Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Guest Post: Kristen Simmons

UFI welcomes Kristen Simmons Author of Article 5. Thanks for Joining us!!

Good morning Stacy. Thank you for having me today.


As you know, the country has changed significantly in the past few years. In response to the reigning chaos following the War, President Scarboro has dissolved the existing military branches, and in their place, supported the creation of a Federal Bureau of Reformation (FBR), which has been tasked with a mission to resolve domestic threats or internal acts of terrorism, and safeguard the borders against all foreign enemies or threats to national security. In order to effectively do so, the FBR has released the country from the historic Bill of Rights, known only to breed anarchy, and has implemented a fresh set of rules which more adequately define our new nation, and support our new cause.

You may find the original seven Moral Statues listed below.
 

Federal Bureau of Reformation
Office of the President 
The Moral Statutes of the United States of America 

Pertaining to the Moral Standards 
    Article 1:  The United States officially embraces the Church of America as her official religion.  The attendance of regular services is strongly encouraged.  Individuals observing alternative beliefs shall be held in contempt of the Moral Standards if they fail to comply with subsections a – c of Article 1:
    1. Individuals choosing to observe alternative religions will not display propaganda, artifacts, relics or icons associated with their faith in conspicuous places.
    2. Individuals of alternative religions will not encourage, recruit or discuss their faith with others.
    3. Failure to comply with a or b shall result first in a warning, second in a fine and third in a disciplinary action deemed appropriate by a Commanding Officer in the Federal Bureau of Reformation.
      1. (revised) Failure to comply with a or b shall result immediately in a disciplinary action deemed appropriate by a Commanding Officer in the Federal Bureau of Reformation.
    Article 2: Paraphernalia considered immoral is hereby banned and shall not be owned, bought/sold or traded for in any capacity.
    1. Immoral items include any form of media (audio, visual or tactile) in any medium (print, radio, televised, etc.) deemed inappropriate, including those items scandalous, violent, sexual or in opposition to the Moral Statutes as determined by the Church of America (For a full list of items see Addendum B).  
    2. All items identified as immoral are to be disposed of in identified CONTRABAND ITEMS receptacles. 
    3. Every citizen is subject to search and seizure of their home and personal property in order to assure compliance with Section 2, Article 2 of the Moral Statutes. Violators in possession of contraband are subject to trial by an investigative board of the Federal Bureau of Reformation and sentenced appropriately.
    Article 3: Whole families are to be considered one man, one woman and child(ren).
    1. Any alternative living arrangements (outside the parameters identified in Article 3) are considered to be in violation of Conventional Morality, and are not eligible for tax, occupation, education or health benefits. Violators are subject to trial by an investigative board of the Federal Bureau of Reformation and sentenced appropriately.
      Article 4: Traditional male and female roles shall be
      observed. 
    1. Men will work when able, serve in the Federal Bureau of Reformation if drafted and provide moral, ethical and religious support for their families.
    2. Women will respect their male partners, raise children, attend to domestic duties and encourage their family’s faith and dedication to the Moral Standards.
    3. Both sexes will behave in a moral and respectful way when in each other’s presence.  This is included but not limited to:
      1. wearing gender-specific clothing;
      2. communicating in an appropriate, respectful manner;
      3. maintaining acceptable distances from the opposite sex unless married;
      4. separating and remaining apart during curfew hours unless married; and,
      5. avoiding infidelity.
    Article 5: Children are considered valid citizens when conceived by a married man and wife. All other children are to be removed from the home and subjected to rehabilitative procedures.
    1. Unwed parents may be tried to determine legitimacy of children born out of wedlock.  Evidence used in trial may include hospital records, birth certificates, identification cards and so forth. 
      1. (revised) Unwed parents may be tried to determine legitimacy of all children below the age of eighteen. Evidence used in trial may include hospital records, birth certificates, social security cards and so forth. 
    1. Those parents held in contempt of Article 5 by the investigative board shall be sentenced appropriately.
    2. Children’s parental rights are absorbed by the state. Citizenship may be granted at the age of eighteen following completion of rehabilitation.
    Article 6: The following legal proceedings, medical procedures, and behaviors are considered immoral and hereby illegalized across the nation:
      1. Divorce;
      2. Emancipation of minors;
      3. Immigration;
      4. Abortion;
      5. Civilian possession of firearms;
      6. Subversive speech or assembly;
      7. Gambling; and,
      8. Prostitution.
    Article 7: Citizens knowingly or unknowingly assisting those in violation of the Moral Statutes are hereby denied trial and shall be punished to the full extent of the law.    
     
To see the Moral Statutes in their entirety, including Section 1 (Pertaining to the National Defense System post World War III), and the Code of Reformative Justice, please go to http://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com/books/ and click on the link “ARE YOU COMPLIANT?”
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Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband Jason and their precious greyhound Rudy in Tampa, Florida.
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Find Kristen and her books
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Article 5
Article 5 #1
Jan 31, 2012
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

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3 comments:

  1. Great guest post! I've read the book and really liked it but i've never seen the articles in written form. I don't think I'd care to live in that world very much.

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  2. OOOOH... This book sounds fantastic! I had been eyeing this book, but I'm definitely going to be adding it to my wishlist. Thanks for a great post!

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  3. This is one of those books where you are so far sucked into the story you don't even notice the flaws until it is time to write the review. When I first finished the book I eagerly stamped a five star rating on it via goodreads, but now as I look back I realize that much of the story wasn't perfect. The idea of persecuting people for "crimes" they committed many years before there was even a law against them doesn't seem really plausible. Especially since this would impact as much as a third of the population. Also there was the issue of the too short time in the camp leaving that feeling a little undeveloped, as well as a few other things. Does that mean I'm going to now lower my rating? Absolutely not, as the reading experience was so intense, it more than warrants the five. No book is ever going to be perfect, and in the end what matters most is being entertained and emotionally attached to the story, and Article 5 certainly fits that bill. So if you like a book that is so riveting and compelling, as well as impossible to put down, then Article 5 is one debut you won't want to miss!

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