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What Is Vote-by-Mail?
The election of 1864 was held in the midst of civil war — a national crisis of a magnitude our country had never seen before and has not seen since. One German-born commentator was shocked when the nation went ahead with elections. But Abraham Lincoln knew that if they allowed the flames of the Civil War to engulf the elections of 1864, the very republic he fought to preserve would also risk ruin. He said, “We cannot have free Government without elections, and if the rebellion could force us to forego or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us” (Nov. 10, 1864).…
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Update on COVID-19 and Immigration
Many of us are focused on our own social distancing and coping with the stress of strange schedules and new routines. Some of us are shuffling to find childcare or replacement income for lost work. All of these struggles are real and valid. As we deal with our own trials, may we also keep in mind those refugees who are unable to work or social distance while in U.S. custody or in camps, both at our southern border and around the world. Asylum seekers in border camps Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico Policy,” can remain in…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on the Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp relief the degree to which we are all interconnected. We prayerfully plead that we meet this knowledge not with selfishness or indifference, but instead with a renewed determination to work together to mitigate exposure and suffering. This effort must be made both by governments and individuals. We can all act in ways that preserve both human life [1] and the cohesion of local and global communities. We must responsibly follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which direct governments and institutional leaders to provide clear information, actively monitor events to mitigate spread, and implement measures to protect health systems and provide care. Failure…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Judiciary Independence
One of the basic institutions of our democracy is an independent judiciary — one that is free from external pressure and political threats that arise from the other co-branches of government. Keeping distance between branches creates and instills trust in the judiciary by assuring each individual access to a fair and uninfluenced judicial system. In the past two weeks we have seen attacks on the judiciary from both the executive branch and the legislative branch of our government. In late February President Trump called on Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor to recuse themselves from anything ‘Trump-related.’ This aberrant request from the president came as the Supreme Court was to…
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Op-Eds: A Crash Course
Op-eds can be some of the most thought-provoking — and controversial — sections of news publications, both in print and online. Last month, MWEG’s media literacy team set out to clarify what op-eds are (you might be surprised what the “op” stands for), how they can be useful (and not so useful), and why and how you can find your voice and write your own. What are op-eds? Many newspapers have an opinion section, which operates completely separately from the rest of the paper and which publishes “several different types of content in the spirit of presenting a wide range of viewpoints and to encourage thoughtful debate” Des Moines Register).…
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Principles of Ethical Government: Combating Corruption
Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s Principles of Ethical Government (1)(a), (1)(b), and (1)(c) state: (a) People in positions of power should not lightly violate or discard long-standing political norms, especially norms that serve to limit the abuse of power (see D&C 121:39). (b) Government officials and institutions should be honest and transparent, insofar as possible without harming national security and individual rights (see D&C 123:13; Alma 37:25). (c) Elected and appointed officials and government employees alike must eschew conflicts of interest and avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest in fidelity to the public trust. Appointees to specialized government roles should be well-qualified to serve in those roles (see…
