Connor’s Conundrums

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Nessie Hunting

Posted by Connor on May 1st, 2008

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I’m off to Scotland for a couple weeks. Things to do on my trip:

Pray that I’m not on some watch list.
Find Nessie.
Dig up some family history.
Buy a kilt.
Come back alive.

Have a good few weeks, everybody.

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Group Justice

Posted by Connor on April 29th, 2008

photo credit: Amsterdamned!

The recent events occurring in Texas in relation to the FLDS community have spawned a number of arguments—some sound, some horribly ignorant. Indeed, it seems that the prosecution (or persecution) of this religious community has caused a knee-jerk reaction among some, leading people to support Texas’ actions without considering the constitutionality, legality, or morality of the issue.

One common argument I’ve been hearing lately has to do with what is sometimes referred to as “group justice”. This position claims that since abuse is (allegedly) so widespread among this group, the government should have the power to intervene and remove all children, regardless of age or participation in said abuse. Proponents of this position further argue that the foundational maxim “innocent until proven guilty” is not valid in this circumstance, since children are being abused and action is needed to remove them from this situation. Due process, they claim, takes too long and allows for the abuse to continue. Additionally, these advocates argue that even though no crimes have taken place with regards to every single individual (collectively removed due to the widespread occurrence of abuse), it is likely that the culture in which they will mature will encourage this mentality and lead to continual abuse down the road. Early intervention, they then state, is required.

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For the Strength of Youth—Family

Posted by Connor on April 27th, 2008

I gave the following talk in another ward today:

photo credit: { karen }

The Pattern of Family

In a masterful discourse given at a CES fireside one year ago, Elder Bednar spoke of the various ways we can drink of the living waters we find in the scriptures. He noted three ways we can more fully immerse ourselves in these waters. One way was to observe patterns and themes:

In my judgment, diligently searching to discover connections, patterns, and themes is in part what it means to “feast” upon the words of Christ. This approach can open the floodgates of the spiritual reservoir, enlighten our understanding through His Spirit, and produce a depth of gratitude for the holy scriptures and a degree of spiritual commitment that can be received in no other way. Such searching enables us to build upon the rock of our Redeemer and to withstand the winds of wickedness in these latter days. (David E. Bednar, “A Reservoir of Living Water”)

Having been given this instruction, I have noticed in the past year a strong pattern or theme on one gospel topic that has repeatedly caught my attention. I have been assigned to speak today about this same subject.

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FLDS Petition Conclusion

Posted by Connor on April 24th, 2008

Note: Any responses received will be posted at the bottom of this post.

As of this morning I have closed the FLDS petition. This was necessary so that I could email the 2,000+ people who signed and encourage them to follow up and contact their representatives. The website I used will not allow me any contact with the signers until the petition is closed. Having served its purpose (and reached double what I was ever hoping for), it’s now time to follow up.

I encourage you to contact the following government leaders, including those from your own state if you live elsewhere, to demand a response regarding the petition and the issues it addresses. I chose to contact the officials in Texas, as well as Arizona and Utah, since FLDS communities exist there as well.

I contacted the following people:

91 Comments »

FLDS Petition Results

Posted by Connor on April 20th, 2008

Note: updates are at the end of the post.

Today has been an interesting day, full of interviews with various media outlets. Having reached 1,000 signatures in the petition I organized, I issued a press release to various journalists and media outlets.

The text of the press release was as follows:

21 Comments »

CotM: Kiva

Posted by Connor on April 18th, 2008

Once a month, I’ll be highlighting a different “Charity of the Month” to help spread the word and encourage charitable giving on a regular basis. If you have suggestions for charities I can share, please contact me!

I want to start off the series by highlighting Kiva, a microfinance organization that is quite popular. Kiva has been around since 2005, and in that time has collected over $25 million in loans for people in 30+ countries.

Each person who requests a loan through one of Kiva’s partners has a photo and a description of their business for you to view. For as little as $25, you’re able to help fund the person’s loan. The loan is then repaid monthly, and once paid in full, your money is returned. You can either withdraw the money, or recycle it into a new loan, putting it to work in a continual cycle that helps more and more people.

1 Comment »

Fascism for the FLDS

Posted by Connor on April 14th, 2008

photo credit: Trent Nelson

A week ago, Texas “authorities”, apparently longing to exercise their dormant muscle power after 15 years of atrophy, conducted a “raid” on the FLDS “compound”.

