Thursday, December 11, 2008

Minutes: United Women's Forum Meeting December 10, 2008 (Dina & Richard Wells)


Minutes for United Women’s Forum

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Welcome: Diane Prince

Prayer: Erin Perkins

Pledge of Allegiance: Joan Heslop

A Principle of Freedom: “The Role of the Creator” Shelly Davies Shelly spoke of being in post Gorbachev Russia waiting in a food line for bread and noticing the garbage that was scattered everywhere around the city of Moscow. A week later in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) Olga (a 50+ tour guide) drove past a building that she referred to as The Museum of Atheism. When Shelly inquired what it was, the woman replied that it housed all of the things men had put there that denied their creator. As they spoke with Olga that day, it was evident that the country had become the way it was, because the people had denied their creator. As she studied about this principle, the following truths emerged for her:
If government exists to protect human beings, then we need to look to the creator of human beings for solutions.
· We are endowed with inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
What are the other gifts we have been endowed with by our creator?
1.
Our nation 2. The Creator set aside this country as a land of freedom. 3. God is the great captain over the head of it and by his hand we have been preserved. 4. The Creator established or created all truth and principles that govern this land. 5. The Creator is the source of our strength.

Our responsibility as citizens is to be involved, active and have a voice. We must understand that our creator can heal our country’s ills – whatever He creates, He can fix. We must do our part in speaking out and standing up. Shelly suggested that we look up a wonderful talk entitled, “The Moral Purposes of Law and Government” that was given at a BYU Forum on October 28, 2008. by Princeton Professor, Robert P George.

Dalane England gave us a “Look Ahead” at the 2009 Legislative Session and encouraged each of us to take a day a week attending the session between Monday, January 26th and Wednesday, March 12. Some of the proposed bills of interest are:

Wrongful death “Merry Christmas by retailers” Abortion – 5 bill

Ethics Healthcare Alcoholic Beverage Control Reform

Education – Performance based compensation for teachers Singapore Math

Real ID Immigration – requirements to work as an illegal immigrant

If you would like to volunteer to be involved in the 2009 Legislative process please contact Dalane. There will be a special meeting on January 21, 2009 at 10:00 am at the Utah State Capital on “How to be an Effective Lobbyist” with guest speaker Gayle Ruzicka.

Debra Poulsen introduced our guest speaker Mr. Richard Wells who is a man of great capacity and leadership abilities. He strives to live a life of happiness and works for the National Write Your Congressman Foundation and is currently pursuing his Masters in Political Economy.

Mr. Wells spoke of “The Role of the Creator in a Free Society”

He emphasized the importance of the separation of powers in our government, but also the importance of a vertical separation between State Government and the local community or families. He recommended reading the book, “Laddie” by Jean Stratton Porter concerning the impact of family on our communities. His main goal in the work that he is about is to encourage responsible citizens to get involved and use their right to preserve freedoms set forth by the Founding Fathers.

Mr. Wells has observed that people are clamoring for answers and solutions that the constitution already guarantees us. There is a lack of education in society about our rights. We are not teaching this principal to our youth.

In order to achieve order there must be balance between accountability and agency. Authority is what helps keep that balance. To much accountability creates a tyranny (rulers law). Too much agency creates an Anarchy (no law at all).

He suggested reading a book called, “Roots of American Order” by Russell Kirks, and suggests that there is little enjoyment in life if there is no order. Before we can know justice and freedom we must have order.

“All forms of government destroy themselves by carrying their basic principles to excess. The democracies become too free, in politics and economics, in morals, even in literature and art, until at last even the puppy dogs in our homes rise up on their hind legs and demand thier rights…disorder grows to such a point that a society will then abandon all its liberty to anyone who can restore order.” (Plato on Fate of Government)

Going back to a philosophical reasoning, Mr. Wells returned to Skousen in his book, “The 5000 Year Leap” who sums up Locke’s suppositions about God as follows:

“The Creator would also reflect a fine sense of right and wrong, and also a sense of indignation or even anger with those who violate the laws of ‘right’ action. In other words, God has a strong sense of ‘justice.’ Remorse for wrong also arouses a sense of compassion in the Creator, just as it does in human beings whom he designed. He goes on to say, “The American Founding Fathers agreed with Locke. They considered the existence of the Creator as the most fundamental premise underlying All self-evident truth…every single self-evident truth enunciated by the Founders is rooted in the presupposition of a divine Creator”. (pp.96-97)

Peggy Noonan, in her October 27, 2005 article for the Wall Street Journal attempts to discover why our elites today (or those who are in a position to lead) are not leading in “troubling times”. She wrote:

“Our elites, our educated and successful professionals, are the ones who are supposed to dig us out and lead us. I refer specifically to the elites of journalism and politics…the elites of our state capitals, the rich and accomplished and successful of Washington, and elsewhere. I have a nagging sense, and think I have accurately observed that many of these people have made a separate peace. That they’re living their lives and taking their pleasures and pursuing their agendas; that they’re going forward each day with the knowledge, which they hold more securely and with greater reason than non-elites, that the wheels are off the trolley and the trolley is off the tracks, and with a conviction, a certainty that there is nothing they can do about it. “

Contrast this attitude with that of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. They accompanied their signatures with the statement,

“And for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” These men were the “elite’s” of that time period. They all had more to lose by signing the declaration than they had to gain personally.

