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Principles of Ethical Government: Minority Rights
Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s Principles of Ethical Government (2)(b) states: (b) Special care should be taken to protect the rights of the minority from undue infringement by the majority (see Exodus 23:2 and Proverbs 31:8-9). Every human is a child of Heavenly Parents and must be treated with respect and love. There are religious and ethical foundations for ensuring that minority rights are safeguarded and that theagency, growth, and potential of all of Godâs children are consequently protected. Resisting oppression lifts all members of society. Because living in and perpetuating structures that oppress minorities harms souls, safeguarding the rights of minorities enables the growth and potential of all of…
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Principles of Ethical Government: Maximize Participation and Equitable Access
Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s Principles of Ethical Government (2)(a) states: (a) Political structures and electoral systems should be designed to maximize participation of and provide equitable access to all citizens in a society (see Mosiah 29:32). The Book of Mormon instructs us to âdo your business by the voice of the peopleâ (Mosiah 29:26). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also works this principle into its governance, stating that âall things shall be done by common consent in the churchâ (D&C 26:2). America, the worldâs oldest democratic republic, was likewise founded on this very principle. As citizens of such a democratic republic, we hold fast to our…
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H.R.1 â the “For the People” Act
H.R.1, the For the People Act, is a democracy reform bill that was introduced and passed in the House of Representatives in 2019. It passed 234-193, with one Republican representative voting for it. The bill was never brought to debate nor vote by the Senate majority leader, causing it to fail by default in the Senate. On January 4, 2021, the bill was reintroduced to the House. Even though many of these reforms are bipartisan by nature and have significant public support, current political polarization will make it challenging to garner widespread bipartisan support in Congress. H.R.1 is an expansive bill that champions improved access to voting for all citizens,…
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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…
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Principles of Ethical Government: Media Literacy
Mormon Women for Ethical Governmentâs Principles of Ethical Government (3)(a) states: (a) All individuals have a duty to educate themselves about the actions of government officials and current events in the world, taking care to ascertain facts from reliable sources of information (see D&C 88:78-81, 118). As members of MWEG, our goal is to courageously advocate for ethical government, and in order to do that we need to be informed on what our government is doing and determine whether we agree with what it does. We are committed to learning more about government action, current events, and what constitutes ethical government. We also aim to develop the skills necessary to identify reputable news sources…
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Advocating for Refugees in Arizona
By Christie Black, MWEG Arizona Member and Senior Director of Engagement November 21, 2019 Many members of the MWEG Arizona chapter are committed mentors of refugee families in cities throughout the state. We have spent countless hours preparing for, resettling, teaching, serving alongside, and loving our new friends who are fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. We have watched with dismay as the numbers of refugees the U.S. will accept drops each year, and our hearts fill with sadness for those who are left in limbo, waiting for the opportunity to resettle in a new home. October was an abysmal month in particular, as no refugees were admitted…
