Andrea Wilson Woods' Blog

Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares

I love the Depeche Mode song Personal Jesus. No matter what your religious beliefs are or are not, I think we all need someone who cares, someone who’s there. However, when we choose to reach out and touch faith, our choice(s) should remain private.
Unfortunately, some organizations violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment.” Last week, I experienced a blatant example of this type of abuse, and I feel it necessary to share it with my readers.

Since I recently started applying for jobs, I am always browsing various sites such as Monster, CareerBuilder, Mediabistro, etc. At Indeed, I found a listing for a writer/editor in Azusa, California. When I clicked on the post, I was directed to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.* When I saw that the job was at Azusa Pacific University (APU), I wasn’t worried because the school has a fine reputation, it is less than 30 miles from our house, and I cannot afford to be too picky. Moreover, I have years of experience working for universities. I clicked the “Apply Online” button and spent the next 20 minutes creating a profile, uploading my resume, correcting the errors, and finally submitting for the job. When I was finished, I was sent to APU’s Office of Human Resources and that’s when things got interesting.

Apparently, I wasn’t done yet. I needed to download the APU Staff Application, fill it out, and fax all requested materials to HR. Great. Easily another 20 minutes. I sighed as I clicked on the pdf file. I grumbled when I opened it. I gasped when I scanned it. There on page 3 … Christian Faith … Briefly relate your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. What the hell? Thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me, I scrolled down … Statement of Faith? My favorite line was, “We believe that there is one God, creator of heaven and earth, eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” How is this legal?

In American History classes, we learn about concepts such as freedom of religion and the separation of church and state; the ideas seem easy to implement. What our teachers don’t tell us is that the reality is much more complex, and it became a national disaster when President Bush established the Office of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives in 2001. By allowing religious organizations to compete for federal grants and contracts, the wall between church and state has crumbled, and in its debris we have seen our tax dollars supporting discrimination based on your own personal Jesus.

I am not saying that churches cannot create good social programs; however, our government should allow us to donate directly to those programs. While the faith-based initiative may be well intended, it has devastating consequences. I am thoroughly qualified for the writing position at APU, but I won’t even be considered because I refuse to fill out the religious portion of the application. What if you are religious, but not a Christian? Can you imagine what APU would think if a Muslim, Buddhist, or Jew applied? They wouldn’t recycle the paper application; they would shred it.

Out of curiosity, I started digging into APU’s financial records. On their FY 2010 taxes, they state their mission as, “An evangelical Christian community of disciples and scholars who seek to advance the work of God through academic excellence in liberal arts and professional programs of higher education that encourage development of a Christian perspective of truth and life.”

Since they are a university, they have to complete a “Schedule E Schools” form. In this section, APU claims that they are “in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 … [it] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures.” Even though Title VII protects religion, APU does not list it. At least they are honest about their discriminatory practices. Non-Christians need not apply. By the way, APU received over a million dollars in government grants last year.

Lest you think that President Obama has corrected the situation, he has not. Last November, he signed an executive order that “makes improvements” but still allows federal funds (i.e., our tax dollars) to go toward faith-based organizations. The executive order does not end funding for groups who discriminate in their hiring.

As for the writing position at APU, I may have lost an opportunity, but I have gained insight into the way they operate, and there is no way I could work there. To be fair, APU is a private university upholding a specific mission; if the school did not accept any government funding then I would not condemn them. But when they accept our tax dollars to further their agenda, they should do the Christian thing and accept all viable candidates for job openings.

As for my own personal [relationship with] Jesus [Christ] … it’s none of your damn business.

AWW — XoXo

*APU has also listed this position under Christian Career Center, Higher Ed Jobs, and Southern California HERC.

Posted under General & Politics | 1 Comment »

When Sarah Palin’s memoir Going Rogue debuted last year, I didn’t buy her book, but I did follow her press tour. I watched almost every television show she was on including The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity, Oprah, and the Barbara Walters interview on Good Morning America. Palin mesmerizes me because she is charismatic, attractive, and much smarter than people are willing to admit. While I don’t believe she will ever become president, no can deny Palin’s political power.

Part of Palin’s charm is that she is the hockey mom, the loyal wife, the competitive athlete, the beauty pageant contestant, and of course, the career woman. Even if you don’t agree with her politics (and I don’t), you have to admire her ability to do so much in such a short amount of time. Five children, twenty-two years of marriage, Alaska state basketball champion, and third place in the Miss Alaska pageant are some of her notable personal achievements. Professionally, she is the woman who went from City Council member to Mayor to Governor to Vice Presidential nominee to author, speaker, and Fox News pundit in eighteen years. She inspires people—especially conservative young women who share her values.