Of these men:

9 were wounded in war

5 captured or imprisoned

Several lost wives

17 lost every thing

12 had homes completely burned

Several lost wives/children

1 lost all thirteen children

All were subject to manhunts

These men were of the mind that they would hang together or they would hang separately. Not one of them went back on their word of what they pledged and signed to.

The solution to our ills is education. We must educate our youth. The constitution enables us to have peaceful repair . Mr. Wells admonished us to take a roll in getting this message out to a nation that is pleading for answers. If we can again instill in our youth this resolve and passion, then a new generation of leaders equal to our founders will be poised to return order that was once won at a priceless cost.

What a wonderful, inspiring and motivating forum! Thanks to all who contributed.

Soup and rolls were served at the conclusion of the forum.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

December 10, 2008 Meeting: "The Role of the Creator" Richard Wells

December 10, 2008 10:15 a.m. Bountiful City Library: Richard Wells graduated from BYU with a BS in Facilities Management and a minor in Business Management. He worked as a project manager and director of Facilities on several college campuses in New York, and Arizona. Over 3 years ago, he dramatically changed his career path because of his deep concern for the strength of our nation. He worried that his children would not enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities we have enjoyed as a country in the past as too many of us remain uninformed and uninvolved. He joined forces with a 50 year old legislative research firm called National Write Your Congressman. The firm specialized in empowering individuals with timely information and effective response systems to communicate effectively with State and Federal officials. The aim was to put power directly back into the hands of the people where it belongs. Richard is now a Division Manager for NWYC and is responsible for their efforts in multiple mountain west states. He is formerly a returned missionary for the LDS Church, is involved in the community as a State Delegate, coach for youth sports, past scoutmaster, and leadership in his church. He and his wife, Dina Wells are the parents of five children.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