As I watch the shoddy journalism taking place in the coverage of these events, I wonder to myself why people aren’t up in arms over this display of government aggression. From whence does the state derive authority to kidnap, under the musty blanket of the law, four hundred children? How is it that hearsay and one anonymous phone call—the source of which has yet to be verified—are considered enough evidence to forcefully remove children from their parents, take them into custody, interrogate them (encouraging them to “tattle tale” on their parents), and keep them under guard?

How does such arrogance on the part of Child Protective Services—a fascist arm of the state if ever there was one—go unchecked? Why are a few individuals given the authority to separate families on their word alone?

69 Comments »

The Last Six Steps

Posted by Connor on April 11th, 2008

photo credit: Bonnie*B

Glenn Beck wrote a column this week highlighting six steps that would help America solve its problems. He decided to stop short of giving the full 12 in his proposed 12-step program, claiming that “Americans are way too lazy to stick around for all 12″.

I’ll pick up the baton and fill in with what I think are the last six steps to this twelve step plan. First, a review of Beck’s six proposed steps:

Step One: Admit we are not powerless.
Step Two: Believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
Step Three: Decide to take our power back.
Step Four: Make a complete and fearless moral inventory.
Step Five: Admit our wrongs, and our rights.
Step Six: Be ready to remove our defects.

Glenn’s commentary for each step is worth reading.

1 Comment »

In Opposition to Evil

Posted by Connor on April 6th, 2008

photo credit: Victor Ngo

In the First Presidency message for the September 2004 Ensign, President Hinckley wrote of the evil that exists in our world:

The flood of pornographic filth, the inordinate emphasis on sex and violence are not peculiar to North America. The situation is as bad in Europe and in many other areas. The whole dismal picture indicates a weakening rot seeping into the very fiber of society.

Legal restraints against deviant moral behavior are eroding under legislative enactments and court opinions. This is done in the name of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of choice in so-called personal matters. But the bitter fruit of these so-called freedoms has been enslavement to debauching habits and behavior that leads only to destruction. (Gordon B. Hinckley, via Quoty)

Moral agency is given to each of God’s children. While personal actions can result in its loss, as can the intervention of immoral government, the choice is nevertheless ours how we will act in response to what we are confronted with. Evil surrounds us on every side, and the tolerance and permissiveness of society encourages and promotes it.

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The Right to Fail

Posted by Connor on April 2nd, 2008

photo credit: RoRRo

Implicit in the concept of a free market is the ability to both succeed and fail. This duality of outcomes forces the entrepreneur to labor, knowing that if in the long term he is unsuccessful, his venture will fail and he will necessarily suffer the consequences.

James E. Faust commented on the success/failure model when he said:

Everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don’t pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. (James E. Faust, via Quoty)

It is obvious that President Faust did not have in mind the corruptive business system we have today. Life in general does present numerous opportunities to fail, as Faust suggests, but when government is introduced, that right to fail becomes subject to numerous rules, regulations, and political whims.

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Outsourcing Political Responsibility

Posted by Connor on March 28th, 2008

photo credit: TheAirstreamGuy

Man prefers to delegate to others that which he considers unworthy of his time. Generally prone to seek recreation and relaxation before toil and travail, he must of necessity prioritize his duties and tasks and determine how his time will be spent. In doing so, he ranks these activities according to the importance he feels they merit. This selective process often results in the outsourcing of individual political responsibility.

Frederic Bastiat once wrote that “Between [man’s] destitution and the satisfaction of his wants there is a multitude of obstacles, which it is the goal of labor to surmount.” (Economic Sophisms, p. 185) The labor Bastiat mentions is the nature of human action; man works so that he may satisfy himself with that which he desires most.

1 Comment »

Small in Numbers at the Caucus

Posted by Connor on March 25th, 2008

I attended my precinct’s caucus this evening for the Republican party. I had planned to run for the vice-chair position (which is also a county delegate). I would have liked to have run as the chair, but will be out of the country during the state convention, so I would be unable to attend to my duties and cast my vote.

My wife and I arrived early, and by the time we got started, there were only five in attendance. Our precinct spans the entire Traverse Mountain area in Lehi, which is not a small number of residents. Out of that number, five voters were there this evening. A great percentage, wouldn’t you agree?

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