Palin also has the “sexy” factor. If she didn’t, why did Newsweek take an old photo of her from Runner’s World and put it on the cover of their magazine on November 23, 2009? Why do people still Photoshop pictures of Palin on a bikini touting a gun? Can you imagine anyone doing the same thing to Hillary Clinton even in her younger days? Everyone should play up their positive attributes so if you are attractive—use it to your advantage. Palin has a very specific look from her hair, to her makeup, to her glasses, to her clothes, and the message is clear: tasteful, personable, playful, yet conservative. If you think her style is accidental, then you don’t anything about being a woman in a man’s world.

Palin is smart, but she is not intellectual. She is ignorant about many national and world issues. But guess what? So are most Americans, which is why so many people relate to her. We have an intelligent, Harvard-educated president and half the time, no one understands his message. Palin speaks to the people in “plain” English. Even when she rambles on, she repeats herself less often than Vice President Biden does, and she is frequently more coherent than President Obama is. Many words that were attributed to Palin during the 2008 campaign were made up by Internet bloggers trying to smear her credibility. I don’t think she was ready to be the VP nominee and she was definitely over-coached, but that experience prepped her for current and far more lucrative career.

With all of her political cache, I think Palin could have easily won the U.S. Senate race in Alaska this year. With six years as a senator under her belt, she would have had the time to educate herself on domestic and foreign policies/issues; make friends in Washington and understand how “it” works; and become a serious contender in 2016 for the highest office in the land. As a mayor and a governor, she has an executive background, but she has little political experience in the national arena. If Palin ever wants to be our first female president, she needs to gain that experience now. However, she appears to have no genuine interest in becoming President Palin in the near future.

For the moment, Palin seems content to rake in the cash from her books sales and speaking engagements as well as to support current political candidates (e.g., South Carolina’s Nikki Haley, Alaska’s Joe Miller). She evades questions regarding a presidential bid in 2012 except to say that she “would offer [herself] up in the name of service to the public,” in the event that “nobody else wanted to step up.” Either she is being deliberately vague or Sarah Barracuda does not want to be president.

Beware though … don’t underestimate the power of Sarah Palin.

AWW — XoXo

Posted under News & Politics | 2 Comments »

According to President Obama, “I’m confident it [the healthcare bill] will pass because it’s the right thing to do.” I agree with him; reforming America’s healthcare system is necessary. But when our president has not read the bill in its entirety, when congressmen are bribed with special deals for their states (or just a ride on Air Force One), and when the vote is one of the closest ones in American history, you have to ask: isn’t there a better way to change our system?

Of course there are philosophical differences among people. I believe, however, if the bill contained substantive content written in a straightforward manner, that a much higher percentage of the Congress, the Senate, and Americans would be in favor of it. Rasmussen polls show that 53% of Americans oppose the health care plan proposed by President Obama and the Congressional Democrats, and 57% of voters believe it will hurt the economy. These numbers are consistent with a recent Fox News poll that finds 55% oppose the current bill, 35% support it, and 10% don’t know. I have to give Obama, Pelosi, and Reid some credit; they certainly don’t govern by the polls, but in this case, they should.

Although I am fortunate enough to have medical insurance, I have been an uninsured American. In fact, I spent my twenties without health insurance despite having a serious thyroid condition that required one hospitalization, a radiation treatment, quarterly checkups, and daily medication. I didn’t qualify for Medi-Cal, but I received significant discounts by going to a Los Angeles County clinic in downtown LA. I usually spent half a day there between my doctor’s appointment and waiting for my prescription to be filled. I’m not even counting the time I spent two weeks prior to my appointment when I would give blood for my thyroid tests. I typically had to take the day off work—unpaid of course—just to go to the doctor. So I’ve been there, and yeah, it sucks.

However, every time I hear about this current healthcare bill, my stomach twists in knots. Think about it this way: imagine if a candidate didn’t have quite enough votes to get elected so he decided to use some dirty tactics (e.g., closing the polls early, turning voters away) that were technically legal, albeit unethical, to ensure he became president. Oh wait … that already happened. This healthcare bill is no different from Bush’s 2000 election. Even if you are one of the ten people who has read the bill and you agree with everything in it, the process matters.

Just last month, Pres. Obama commented that the healthcare debate was “an ugly process” but now he embraces it because “it’s the right thing to do.” This week, he assured Bret Baier that, “By the time the vote has taken place, not only will I know what’s in it [fixed bill] you’ll know what’s in it.” Wow, I feel better now. Obama makes it clear that the proposed healthcare legislation does not solve current structural problems such as Medicare’s $36.3 trillion (current and future) debt—a number the president agrees is accurate. Despite that staggering figure, Obama smiles and says he has proposed a fiscal commission to fix that problem. He uses terms such as “deficit-neutral” when he describes the healthcare bill even though Richard Foster, chief actuary of Medicare, disagrees with the president’s accounting methods. The president doesn’t like to talk about the estimated 17 million Americans who would not be covered by this sweeping healthcare legislation or how expensive it will be for the uninsured to buy coverage. Obama has one goal: pass this bill, no matter what the consequences are.