UWF Meeting 11-12-08 Colonel Jay C. Hess

Marge Clayton welcomed us all out to our forum meeting today and invited the new people to stand and introduce themselves. There were quite a few who were new and expressed their enthusiasm for coming to hear Colonel Hess speak of his experiences in the war. The prayer was offered by Heather Ross, and Marian Sellers lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Changing things up a bit we began our meeting with our forum business first.
...... Laura Bunker as the president of "United Families Utah" extended a warm welcome to all of us to come and spend time with them tomorrow for "A Day at the Capital". While there we would have the opportunity to meet with many of our legislators and share with them our concerns and desires to hold on to traditional family values. Those attending would receive the new "Family Issues Guide" put out by United Families International. They would also be taking a tour of the newly remodeled Capital and have lunch together for all those who had the time to stay. This would be a wonderful chance to get to know our legislators and establish a rapport with them.
......Adrienne Buckley our chairman over decency and pornography gave a very fine presentation on the importance of addressing the concerns of decency over our national airwaves. On Tuesday, November the 4th while we were all involved in the election, the US Supreme Court stepped back into the issue of profanity. The major Networks had challenged the rulings of the FCC to protect the airwaves from fleeting expletives. This is a very important issue and there are many leading conservatives who strongly support the standards of the FCC . She quoted Tim Winters the president of Parents TV Counsel. "The networks must take responsibility to protect the airwaves from harsh profanity and violence. It is unacceptable to continue current trends." She encouraged us to look at the Parents TV Counsel website and respond to the e-mails that come through. In this way we can do our part to uphold the standards of decency that are so needed in our society today.
.......Linda Hess gave us an update on Proposition 8. She said that although this important legislation was passed in California, many on the opposite side of this issue have already shown their disregard for the voice of the people by filing lawsuits to the courts asking that the new law be declared unconstitutional. She told us that thirty states now have Constitutional Amendments protecting the definition of marriage as "between a man and a woman." with the only two States that do not reflect this belief being Massachusetts and Connecticut. She encouraged us to stay tune to the many social issues that will now be attacked with our new President and a more liberal Congress. The concerns she mentioned were: the overturning of the laws regarding stem cell research, the challenging of DOMA laws, the introduction of the "Freedom of Choice Act" (which would have the effect of making an overturn of Roe VS Wade impossible,) and the re-introduction of The Fairness Doctrine, which would have a tremendous impact on conservative talk shows.
.....Cynthia Peterson the chairman over "Mom's for Kids Coalition" encouraged us to speak up and let our voices be heard concerning problems that are being encountered in the schools. Coming from other areas she has had an exposure to other school districts where better methods and ways of doing things have been implemented for the educating of the children. She says "many voices need to come together to help create the changes that are needed." She mentioned three areas of concern that she and her committee have isolated that will bring needed changes to our district.
I. We must support the teachers that teach but raise the bar. She mentioned how many of the IB teachers are also needed to perform duties for the sports program. It has been noted by her and many other mothers that often these teachers leave their teaching assignment to perform extra curricular activities and leave the classroom without a teacher. Of course, for them the priority is the students in the classroom, not the sports program. They feel a need for others to help speak out on this issue to see if they can have an impact in changing this situation.
II. The restructuring of the Spectrum Program ... and
III. Organizing Ability Groups
Her last comment was that "we must advocate for our children, we are their stewards."
...... Janet Seamons gave an excellent presentation on the topic of "The Advantages of a Republic." Going back into history she spoke of two notable personalities that helped pave the way for the American perspective of a Republic. One such figure was a man by the name of Algernon Sidney. In 1683 he was beheaded by King Charles II for saying that there is no divine right of kings to rule over the people. Sidney insisted that the right to rule is actually in the people and therefore no person can rightfully rule the people without their consent. His advocated the cause of freemen who think it for their convenience to join together , and to establish such laws and rules as they oblige themselves to observe.
Another prominent figure of the day was John Locke. He also believed that the power of governance should lie in the people He stated that society would best be served by recognizing the voice of the majority. He said, "there is no right of revolt in an individual, a group or a minority. Only in the majority.
She explained that a Republic is different than a Democracy. A true democracy would need the voice of all the people, whereas a Republic allows the voice of the people to be represented by a representative form of government. Our current misuse of the word Democracy as it refers to our "Republic", came about partially because of a movement that was set up in the early 1900's which was originally called the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, or ISS. One of it's members, Thomas Laidler explained that the ISS was set up to "throw light on the world-wide movement of industrial Democracy known as Socialism". The American people have come to think of themselves as a Democracy mainly because the word has been used interchangeably so much with Republic that there is a basic misunderstanding of it's true meaning. Madison said of our Republic, "We may define a republic to be... a government which derives all it’s powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people and is administered by persons holding their offices during (this people's ) pleasure for a limited period , or during good behavior. It is good that we have the opportunity to know the true meaning of a Republic and we can thank Janet for helping us in this matter. Great Job Janet!
...... Colonel Jay Hess gave a very special message on his time in Vietnam as a prisoner of war. He began his thoughts with thanking the people and town of Bountiful for being so good to his family while he was away. He was very grateful for the kindness and care that was shown to them. One of the good memories of the time as a prisoner of war was being in the company for two years of other soldiers who never used a swear word. He felt that was remarkable. He mentioned that his first experience in democracy came when he was at Brigham Young University. The football team had won a major playoff and because they had done so well they ganged up and insisted they be given a day off of school. He said they became unruly and somewhat like a Mob. He felt like it was an unsafe place to be.
He mentioned that he knew John McCain and actually came home with him. He pointed out that there was quite a difference in the way he was treated being the son of a farmer and the way John McCain was treated being the son of the commanding general of the US forces. He remembered when they came home that John McCain was limping and struggled to get on the airplane.
In thinking back on his time there he recalled that at least 300 Air Force pilots were shot down and lived through the experience of a plane crash as well as being captured; 150 Navy pilots and a few marines. A man by the name of Elbert Alvarez was held for 9 years. Another man by the name of Thompson was detained in South Vietnam for 10 years, but it was significant to note that a man by the name of John Downing was released the day before he was. He had been held hostage for 20 years in Korea. He was a CIA agent.
After spending 2 months of torture and time in solitary confinement, he was put in a cell with 3 Air Force pilots and 2 Naval pilots. (I think they were the ones he mentioned that didn't swear?) For the first little while it was like a Slumber Party and they would stay up and talk all night to each other.
After some time he was moved to another cell. He was with a Navy pilot named Mike who had been hurt very badly when he was captured. He had broken one leg, and knock the knee cay off of the other. They had to learn ways to communicate other than speaking. For this reason they made up hand signals and tapping sounds that would represent letters of the alphabet. They would have little couplets that would help them such as HH for "Happy Hour" or CC for "Church Call" . He said that one good thing that he did was have perfect church attendance while there and they always observed to do the Pledge of Allegiance. Sometimes the inmates would create poetry and tap it to each other. One such poem is listed below. He said that these thoughts really helped the inmates to keep their moral up and to feel the love for their country.
We dream that we'll return some day
to that land we cherish true
And when we reach that golden shore
we'll start our lives anew.
We long to be in America
to resume a happy life
away from the misery of war
the separation and the strife.
To walk again in healthy air
in a real democracy
away from this evil social form
with its lies and hypocracy.
Back where there is truth and dignity
where a man can stand to tall
back in my America
The greatest land of all.
Yes we close our eyes and listen
to that sound across the sea
It's the sound of freedom ringing
in the land of liberty.
Wearing their pajamas they would stand up and say the Lord's Prayer.
they would often go for 2 months not combing their hair and 4 months without brushing their teeth.
Colonel Hess spoke of how the Vietnamese would use them to propagandize the War. Once they came in with an article from back home written by a woman in Michigan who's son had enlisted and was now in Vietnam. Her comments were hostile towards the War and wanted her son back home. They brought the article in and asked them to write what they thought about it. They wanted to do anything they could to help with the anti war effort. He said that he was about to write something like in America we each have the right to think or say what we feel, when his inmate Mike told him to put on the sheet "no comments." He followed as well as everyone else. The guard came in and picked up the papers. They all thought they had done just great when in just a bit they came in with machine guns and said "hands over your head." So they put their hands over their head. When the guard left they took them down. In just a few minutes they came in again and with the machine guns pointing right on them they said, "hands over your head for 2 weeks." He said it was simple but very effective torture.
When they returned home they were taken blindfolded to another camp. They didn't know where they were going, but they were treated with roughness, pushed around and shoved around, people were throwing up, there was nauseating gas smells etc. Then after awhile they began to notice that they were being treated differently. People were opening the door for them and talking nicely. They knew something was different and then began to realize that they were being released. They were so grateful to be out of Vietnam
When he left Utah his son was in 6th Grade and when he got back he was graduating from High School. When they got off the plane they were asked to comment to a reporter of their experience. Jeremiah Dalton spoke for the group and said, "it has been an honor to serve this country under difficult circumstances in difficult times. God bless America." He said that once when he was walking down main street in Bountiful he noticed the inscription on a flag by the tabernacle, ... the law, government... liberty... the way." The words touched him and the tears kept coming. He felt it such a blessing to be an American. His last comment was from a woman who had written a book which included many stories from the POW's. She said, " Freedom is ... for those willing to defend it."
We were all very blessed to be there and to feel the spirit of this wonderful man who gave so much to our Country. Celestia brought soup for all of us and Janet had some rolls. We all enjoyed time chatting and expressing our thanks to Colonel Hess for his remarks and for his sacrifice. It was a wonderful forum.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

