paigned for ERA, have been chastised and excommunicated for writing unfavorable articles about the faith. Do you believe journalists have the First Amendment right to probe religious and governmental institutions without unfair pressure being applied? Mansfield in his book on Mormonism makes the point that the faith was founded on the principle that it is “the only living and true church” and “non-Mormon clergy have been depicted as serving the devil.” Do you agree with those beliefs and in a Romney administration would you embrace a diversity of faiths and religions as equals? Prophet Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon movement, ran for president in 1844 calling for the establishment of a “theo-democracy,” a government led by God – and eventually by the Mormon Priesthood – as
the only way to bring order and happiness to the earth. How would you separate your political and religious beliefs, such as the right of women to have an abortion? Would you base your decisions on Roe V. Wade or on The Book of Mormons or the Bible? Mormonism teaches that after the Resurrection Jesus appeared in Jackson County, Mo., where He will one day return and rule from a temple there and in Jerusalem. How does this belief affect your policy toward Israel? The Mormon movement founded by Prophet Smith evolved by prophesies rather than doctrine. If there were two opposing views, one from someone recognized by your faith as a prophet and the other based on the U.S. Constitution, how would you choose? wi
with a median wealth of $750,000, excluding the value of their homes, cannot fathom the lives of ordinary human beings. These are people who get up in the morning, pour cereal in a bowl, take a fast crack at the newspaper before hopping a subway or bus on the way to work, put in their hours, often more than eight, and then take the subway or bus back home. Many make a pit stop at a day care center or school, and then rush home to put food on the table. With median wealth of about $20,000, including home ownership, their lives are a far cry from those of their elected representatives. The gap, perhaps, explains why the American Jobs Act has not yet been passed after languishing in Congress for nearly a year. Sequestration has come up only tangentially in the presidential debates. Yet it is one of the most
important immediate issues that our nation faces. Across the board cuts hit more heavily at the bottom than at the top, and those who are already suffering will find themselves suffering more. It would have been great to have one of the debates focused specifically on this issue of sequestration. The way this sequestration is implemented is likely to depend on the outcome of the election. Yet both candidates have been mostly silent on this matter. What happens after November 6? Whether President Obama or Willard Romney wins, hard choices will have to be made.wi Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
graduating from Oral Roberts University because I believed in the principles the party espoused: lower taxes, especially for job creation for small businesses; equality of opportunity for all; a party based on Christian principles, to name a few. I was brought into the Republican Party by the likes of Bill White, Curtis Crawford, Art Fletcher, Ed Brooke, Bill Coleman, and Sam Cornelius. These are legendary Black Republicans who are responsible for me being where I am today. Some are still with us and some have moved on. Once in the party, I was further schooled on Republican principles by the likes of William H.T. “Bucky” Bush (brother to Bush 41), Bert Walker (cousin to Bush 41), George H.W. Bush, Robert Mosbacher (former Secretary of Commerce), James M. Baker (former Secretary of State), and Jack Kemp, just to name a few. These people are part of my politi-
cal DNA and explain why I am the type of Republican that I am. Sununu could not have existed in the Republican Party that I joined in the 1980s. Donald Trump would not have been allowed to have a role in the party that I joined. “Ole man Bush” (my term of endearment for him) or Jim Baker would not have allowed this to happen because they and the party back then had principles that were non-negotiable. I will not vote for Obama because he has totally insulted the Black community at every opportunity (I refer you to his speech before the Congressional Black Caucus last year as exhibit A); and I cannot vote for Mitt Romney because he has basically, with his silence, endorsed the behavior of the likes of Sununu, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock. I take my stand based on my principles. Romney and the Republican Party, what are you basing your stand on? wi
REYNOLDS continued from Page 30 derstanding here are questions that I believe Romney should be asked about his religion and its possible impact on the nation: Before 1978 the Church regarded dark skin as a sign of a spiritual curse which denied black men the right to be ordained as priests. The curse was lifted in 1978 and black males were ordained for the priesthood. Would you support efforts to lift the ban against women being ordained to the priesthood? Also the Mormon Church has aggressively fought against passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Would you support measures such as ERA and other public policy for gender equality? Mormons, such as noted UCLA professor-biographer Fawn Brodie as well as Sonia Johnson who cam-
Malveaux continued from Page 30 creasing taxes or cutting programs. We can’t increase taxes on the already beleaguered middle class, and the poor don’t have a penny to spare. That leaves the wealthy, but they are the sacred cows of the Republican Party. Cutting social programs hurts those who have already been hurt. Congress has a dilemma. One of the things we know about sequestration is that it will cost jobs, both in the federal government and in companies that contract with the federal government. Our extremely weak recovery, which leaves us with an official unemployment rate slightly less than 8 percent, cannot sustain more job losses. Our Congress,
Jackson continued from Page 30 ness at the door because I am a Republican. The language coming from Sununu and my party is counter to the founding principles of the party that I am a proud member of. But, twice this year some of these same people have approached me about funding for some election year tricks that they (White Republicans) have conjured up and simply need a Black face to execute the plan. On these two separate occasions, these funders were willing to spend upwards of $20 million to have me organize a national campaign to identify Blacks who would be critical of President Obama. I was deeply offended by these approaches, but it’s not the first time in my life that I have had similar conversations within the party. I joined the Republican Party upon www.washingtoninformer.com
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