Mr. President, you promised to work across party lines, and you vowed not to sign a bill that adds “one dime” to our deficit. Don’t put our country deeper in debt because you are determined to do the “right thing” the wrong way. When you say that a yes vote is for health care reform and that a no vote indicates support for the status quo, you not only sound like a high school bully pushing the weaker kids around, you are also completely inaccurate. Just to be clear … a message to our elected representatives:

• Voting no means you cannot be cajoled, bribed, or pushed around by anybody, not even the president of the United States.
• Voting no means you realize that this bill is not the right one for Americans and that this process does not represent the will of the people.
• Voting no means you listened to the voters who elected you and even the ones who did not.

According to Rasmussen, a majority of voters want the president and Congress to scrap this bill and start over. We differ about the specifics, but we all want healthcare reform. Next time, Mr. President, when you decide to do “the right thing” do it the right way.

AWW — XoXo

Posted under Health & Politics | 3 Comments »

I am not someone who normally makes Christmas wishes, but this year … well … the world is bugging me. So Santa, if you’re listening, here is my Christmas list. It’s a tall order, but if anyone can do it, you can!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS …

5. The return of common courtesy, good manners, and etiquette
As an experiment, I googled “common courtesy”; it garnered 512,000 hits. Then I tried “Britney Spears” for comparison—63.2 million hits. Those numbers accurately depict today’s society. I can remember a time when what Emily Post said mattered; now I’m sure most people under the age of 30 don’t even know who she is. I recall my mother telling me that a woman was allowed to check her makeup in public (i.e., open her compact and tap on some powder), but applying makeup in public was a no-no. When I was a child, I got in trouble for calling the “young” grownups next door by their first names even though they told me to. My mother made me march over to their house and apologize for my bad manners. Most children today, however, don’t know how to behave properly in public let alone the definition of the word etiquette.
Yesterday, I discovered that rudeness is not limited to younger generations. I was at our local liquor store buying a lottery ticket. A man, easily 30 years my senior, appeared to be in line ahead of me. Not wanting to cut, I moved back to allow him his spot. He snarled, “I’m not in that line. I’m in this line,” as he pointed to an area where there was no line. Grumpy bastard. So much for trying to be courteous! I used to dislike it when my students called me “Ma’am” because it made me feel old; now I am just grateful that someone taught them some manners.

4. For politicians to stop being politicians
I believe our forefathers would be disgusted by our two-party, partisan political system; it is an utter disaster. At what point did politicians forget that they worked for the people who elected them? They spent taxpayers’ dollars—our money—as if we had an endless supply. Oh wait … we do … as long as China keeps lending it to us. (Guess greenbacks grow on trees over there.) I love the movie Bulworth starring Warren Beatty because he plays a politician who decides to start telling the raw truth about both political parties. He raps …
“I’m a Senator.
I gotta raise $10,000 a day every day I’m in Washington.
I ain’t getting it in South Central.
I’m gettin’ it in Beverly Hills.
So I’m votin’ from them in the Senate the way they want me too …
and-and-and I’m sending them my bills.”

Of course, Bulworth is assassinated because no one likes a politician who tells the people the way things really are. Once upon a time, I entertained the idea of running for Burbank City Council, but then I realized I am the female Bulworth. I couldn’t lie to the people who placed their trust in me to make their community a better place. Here’s my truth:
“You want better schools and you want higher scores,
Well guess what parents, you need to get involved more.
Our Burbank teachers can only do so much—
Stop spoiling your kids, pay attention, get in touch.
They don’t need cell phones or tons of clothes,
School isn’t childcare as you should know—
Help our teachers, your children, and yourselves, too
Stop blaming the schools for the mistakes that you do!”

3. An empty email inbox.
Make that four empty inboxes since I currently use and check four email accounts daily. (That’s down from six so I have made some progress.) I still have three other “active” accounts: USC, AOL, and Gmail; they are forwarded, ignored, and used for research purposes respectively. In order to reduce the amount of email that I receive, I finally unsubscribed to daily emails such as Word-a-Day, weekly emails such as Early to Rise, and monthly emails from all retailers. Some people don’t understand why I haven’t signed up for Twitter or established a LinkedIn account yet. There’s an easy explanation—I cannot handle another thing to do or to check every day.
I remember when I didn’t even own a computer. I recall having only one email account for years. When did life become so electronically busy? Sometimes, I just want to become an ostrich, stick my head in the sand, and disappear from the planet for a while. I definitely see a day when I will withdraw from society because I can’t imagine spending my twilight years with my eyes glued to the glow of my laptop in an effort to keep up with my online identity. Forget the fact that hours on the computer is the one of the major causes of my migraines (hence the reading glasses—oh joy); I need the touch, smell, sound, and sight of real people. But I digress. For now, less email will do.