United Women's Forum Meeting 11-12-08 Colonel Jay C. Hess

Pumpkin & Ham Soup

1 medium onion
2 Tablespoons of butter or margarine
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of chicken broth
2 cups of sliced peeled potatoes
1 Large can of cooked pumpkin
2 cups milk (I used canned milk)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
*I added ham to the soup and eliminated the garnish
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, potatoes and pumpkin; cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Puree the half of the mixture at a time in a blender or food processor until smooth; return all to the pan. Add the mild, nutmeg, salt and pepper; heat through. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream and parsley. Spoon soup into bowls; top each with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with bacon.

Taco Soup

Brown 1 pound hamburger meat with 1 large diced onion
Add 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can beef consume
2-3 cans red kidney beans
1 can hominy
1 can tomato sauce
1 pound fresh carrots peeled and cut
2 cups chopped celery
2 cans Cream of Potato Soup
1 cup diced potato
1 package of Taco seasoning
Simmer for 2 hours - May serve with corn chips and garnish with cheese & sour cream

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Mark your calendars for November 12, 2008 "Advantages of a Republic"

November 12, 2008 10:15 at the Bountiful Library we will be pleased to hear from Lt. Colonel Jay C. Hess USAF (RET) who was an Air Force Jr. ROTC Aerospace Science Instructor at Clearfield High School for 22 years. He was born and raised in Utah and educated in Utah and Wright-Petterson AFB, Ohio. He is a former missionary for the LDS Church. As a USAF Captain, he served in Vietnam, completed 31 1/2 missions over No. Vietnam. His F-105 was downed by ground fire near the China border in 1967 and he was held prisoner of war for 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton. He has been highly decorated as a military officer and has served as a member of many boards, civic groups and associations. He is married to Michelle Martin of Layton, Utah and they are the parents of two daughters. He is also the father of five married children.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Proposition 8: The California Marriage Protection Amendment

About Proprosition 8

The entire text of Proposition 8 is as follows:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

Proposition 8: The California Marriage Protection Amendment

Proposition 8 places into the California Constitution the same language that voters already passed by 61% of the vote in 2000. This is necessary to overturn an outrageous California Supreme Court decision that overturned Proposition 22.

About Proposition 8

Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000 by over 61% of California voters: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

Because four activist judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people’s vote, we need to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

Voting YES on Proposition 8 does 3 simple things:

  • It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and what Californians agree should be supported, not undermined.

  • It overturns the outrageous decision of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.

  • It protects our children from being taught in public schools that “same-sex marriage” is the same as traditional marriage, and prevents other consequences to Californians who will be forced to not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs.

Friday, October 10, 2008

United Women's Forum Minutes 10-9-2008


UNITED WOMEN’S FORUM MINUTES – OCTOBER 9, 2008

Debra welcomed everyone and introduced the program.


