accessed: September 28, 2009).


2) Why talk about it now?

You may or may not have heard about the "Government Ethics Reform Initiative" that was officially submitted August 12th to the Lt. Governor's Office. See the following story:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/705325882/Latest-Utah-initiative-ethics-in-government.html


I feel like I've done nothing but study this initiative this past week. I've read through all 21 pages at least twice, highlighted questions, started mapping out a timeline, visited the only "official" open house on this initiative for the Summit, Wasatch, and Utah Counties (last Wednesday night at the Provo City Library), attended an information meeting on Saturday in Orem hosted by the Republican Leg. 59 Chair, and participated in several emails back and forth between my political friends.

So, this topic is definitely on my mind right now.

3) Why do I dislike it?

Well, I'll write more about this tomorrow because my blogging time is up. How's that for a teaser? Till tomorrow then!

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Not Like A Political Campaign

In my last blog I sounded a bit depressed, self-critical, and disappointed. I guess that's probably normal for anyone who doesn't reach a goal. My husband has pointed out on multiple occasions that almost everyone gets overly sensitive when their neck is on the line. But I'm feeling much better about the whole thing now.

Michael and I went to the temple last Friday for date night. We participated in a sealing session, sealing together families for eternity. One thing about the sealing blessing really impressed me, and then in my scripture study this morning the same idea was presented again:

"Be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven" (Doctrine and Covenants 6:37).

See, we don't have to run a campaign to make it into the kingdom of heaven, to inherit all that God has and to become like Him. We inherit it, we receive it, based on our actions, choices, and desires during our mortal life.

In a political campaign, other people (the voters) determine whether or not we are successful. In our "heavenly" campaigns, we ourselves are the main determining factors.

In political campaigns, you first have to focus inward and figure out why you're running, what is important to you, how you think you're going to make a difference. But ultimately, you have to focus on who is voting and get a lot of people to like you and what you stand for. Success depends on getting at least one more vote than your competition.

But all the popularity in the world would never get you into the Kingdom of Heaven if you haven't been keeping the commandments, showing faith in Jesus Christ, becoming reborn of the Spirit, and enduring the best you can (which to me, means repenting every time you fall and getting back up and trying again). Of necessity there has to be a focus outward, but it's based on charity and a desire to keep the commandment to "be our brother's keeper," not a desire to "win a vote."

Yes, political campaigns are essential to figuring out "the voice of the people" (see Mosiah 29:26) so we can live out our mortal lives in a peaceful and free civil society. But in the final analysis,

THANK HEAVENS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOT LIKE A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN!

When You Lose, Don't Lose the Lesson

Well, I lost my bid for the Chair of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee. I really wanted that spot and felt like I would do a good job. I also feel like I disappointed many others who also wanted me to win.

Probably the hardest thing for me is that I feel like I blew it, that I didn't do my best. Somehow, I let myself get so anxious over this election that I forgot some common sense things that normally come so easily for me. However, I remember one of my Mom's adages she shared with me ages ago: When you lose, don't lose the lesson!

So, last night I wrote down in my journal some of the following "Lessons Learned" (it could be written, "Lessons Re-Remembered"):

1. Next time, CHILL! As soon as I have decided I'm going to run, make up an action plan and stick to it. Do as much as I can not to get too anxious. Remember - anxiety is based on fear; focus instead on faith that I will be able to do my best regardless of the vote outcome.
2. Start contacting members of the committee sooner; don't wait till the day or two before the election to establish those relationships and articulate my reasons why I want the particular office. I was able to contact three of the six I needed to talk to. Maybe I wouldn't have changed any one's mind, but maybe I could have...
3. Don't nominate myself; arrange ahead of time for a supporter to nominate me instead.
4. I think I do better when I focus my campaign speeches on pragmatic things and not so much on philosophical things. There is a time and place for sharing philosophical ideals, but I'm getting the idea that a campaign speech - at least the short, right before the election kind of speech - is better received when I focus on specific actions.
5. Contrary to my normal practice, I didn't prepare an outline in advance for what I was going to say; so yes, it kind of rambled.
6. Again, because I didn't plan my speech well, I didn't include one of my main qualifications - that I had already served as a proxy to LauraLyn (the former chair) at an Executive Committee meeting, I had already worked to set up meetings and initiate discussions among the committee members, etc., all at the same time that I was actively working in my other role as Leg 56 Education Officer. The fact that Doug Cannon felt like he had to share this point with the group - after Lowell Nelson (another candidate for Chair) had mentioned the time commitment involved in the position - well, I thought at the time "Why didn't I mention that first???!!!!"
7. Again, contrary to normal practice, I didn't print out a listing of specific plans and compile the list of pending business for the committee like I had thought of doing earlier. Maybe it would have helped me get elected, maybe not. But it would have helped our committee move forward more quickly on committee business.

So, here's for the good news -

I got elected as both Vice Chair and Secretary by acclamation. So, I'll get to keep on top of committee business, help influence a more structured and communicative committee, and be able to fill in when Lowell can't attend Executive Committee Meetings.

Also - and this actually surprised me - I felt a sense of relief when Lowell was taking over the rest of the meeting after he was elected. Now why would I feel that? I've thought about it and wondered if perhaps I really wasn't ready for this position after all, but I needed to learn these lessons so I can be more effective in future elections down the road.

Also, I know that there is a difference between formal authority and moral authority. I can still be a leader and an influence for good regardless of my formal position. That much hasn't changed for me at all.

Finally, for the best part of all: I can't imagine losing to a better person than Lowell. He really will do a great job for our committee and for our county party. And the others on our committee are pretty amazing! There is definitely a sense of forward motion, activity, and desire to act according to correct principles.

So, I just have to make sure I don't let myself slump into any kind of pity party or beat myself up too much. I can focus on the things I've learned and know that they help me be more effective in the future. And I can be happy that I get to be with such an awesome group and look forward to all the work that we will get to do together. In summary, I lost, but I'm not going to lose the lesson!