2. A president who doesn’t suffer from ADD and a desperate need to please everyone. (Or for Barack Obama to stop trying to be a hero who believes he must simultaneously solve all of the world’s problems.)
Recent studies have shown that people who are heavy multi-taskers, like our president, cannot give items their full attention; therefore, their brains suffer as a result. Communication professor Clifford I. Nass stated, “They’re suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them.” One could argue that if their mental function is impaired then their job performance suffers as well. According to recent polls from a variety of sources, President Obama’s approval rating has slipped to 47 – 49 percent. Considering he entered office less than a year ago with a 68 percent job approval (only one president out of the last eight—Eisenhower—had numbers that high), the drop is significant.

So here is my unsolicited, non-partisan advice, Mr. President. Try focusing on one thing at a time. You cannot fix everything all at once, and anyone who expects you to spent too much time listening to your campaign speeches last year. I have nothing against “Hope” and “Change” but you are one man, and your first name isn’t Super. You must learn to prioritize like the rest of us. Now if you consulted me, my top three concerns are the economy, the war, and the healthcare debacle. Americans need jobs and we need to know that our troops and our country are safe before you convince us to go into another trillion dollars in debt. I may not agree with all of your decisions (okay, most of your decisions), but one thing is certain—the results of your “multi-tasking” politics are showing. The Tea Party movement is increasing in numbers, Sarah Palin already sold a million copies of her book, and Fox News is not only finishing this year as the top-rated cable news network (no surprise since it has enjoyed this rank for the past eight years), but it is also experiencing its best ratings ever in the network’s 13-year history. F-O-C-U-S = Focus, Mr. President.

And the #1 thing I want for Christmas is …
the perfect job!
If you can make this one happen Santa, I promise to tell everyone that you are real—including my younger brother. I told him the “truth” about you when he was five years old, and it made him cry. It turned out okay; our mother made me go back and lie to him. I consider that moment one of my first as well as one of my finest acting performances. Anyway, here’s the criterion for my perfect job:

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all list everything we wanted in a perfect job and on Christmas morning there would be an offer in our stocking? I recently found a position that meets most of the above requirements but since it is in academia, I probably won’t hear anything for months. I do have to thank A.B. for allowing me to use him as a reference. As Santa knows, personal relationships are everything.

AWW — XoXo

P.S. I apologize for not posting a blog for so long. My normal goal is one post per week. I’ve been ill with pneumonia ever since I participated in Thrill the World on October 24. Being sick for this long has kicked my ass!

Posted under General & Politics | No Comments »

I wanted to stay away from this topic; I really I did, but I cannot keep my mouth shut anymore. When the Miss California pageant directors held a press conference yesterday, I couldn’t believe the crap they were spewing. Considering these same people paid for Carrie Prejean’s breast implants prior to the Miss USA pageant “to put her in the best possible confidence” according to pageant co-director Keith Lewis, I find their credibility suspect. Did Carrie violate her contract? I honestly don’t know—that’s for her lawyer and Donald Trump to decide. (Mr. Trump will render a decision later today.) But let’s be honest. No one would care if she been “politically correct” on national television.

If you don’t know by now, Miss USA judge and well-known celebrity blogger Perez Hilton asked Miss California Carrie Prejean if she thought every state should legalize same-sex marriage. She responded honestly that while it was wonderful that Americans have choices, she personally believes that a marriage should be between a man and woman because that is how she was raised. The key points to remember are:

1. She specified she was stating her opinion, and
2. The first amendment of our constitution guarantees her that right.

Some people complain that as Miss California, Carrie has a responsibility to represent our state, and she shouldn’t have revealed her personal opinion. How quickly people forget. Carrie actually reflected the majority. Last November, Californians voted for Proposition 8—a ballot proposition that eliminated same-sex couples’ right to marry. Therefore, the argument that Carrie’s opinion doesn’t “represent” California is false.

I don’t agree with Carrie Prejean. I support gay marriage. I voted against Proposition 8. However, I cannot tolerate intolerance. Was Perez Hilton’s question unfair? Maybe. But you have to admire someone who stuck to her principles and possibly lost the chance to become Miss USA. Even if her answer had been different, Mr. Trump swears she wouldn’t have won anyway, but few people believe him.

We must keep Carrie Prejean as Miss California to show the other 49 states that we believe in free speech—especially when we don’t like what we hear.

AWW — XoXo

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