The prayer was offered by Linda Hess.


The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Carolyn Inman.


Presentation on “A Principle of Freedom” was given by Kris Kimball entitled “Protecting the Role of the Family”.


Kris referred to the 26th principle of freedom from the book “The 5000 Year Leap” in which it states,


“The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity.”


She spoke of how the
United States has always been respected for the domestic strength of her families as compared to that of the European nations that have been largely impacted by the irregularities of their domestic life. Treason, cowardice, diversion and homosexuality have proved to be the demise of nations. The positive law of God supports man and woman as equal and as stated by Benjamin Franklin, “Marriage (between them) is the most natural state of man”.


Dalane
England spoke of proposition 8 in California and the consequences of changing the traditional marriage:


  • marriage taught in public schools and will be required to teach that homosexuality and traditional marriage are the same.
  • Churches are currently being sued because they are not allowing same sex marriages in their church buildings, thus violating our 1st amendment right of Freedom of Religion.
  • The adoption of a child to a same sex married couple
  • Married housing at our universities would be required to allow same sex couples in their units.
  • Ministers have been jailed for teaching from the bible against same six marriages.
  • The divorce rate is double in same sex marriages thus greatly effecting children in such marriages.
  • A homosexual society historically has been social suicide and has NEVER survived.

We can go online to find out how to volunteer for Proposition 8. (Dalane will post this information.) PEOPLE MUST VOTE “YES” FOR THE AMMENDMENT TO PASS.


Dalane also expressed the need for people of integrity to be election judges.

Cynthia Peterson of Moms for Kids Coalition encouraged us as parents to speak out with our concerns about public schools. She strongly encouraged ability grouping by testing and for all to get involved and address our school board and public officials concerning the quality of our children’s education.


Valerie Mills
introduced our wonderful speaker JoAnn Hibbert Hamilton. Mrs. Hamilton is the Founder of “Citizens for Families” and established The White Ribbon program into the PTA program. She is a champion of issues and environment affecting the family. Her website is www.strengthenthefamily.net where a wealth of information can be downloaded or ordered to join her in this great endeavor of strengthening and protecting our families. Mrs. Hamilton’s talk was so motivating and inspiring that we have included it in its entire form below.

JoAnn Hibbert Hamilton presentation

Utilizing the Liberty That Our Founding Fathers Gave Us.

I. Warm-up: My privilege to be here. I want to compliment you for being a part of this group and learning more about our Constitution and the freedoms we have. Hopefully I can put forth some ideas that will help you utilize the liberty that the founding fathers gave us. I put a quotation on your outline. If we don’t use the freedoms we have, we will lose them. That is a concern.

II. Our founding Fathers cared that people have a voice. Today I want to give you some examples of how you might want to utilize your first amendment right to speak out. And yes, in case you are wondering, I was really nervous when I first started to do this.

III. We need to remember that our Founding Fathers did a great deal of study before putting the constitution together. They followed Natural Law, i.e., God’s pattern and believed in the family life-style of the American colonies. It was interesting for me to learn that Benjamin Franklin tried to talk a young friend out of having a mistress. He said, “Marriage is the proper remedy. It is the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which you are most likely to find solid happiness.” That’s true. I just read were a study that was done and 88% of the couples interviewed who were married said they were happy. That’s neat.

According to Skouson in The 5,000 Year Leap, the core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family. The constitution was set up to protect the family.

The American Founders felt that the legal, moral, and social relationships between husband and wife were clearly established by Biblical law. Parents had a responsibility to their children and children to their parents.

IV. Let me explain my concern about what is happening in today’s world:

1. We need to protect our families in a society that is ever more promiscuous. Why is our society becoming more and more morally depraved? Because not enough good people who care are willing to use our first amendment right to speak out. If we do nothing, more and more sexually explicit material moves into our community, on our airwaves and ultimately if we are not careful, into our homes.

2. Another concern and the one I want to spend most of my time today on is establishing decent communities so our children have a good environment to grow up in.

If we don’t use the freedoms we have, we will lose them. The United States Constitution has given us the right to speak up. I have worked with a number of ecclesiastical leaders on a statewide basis as well as local ecclesiastical leaders and they have told us as citizens to “speak up” -- not only to speak out but they have told us how to do it. – in quiet and polite ways. Check with me after if you need sources. (Sept. Ensign, 2004) (Bishop Niederhauer of the Catholic Diocese)

V. To protect our families I have prepared lots of materials, which are in your folder. One sheet contains a checklist. Read it carefully. Parents need to understand that one exposure to Internet pornography with some children can cause instant sexual addiction, according to Dr. Rick Hawks, a psychologist who evaluates juvenile offenders for the State of Utah.

There are two articles concerning video games.

There is a picture that children can color to help open up discussion in your homes. Children need to monitor what goes into their minds. If a child sees an inappropriate picture, it goes into their mind in 3/10 of a second and remains there to influence their thinking for the rest of their life. Children need to be taught to stay away from inappropriate pictures.

