AUGUST 9, 2010 ACTION ALERT
BALANCE OF POWERS
Dear CWA of Washington Members,
I recently looked up “republic” in the dictionary and this is what impressed me, “a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them”. Clearly, judicial activism guts that definition of “republic” about which Benjamin Franklin was speaking after the founders finished up their constitutional deliberations in Philadelphia, when he reportedly responded to the question “Sir, what form of government have you given us?” with “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.” If we the people continue to allow the increasing imbalance of powers between the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial), we will lose our republic, just as Franklin implied, along with our God-given inalienable rights. It is up to us, “we the people”, to ensure that the balance of power between those branches is maintained. That duty starts with our responsibility to vote for worthy leaders to represent our views and values. The term “citizen legislator” implies that our representatives should be in tune with the world we citizens live in and be of and from that same world, not living in an ivory tower, separated from those they are elected to represent.
Be sure to mail in your ballots before the Tuesday, August 17, deadline!
Elections have consequences and one of those consequences is the ability to nominate the federal judges who will make legal decisions affecting you and your family for generations to come. CWA has long included prayer for judges amongst their priorities. Along with elected officials at the federal, state, county and city levels, the U. S. Supreme Court justices are listed on the CWA Key 16 Prayer Card. It is so very important to educate yourselves on the views and values of judicial candidates. As has been demonstrated just this past week, activist judges are overruling the votes of millions of American citizens. In the case of Proposition 8 in California, one judge has seen fit to declare that his opinion is more valuable than those of seven million Californians. Please go to CWA’s national website (www.cwfa.org: Prop. 8 Case Strikes at the Heart of Democracy) to read President Wendy Wright’s statement on this particular decision. In this article, she says, “Judge Walker’s decision goes far beyond homosexual ‘marriage’ to strike at the heart of our representative democracy. Judge Walker has declared, in effect, that his opinion is supreme and ‘We the People’ are no longer free to govern ourselves. The ruling should be appealed and overturned immediately.” Again, in our republic (aka “representative democracy”), there is to be a balance of powers, but by definition, the supreme power is to rest in the body of citizens entitled to vote, directly or indirectly.
We have the opportunity to choose three Washington State Supreme Court justices (positions 1, 5 and 6) this election season. Please be sure you know who best advocates for the people and then mark your ballots in time for the August 17 primary.
Our successful Vancouver meeting was held on August 24. You may read my summary of the meeting on the state website: http://wa.cwfa.org. At that site, you will also find the locations of our Prayer/Action Chapters and see a list of available positions within the state organization. Please contact me if you would like to become involved in state leadership as a Prayer/Action Chapter Leader, Home Team Captain or Steering Committee Member. Remember that our greatest strength is in teamwork and unity:
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a three fold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:32
That verse is the focus of the CWA 2010 Regional Leadership Training Conference in Irvine, California, on Saturday, September 18. Several CWA of Washington leaders will be in attendance, thanks to the support of generous CWA of Washington members. We would love to see you in Irvine, so please prayerfully consider attending. Although the conference is usually for leaders only, this one has been opened up to all CWA members. The conference brochure is attached, but you may register by calling the national office: 202-488-7000 .
Attached is a membership form, in case you have not yet renewed your annual membership in Concerned Women for America. By renewing or donating through the state address, you help support our ongoing office expenses and occasional expenses, such as newsletters, mailings, Encourage-A-Legislator, regional meetings, and workshops. We promise to be as careful with your gifts as possible, respecting the sacrifice you make to enable us to continue to stand in the gap of the cultural wall until our Lord’s return.
We thank you for standing alongside us as we fight to protect God’s definition of the family through prayer and action. Our six core issues all involve putting families’ best welfare first: sanctity of life, definition of the family, education, religious liberty, pornography and national sovereignty (preserving our founding documents is fundamental to all the other issues). If you agree with CWA’s perspective on those issues, please pray with us and stand with us:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
Ephesians 6:13-18
May God bless you today and every day as you stand for Him.
In His Service,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
director@washington.cwfa.org
425-869-1923
P. O. Box 143
Woodinville, WA 98072