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 26^th 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.

United Women's Forum Meeting 12-10-2008 Speaker: Richard Wells

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.