-
Media Literacy: Evaluating News Sources
The internet has provided a deluge of news websites, and new ones pop up all the time. As we seek to understand whatâs happening in our world and how we can make it a more ethical place, itâs important to know how to distinguish which news sites are reputable and which viewpoints they represent. Here are five questions we should ask in the process: What kind of media site is this? Is this content produced by independent journalists, a think tank, a political organization, or even a business? Articles produced to promote a business or think tank may not undergo the same journalistic standards as those produced by an independent…
-
The Global Problem of Plastic Waste â and How to Reduce It
Plastic production and consumption is a global problem. From 1950 to 2015, the world produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic. In 2015 alone, the production of plastic was 380 million metric tons. Of all this plastic, over half was designed to be used only once then discarded. Most of this plastic does not get recycled. The rate of plastic recycling from 1950 to 2015 was only 6%, and despite significant gains, the recycling rate in 2015 was only 20%. Further, much of the recycling of plastic waste from the U.S. is diverted to other countries, many of which are unable to manage their own waste or do not want it.…
-
Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Child Detention
August 23, 2019 Mormon Women for Ethical Government condemns the regulation announced by the Trump administration on Wednesday that would abolish the 20-day limit on holding families in jails. Our opposition to this regulation is grounded in our clear and deeply held conviction that families are sacred and all children deserve to be cherished and protected. A government that disregards clear evidence of its own abuse deserves a strong rebuke and should immediately correct the harm it is causing to innocents, many of whom bring with them past trauma. To knowingly inflict further trauma on families upon their arrival at the southern border is intolerable. While children are already a…
-
Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on El Paso Massacre and White Supremacy
August 5, 2019 We spent the Sabbath mourning and praying for the families of the innocent who were gunned down Saturday in pre-meditated massacres in El Paso and Dayton, as well as for precious children of God killed in Gilroy last week. Familiar with the image of a Maker who weeps with us, we feel deep sorrow in our knowledge that the shooters are âwithout affection, and… hate their own bloodâ (Moses 7:29 and 33). We refuse to become numb or to believe that mass shootings are a way of life in America and will never accept this horror as inevitable or unstoppable. We actively pray that the hearts of…
-
4th Principle of Peacemaking: Peacemaking Views Human Suffering as Sacred
Suffering is an inevitable part of mortal existence that can be redemptive when we allow it to draw us closer to God and to each other. Peacemaking requires that we be willing both to suffer voluntarily for just causes and to alleviate the suffering of others wherever possible. In both cases, we emulate the Savior himself. For those to whom we cannot provide relief, we bear witness to their suffering, mourn with them in solidarity, and persistently shine a light on the causes of that suffering. MWEG’s Fourth Principle of Peacemaking âBlessed be God . . . the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort: who comforteth us…
-
Official Statement From Mormon Women for Ethical Government on New Asylum Rule and in Defense of Fair and Just Policy Solutions
July 16, 2019 Yesterday the Trump administration published a new rule designed to end most asylum protections for migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. The administration claims this action is necessary in order to stop the flow of migrants, but the change certainly violates the spirit of asylum and is likely illegal under both U.S. law and international conventions. Mormon Women for Ethical Government recognizes that our nation is suffering real consequences as a result of poor public policy surrounding human migration and immigration. However, we feel a moral imperative to sound a watchword following the intensification of defamatory language and uptick in extra-legal policies produced by the President and…