Go to www.strengthenthefamily.net and look at the White Ribbon Material. There is a lot of material there that you can use in your home or hopefully in February or March of next year help the PTA sponsor a White Ribbon program for your school. You may copy freely from the web site or these materials.

On my web site, www.strengthenthefamily.net on the left hand side of the home page there is a heading called “A Minute for Parents.” There are a lot of articles on a multitude of family subjects. Again, copy and use whatever you wish.

VI. We can have decent communities if we exercise our God-given rights and our constitution-given rights. I want to explain what a community standard is and teach you how to help establish a wholesome child-appropriate community standard.

1. This is not just my idea. The 1986 Final Report of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography states: “To the extent that citizens have concerns about the kinds of sexually explicit material that are available in contemporary America, they should not only recognize that the First Amendment protects and encourages their right to express these concerns loudly and often, but should as well appreciate the fact that in many aspects of our lives to keep quiet is to approve. Every time you say nothing, you have just voted in favor of it. Moreover, communities are made by what people say and by what people approve and what people disapprove, and by what people tolerate and what people reject. For communities, and for the sense of community, community acceptance and community condemnation are central to what a community is.” (End quote) (P. 71) So we can have a child-appropriate community if want it and are willing to speak out.

2. There is a law called the Harmful to Minors Law. You have a copy in your folder. It is a national law. It states that “it is illegal to sell, exhibit or display Harmful to Minor pornography (i.e. soft core) to minors even if it is not unlawful for adults.” It can be written material or pictures. This law is based on three prongs, or rather three criteria. One has to do with if it is artistic. The other two have to do with the contemporary community standard.

3. So what do we do to have to develop a decent community standard? Dr. John Harmer’s group, The Lighted Candle Society, sponsored a community standards symposium a couple of years ago and we learned that it helps to build a community standard if the city council makes a resolution. Bountiful City was the first city in the state of Utah to do so. Currently 35 cities have done this. They are listed on my web site.

4. A resolution is a statement of policy NOT a law, but it is like one big stone in the wall you are building to establish a community standard. Each resolution means that the city council believes that they represent the citizens of their community when they state that they feel that the desire of the citizens is to have all of the stores and community buildings appropriate for children, in other words not displaying sexual images or words that entice sexual interest. Experts say children up to adolescence should not be exposed to sexual concepts and images.

5. What is displayed particularly in grocery stores in a community matters. At this symposium we were delighted when an attorney there pointed out that if he had a law case involving indecent material and wanted to establish the fact that the community standard did not accept what was being prosecuted, that the jury needed to be aware of what the local public permitted to be viewed by their children in their local grocery stores. He pointed out that everyone goes to the grocery store so what is displayed there is indicative of what the community standard is. That’s why the covers on magazines that are inappropriate are important.

5. So what can you do? Those covers are difficult for the managers to keep up because people move them, they get stolen or the person distributing the magazines ignores them. It is important that we thank these stores for having them. Let me share an easy way to do it.

As you get to the clerk to check out your purchases, politely ask her if she would call the manager. She will get on her speaker and ask him to come to her check stand. Then you first of all let him know that your really appreciate the covers that make it so the magazines are appropriate for children. If there are more magazines that need covering you might add, “There are a couple more that need covers. I know it must be difficult for you to keep them covered, but I wanted you to know how much we appreciate it.” I had a situation with our Smiths/Fred Meyers where lots of covers were on but no one said anything. I watched the store get sloppy with them. As it turned out I pleaded with a man who was a counselor in an LDS bishopric to talk to his people about the need to complement and request those covers. He had a short talk to give that Sunday. I don’t know what he said, but the people in his ward reacted and that store was awesome with their covers in a two week period of time.

Being nervous is okay. I surely was and still get a little uncomfortable as I do this, but I feel wonderful as I walk away, knowing I just made a difference.

Anger and threats never work, and even though we have a resolution here in Bountiful you do not wave it in the face of a manager. You might give him a copy just as an indicator of what the desire of the community is.

6. There is a natural tendency for people to get upset at the stores that are most offensive. I know people who have made requests that they remove displays and nothing happens. So how can we handle this? If we first get the grocery stores and any other dominant stores in our city appropriate, i.e. everything is covered that is inappropriate for children, the law says that if we have a community standard, all stores have to meet our standard. These big chain stores understand this but will not react until there is an established community standard and then dropping off a copy of the law and a copy of the city’s community standard is helpful.

a. I can tell you a different story about every store in Bountiful. Let me share a few just so you have some ideas about how to do this.

(1) There was a tanning salon in a strip mall with a picture in the window that was sexual in nature. Children had to pass it to go from their dance studio to buy a taco. One lady went in and threatened the tanning salon. She said, “We have lawyers and you have to take that down.” They said, “We have lawyers and we are not going to.” What did we do? I told the people I was working with to wait a couple of months, then humbly take a little box of Cavanaugh’s candy or something, give it to the manager, apologize in behalf of the other person, explain that she did not belong to our group and then explain how the image in the window was hurtful for the children passing by. The manager covered the image immediately while our people were still there.

