God, please bless America

I am a daughter of God, a sister, a friend, a daughter of two loving parents, a feminist, a librarian, a yoga teacher, a relief society teacher, art enthusiast, an avid learner, an American citizen and supporter of The Constitution. Here are a few things that I believe.

I believe:

• Every citizen should vote for who they think would make the best president, not casting a vote for someone because they hate the other candidate options
• God loves all his children and gave them the gift of agency to choose between right and wrong. Spiritual laws and natural laws are indisputable and we will be held accountable for how we apply them. 
• All people are created equal no matter race, gender, religion, party affiliation, economic status, or sexual orientation. No matter who they are each person should be treated with respect and dignity because they are a fellow human. 
• Racism in any form is unacceptable. Many so called Christians have dominated the world with evil and hate, Grouping people based on race and then demeaning or threatening that group is not right. I am the kind of person that will hide those who need refuge in my home, God forbid it ever comes to that. 
• Sexism is any form is completely wrong. Men and women are created equally and yet men continue to control, abuse, and manipulate women and their bodies. Any sort of violence against women is a form of sexism. Rape, domestic abuse, assault, groping, molesting or even suggesting or joking about these horrific acts is blatant sexism. Silent bystanders reinforce this misogynistic culture. Ingrained misogyny is in our culture, language and relationships and needs to be stopped via education and awareness on an individual and national level. 
• America was originally founded as a refuge for those wanting freedoms that were not granted in their previous homes. This should continue to be a place of safe gathering and acceptance. The statue of Liberty says "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" America should carefully and abundantly help refugees and those seeking immigration. 
• Abortion is morally wrong, however there are exceptions to this. If the child is a product of rape, incest, or is a life-threatening or emotionally-threatening problem to the mother then abortion is admissible. In these cases a woman should have safe, healthy and affordable access to medical professionals for the abortion procedures. 
• Each person has right to their own body. Rape and sexual assault are direct violation of this. Each woman needs to be able to choose what happens with her body. Many women choose to have abortions as a form of birth control and this is not appropriate. Birth control access and education needs to be available to every woman as to prevent abortions being used as such.  
• America should be leading the way in climate change reforms. Climate change has been an issue for decades. Only recently did the US join the squad of world leaders trying to do something about it. We are meant to be stewards of this earth and our individual bodies. 
• I believe in the right to bear arms, mostly. If someone knows how to safely operate and defend themselves and others with a gun then that's great for them. I don't want that kind of responsibility for myself. I am not comfortable shooting a gun. It's high time for universal background checks and closing loopholes that let the wrong people carry a gun. Sometime those wrong people with a gun are mentally ill. America needs to become much more aware and helpful in treating people with mental illnesses. Those people should not have access to guns, nor should anyone with terrorist ties.
• There needs to be reform and careful examination of our law enforcement officers. There have been too many shootings of black citizens to sweep this under the rug. Speaking out for civil rights is a wonderful thing; however, when those protests become violent it is not accomplishing anything, only stirring up more evil. 
• Education reform in America is needed across the board. We are undoubtedly the dumbest world power.  Kids are not given enough play and curious time, instead focusing on standardized tests. Common core is NOT the answer to fix the school system. We need to pay our teachers like we pay our celebrities and sports figures. They are shaping lives and building the future leaders of America. Take the focus away from tests and jobs and instead emphasize more on character building, exploration, analytical thought and apply it into all the subjects. Any emphasis on languages, the arts and music has been completely lost. Proper brain development needs all of it. Having a balance between school, rest and play is very important. The bulk of a child's formal learning should be in the classroom and at home, NOT in doing homework. 
• ISIS and terrorism are real and scary parts of this modern world. America needs to humble themselves to get along with other countries so that we can strategically fight against ISIS.
• There needs to be less taxes for lower and middle classes. Big corporations shouldn't have sway with laws, lobbyists or political parties. Wealthy individuals and corporations should be taxed much heavier. New jobs need to be created around building infrastructure and clean energy.
• America was established with the help of God and I believe we as a nation need to come back to trusting in God. As individuals we need to strive for this in our families and then hopefully it can trickle up to the nation as a whole. God, please bless America. We need all the help we can get right now. 

Principles of Feminist Critique

1	Gender is historically contingent (located in time)
2	Gender is culturally specific (located in material practices and specific places
3	Gender is an interpretation of what female and male bodies mean in relation to what we believe about the world (our philosophy)
4	There is a cultural reciprocity between gender practices and perceptions of biology, and there is a tendency to forget that a fact is both observed and interpreted.
5	Frequently even though a gender practice has been discarded, the perspective it created on "nature" can be difficult to eliminate
6	Our systems of social policy and cultural practice reflect a tendency to conserve the ideological result of practices that are not longer apparent.
7	We let competing ideologies undermine healthful practices
8	Sexual inequality is the single most prevalent form of inequality in the world. the majority of those in poverty, in dire need of improved health care without access to education, without access to political rights are women
9	Open dialogue allows for the free flow of the material out of which all social policy and political practice is derived: ideas.

Developed by Brandie Siegfried, BYU English and Women's Studies Professor

from Women Studies 422: Feminist Theory

Get the Guy

Get the Guy: learn secrets of the male mind to find the man you want and the love you deserve 
By Matthew Hussey
HarperWave, 2013. 250 pages. Nonfiction.

Get the Guy is a in depth guide on how to to understand the male psyche and practical techniques to actually get a man you want and deserve. Matthew Hussey is a leading relationship expert and gives an honest male perspective to many of the typical behaviors displayed by women when dating. He’s like a real life Hitch!

The first part of the book talks about finding the guy- how it’s a number game, you need the mindset of the chooser, and the traits of a desirable woman, building conversations into dates, and online dating. Then he talks about how to get the guy- the formula for attraction, insecurities, creating a great date, intimacy, premature obligation, and why some women get stuck in the friend trap. Then the third part, which I found to be the best part- how to keep the guy. He tells about how to tell if he’s right for you, what guys really think about commitment, and how to create a love that lasts. Each section has so many seemingly obvious tips and insight that it’s silly that every single woman isn’t applying them.

If you are single this is a must read!  Rehashing and talking things out with girlfriends is never as effective as you hope in understanding the guy’s mind. This book is a treasure of sound very real advice. Every guy and relationship is unique but the perspectives found here are very practical, useful and written in a very approachable way. I have already begun applying its principles (with success!) and recommended it to several friends.

Leadership and Self-Deception: getting out of the box
By The Arbinger Institute
Berrett-Koehler, 2010. 199 pages. Nonfiction.

Bud is excited because he has been hired at a new company. But unbeknownst to him, he is beginning more than just a new job- he is on a personal journey to learn how to get ‘out-of-the-box.’ With the help of his new bosses, Bud sees how his interactions with people can change for the better, and how his new perspective can positively effect change in his family and business life. With Bud, we learn how self-deception and self-betrayal are at the crux of every choice, and how to avoid this detrimental thinking and behavior. By learning to think and interact differently with others, Bud effectively removes himself from the damaging cycle of living in the box.

This book has been one of the most impactful books of my life. I am not exaggerating when I say it changed the way I look at every relationship whether with co-workers, significant others, family, or strangers. This is the kind of business and self-help book that surprises you with a story line that you want to follow as it draws you into the principles discussed. My way of thinking about people drastically changed and it’s both refreshing and frustrating to see how much room for improvement I had in my various relationships. I would recommend this book to be read by all, and reread often because principles that ring true are often forgotten without constant diligence.