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Awareness Wednesday :: It’s Black History Month
Many of the lies they told still follow us and continue to shape the lives and deaths of black people in America. I am a white woman. It is Black History Month. It is time to get uncomfortable. It is time to listen.
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Awareness Wednesday :: Are You Aware of the Homeless?
I have a friend who has very precocious children. One day one of her younger children referred to someone as homeless. I asked the child if she knew the person and if she knew where the person sleeps. One of the older kids chimed in that the person was a hobo. Certainly precocious. I did not know that kids these days had ever even heard the term hobo. It got me wondering if we are aware of the people we see each day. Maybe they are at the intersection holding a sign announcing that they will work for food. Maybe the sign says, “Please give, every penny helps,” or simply,…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — War on Drugs
America’s war on drugs has now lasted nearly 50 years without success. This “war” began in 1971 with President Nixon’s declaration of a war on drugs soon after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in late 1970. The act put a full prohibition on certain drugs, including marijuana, LSD, and heroin. This act declared that these drugs had high potential of abuse and had no valid medical uses. The prohibition of these drugs made it difficult to procure them, even for pure scientific or medical research. This act was not based on any scientific or medical studies. Supporters claimed it would reduce drug-related crime, drug overdoses, and disease. They…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — Ban the Box
It is no secret that an individual with a criminal background will struggle to find employment. It goes without saying that the majority of employers do not want to hire ex-convicts. Learning that a future employee once attempted murder, committed a string of robberies, or even sold drugs is an unsettling feeling for any employer. The stigma of a conviction and time served is not an easy obstacle to overcome. In order to lower the barriers faced by those who have been convicted of a crime to being offered a job, fair-chance policies or “ban the box” laws have been introduced. Ban the box is legislation that restricts employers from…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
The Old Testament is a fascinating read. The first five books, known as the Torah, lay out the Mosaic Law. There are various punishments prescribed for all types of offenses, the most severe being death. For instance, if there were a dispute between two men, and one of them was judged to be in the wrong, that man could be beaten. Or, if a woman intervened in an argument between her husband and another man in an unseemly way, her hand could be cut off (Deuteronomy 25). Did you know that according to the Law of Moses, a person could be put to death for the following offenses? • Hitting,…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — The Castle Doctrine
When I was a child I dreamed of having a castle. As I got older I realized a more realistic goal would be an English Tudor. Today I am happy to have a comfortable, small house of my own. Houses — our homes — are the symbol of our prosperity and comfort. The symbol of the good life. The Bible gives us an indication of the emotional connection we often have to our houses. The promise of a wonderful future is described in this way: “And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Are You Aware of Water?
Water is the essential compound that sustains our lives. Our bodies are 60% water, but without replenishment of water we die in about three or four days. We rely on water to clean our homes and bodies. Water is so vital that in the scriptures we find it used to represent ideas such as salvation and eternal life. The Bible contains many powerful images of water. “With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Water signifies remission of sins through baptism…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear
With last weekend’s events in Charlottesville fresh on our minds and weighing heavily on our hearts, we are eager to move forward with our new MWEG “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear” Initiative. It is a multifaceted individual and collective effort to address the wave of overt racism and bigotry we have witnessed washing over the US (and elsewhere) in recent months. We have been encouraged by efforts being made by other groups and individuals and would like to add to those efforts by drawing upon our unique training and opportunities as Mormon women. A couple of years ago when I was attending a small branch, we had one particular fast…