(2) I didn’t get to the head manager of Albertsons at first, so the person in charge would move magazines, promise covers and not produce them. Finally I dropped in and the head manager was there. I asked about his family. Yes, he had children under ten years of age. I picked up a copy of Maxim, a copy of Stuff and a copy of FHM that he was selling in his store. I asked him, “Would you want your children to see even the covers of these magazines?” He said, “My children will never see them in my house.” I replied, “No, but the neighbor kids will have them and they will show them to your kids.” That day he went to Kinkos and made covers for magazines he considered inappropriate. It took him a couple of months but he got a district policy to cover 51 stores, all of Utah, Idaho and part of Colorado and Albertsons discontinued selling those three magazines. Why did he do it? Because he understood. Education is the key to many managers.

(3) But what of the store where the manager is not convinced? I had a group of people make polite requests for weeks in one local grocery store. Finally I went in to see why there was no response. I found the head manager. As we talked, he picked up a magazine, opened it to a very sexual page and said, “I don’t care if my eight year old boy sees and reads this.” Then I knew the problem. This manager was never going to make a change in his store.

I found out where the area manager was located, made an appointment with the public relations person and made a request. I was not convinced she was going to do anything, so as I gave talks I asked my audience to sign a paper. The paper said, “I am going to avoid shopping at Smiths because they do not cover magazines that are inappropriate for children.” About every 10 days I duplicated perhaps 80-100 names and sent a copy to the public relations lady and a copy to the president of Smiths, whose name I didn’t even know. I did this for about six weeks. I also telephoned the State Attorney General and asked him to make a phone call to the company, which I think he did. The covers went on.

(4) How about gas stations? Many don’t sell magazines. Those I thank. Sometimes I scribble a note and see that it is left on his desk. One time the manager of our local Common Cents gas station had no interest in covering the 10 magazines he had on display that were very sexual in nature even though I explained the damage they did to children and the growing community standard that we had. I gave him a copy of our resolution and a copy of the law. He was not pleased, so I gathered up one each of six or seven of his magazines and proceeded to purchase them. He was watching me and asked me why I was purchasing them. I said, “I really think these are prosecutable. I’m going to see.” He said, “I’d like to meet with you next week at 1 o’clock. Would that be all right.” He really had a change in attitude. I met with him the next week and he designed his cover. He was so very nice. Let me show it to you.

(5) What about television commercials/programs? I am aware of a television show that was to be broadcast in this area a number of years ago that contained full frontal nudity. Three or four women met with the station manager, and it was cancelled.

There was a television commercial that I found offensive. I called the local company and they said they had no power to change it. They gave me a national number to call. I called it and asked if I could speak to the highest person possible to deal with a problem with the commercials. The lady assured me that she was the right person. Then I started with a positive comment and, by the way, that is one important thing to do. I said, “You are such a good company. Your commercials are usually appropriate for families and we appreciate it. I was surprised when you used a sexual commercial. I am a member of an organization of 4,000 families and I wondered how many phone calls you needed to get that commercial changed. Do you need 500 or would 50 be enough? We talked for a few more minutes and then I repeated my request. Do you need 500 calls or would 50 be enough. She assured me that my one call was enough. In this case Valerie Mills also called. A week and a half later that commercial was no longer aired, and now two or three years later, they still have appropriate commercials. Just think what this group could do if each of you called on a commercial, perhaps once a week or even once a month.

Sometimes nothing happens as a result of a phone call, but usually it does. One time I went into a place that sold phones. There was an inappropriate poster and I said to the young man behind the counter. That poster makes me uncomfortable. He said, “What’s wrong with it?” I said, “Well, do you really think its appropriate for children to see?” (I always talk about children because then people more readily understand.) He looked at it again said, “Well, I guess it isn’t.” Then I said, “Why don’t you take it down?” He said, “I can’t. It’s company policy to display it. Then I asked for his corporate number.

It was probably 11 p.m before I got around to calling. I was surprised that anyone answered the phone. I said, “You are a wonderful company, but today I saw a poster in your office and it just wasn’t appropriate for children to see.” I was so surprised when she said, “Oh, I’m glad you called. There have been so many complaints about our TV ads that we are changing them. I am sure I can get the poster changed, too.” And it got changed.

All of you can us your first amendment right to make comments wherever you shop. You can hank the managers or make requests. Perhaps you can just leave a note or circle the money you just spent in the store and write a note on the receipt. Remember to be polite. Ask the manager to decide what is good for a six or eight year old boy to read and see. Make these managers your friend.

You might get together as a group and go after a commercial.

You might want to join the American Family Association in their boycott of McDonalds. (See the handout.) American Family Association encourages us to call the local manager and ask them as a corporation to stay neutral on the gay and lesbian issues rather than give them financial support.

Remember: Silence means acceptance – and our Founding Fathers allowed us liberty to exercise our first amendment right to speak up and establish the community standard we wanted. We must not sacrifice the moral values of our children because we are nervous about saying something in a positive way that will help us establish child-appropriate community standards.

In closing let’s remember that silence means acceptance. We need to utilize the liberty that our founding fathers gave us. Thank you.

JoAnn Hibbert Hamilton Outline

Utilizing the Liberty That Our Founding Fathers Gave Us


If we don’t use the freedoms we have, we will lose them.

“The Core Unit Which Determines the Strength of Any Society is the family: Therefore, the Government Should Foster and Protect Its Integrity.” (The 5000 Year Leap, p. 281)

A. We need to Protect our Families in a promiscuous society:

1. Movies

2. Videos

3. Television

4. Video Games

5. Internet

6. Cell Phones

7. Books, etc.

Helps: White Ribbon Program on www.strengthenthefamily.net

Checklist

A Minute for Parents from www.strengthenthefamily.net

B. We need to establish child-appropriate community standards:

1. Remember: to keep quiet is to approve.

2. Understand the Harmful to Minors Law

3. Understand HOW to establish a child-appropriate community standard

1. Have a resolution passed by the City Council

2. Be a part of covering everything in stores that are inappropriate for children to see.

3. Help remove inappropriate commercials from television.

4. Stand up for your values.

5. Try to find honest political people who will represent your views and not be tied to other politicians and the political groups that form

A Solution: Thank managers when you shop.

Politely request that inappropriate magazines be covered.

Join the American Family Association to keep informed. (www.afa.net)

Protect your family.

Speak up on other issues, i.e. loosening of liquor laws

Remember: Silence means acceptance.

Utilize your first amendment rights or you will lose them.

Friday, September 26, 2008

October 8, 2008 "Protecting the Role of the Family"

JoAnn Hibbert Hamilton is a strong family advocate and she has worked tirelessly to protect families by helping community governments establish child-appropriate standards in Utah and across the U.S. so that the "harmful to minors" law can be enforced. As Founder and Director of Citizens for Families, with a membership of 4,000 families, her ideas on protecting the family have been aired on Canadian talk shows and the BYU Worldwide Education Week Broadcast. She feels one of her most important accomplishments is getting the White Ribbon Week program, which educates students against pornography, into our public schools. She has published three books, twelve CDs and has a website, www.strengthenthefamily.net. She also writes a column, A Minute For Parents, for the Davis County Clipper and a California newspaper. She has a large family and has served as the wife of a mission president for the LDS church.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

"Patriots and Petticoats" September 10, 2008


Minutes of United Women’s Forum General Meeting

September 10, 2008 at the Bountiful City Library

Diane Prince welcomed those in attendance; the prayer was given by April Hatch. Dalane England led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Paulette Bierwolf taught us “A Principle of Freedom” with today’s topic as The Importance of an Educated Electorate. She told us a personal experience she had as a child of thinking the world was flat and the difficulty she had of being educated otherwise. After finally accepting that it opened up a whole new way of thinking about things! She then told us how our Founding Fathers knew that if the populace was educated, they would choose better leaders. She continued by pointing out that one way a dictator retains power is by controlling what people read and are taught. Therefore we must always remember that education is vital to the preservation of freedom. She urged us to be educated in everything possible.

Debra Poulsen referred to the handout given to all the women of internet sites which will help us be knowledgeable and informed and that are important tools for us in our fight for what we believe in. She told how she has become familiar with them and urged us to do the same; each of us should be able to find some way to participate.

Dalane England reminded us of September 17th being the day that our Constitution was signed. She said that it is essential that as citizens that we know and understand it so that we make sure our leaders are held accountable. It is even more of a concern that it is taught to our children. The schools are mandated to teach it between Sept. 17 & 23. She made a plea for help in making sure this is happening in the schools—asking for volunteers for this year and next.

Linda Hess updated us on Proposition 8 in California (the marriage amendment). She said it is vital that we do everything to make sure this passes there as it will impact every other state. She cited many implications of things that could happen if this fails to pass. Handouts were given to the women to fill out and return to the ‘marriage protection’ groups in California.

Finally we were treated to vignettes from “Patriots in Petticoats” by Jaynann M. Payne and her daughter Nancy Herrera. This play was written by Mrs. Payne, who has many credentials of family-related service throughout the years, as well as being the mother of 12. This play was performed at the Colonial Days Celebration on July 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2008 at the Crandall Historical Museum in Provo, Utah. It brings to life the exciting experiences of women who played vital roles in the American Revolution. We enjoyed the presentation of these women who are so passionate about the role we have in this time that we are alive. They thanked us for attending today and being part of this forum and urged us to contribute now just as these colonial women who left such a valuable legacy from the past.

UWF Meeting 9-10-2008 Slide Show