A neighbor of mine, who I get along with fairly well (we play poker together each month), is also a Republican. In Georgia, this usually means more than it does elsewhere (take
Lynn Westmoreland, for example. Please).
Anyway, we send each other all the funny stuff that we come across in our email or on the internet, with one exception - anything concerning politics. Today, he let one get through which discusses Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association's concern with the National Educational Association. Basically, the NEA has a resolution that says they don't think we should hate anyone. Wildmon hates LOTS of people, but especially Jews and homos. And now I was being encouraged to (righteously, of course) hate me some homos, too.
So I hit the "reply all" button and included what you'll find below the jump:
First, the email I received, which appears to be a cut-n-paste of the American Family Associations'
ActionAlert, noted in full:
June 19, 2006
National Education Association Set to Endorse Homosexual Marriage
Teacher's union begins plans to promote homosexual marriage in public schools
Dear Marleen,
The National Education Association is set to endorse homosexual marriage at their convention coming up in Orlando June 29 through July 6.
The new NEA proposal essentially says schools should support and actively promote homosexual marriage and other forms of marriage (two men and one woman, three women, two women and three men, etc.) in their local schools.
The new proposal, expected to pass overwhelmingly, is found under the B-8 Diversity paragraph:
"The Association... believes in the importance of observances, programs and curricula that accurately portray and recognize the roles, contributions, cultures, and history of these diverse groups and individuals.
The Association believes that legal rights and responsibilities with regard to medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, legal immigration, domestic partnerships, and civil unions and/or marriage belong to all these diverse groups and individuals."
Translated, that means the NEA will promote homosexual marriage in every avenue they have available, including textbooks, to all children at all age levels and without the permission or knowledge of parents. Their plans will include every public school in America.
Take Action
* First, please forward this to all parents with children in public schools. They need to be aware of the plans the NEA has to indoctrinate their children with their pro-homosexual, homosexual marriage agenda.
* [https://secure.afa.net/afa/afapetition/takeaction.asp?id=204 Click here to send your email to your NEA state affiliate].
* Please forward this to public school teachers you know so they can be aware of the NEA's plans. In fact, their membership dues will be used to help implement the new NEA plan.
AFA encourages teachers who do not approve of their dues going to the NEA to find an alternative teacher's group to help them retain their benefits. Teachers might want to give the CEAI home page a look or find another alternative in their state.
If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!
My reply:
The National Education Association (NEA) does indeed have a resolution B-8 on diversity, a portion of which reads as stated in the earlier email. What isn't mentioned is that it has already been in place for over a decade, having been adopted in 1995 and then amended or reviewed in 2002. In full, it reads:
The National Education Association believes that a diverse society enriches all individuals. Similarities and differences among races, ethnicity, color, national origin, language, geographic location, religion, gender, sexual orientation/gender identification, age, physical ability, size, occupation, and marital, parental, or economic status form the fabric of a society.
The Association also believes that education should foster the values of appreciation and acceptance of the various qualities that pertain to people as individuals and as members of diverse populations.
The Association further believes in the importance of observances, programs, and curricula that accurately portray and recognize the roles, contributions, cultures, and history of these diverse groups and individuals.
The Association encourages affiliates and members to become part of programs and observances that may include cultural and heritage celebrations and/or history months.
The NEA is absolutely NOT promoting or endorsing homosexual marriage and saying it is "essentially" the same is "essentially" bullshit. The NEA is saying that you should be free to live your life without bigotry, intolerance, or government intrusion into your home. Quaint notions like those noted in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and even most major religions, which say, among other things, that we should ensure equal rights for all and love our neighbor, even if they are Catholic, or dark-skinned, or vegetarian, or a single mom, or old, or a Georgia Tech fan, or (gasp!) even if they commit to loving one person for the rest of their lives and that other person is the same gender.
NOBODY, including the NEA, endorses marriage between "two women and three men"; or six guys, two goats, and a washing machine; or any other such hyperbolic, totally fabricated, imaginary situation. Saying a "marriage" between four females and their nine parakeets is NOT "essentially" the same as saying you should be allowed to commit your life to the ONE person you love. Saying otherwise is a lie.
Sorry, but gay people don't scare me.
Now, if you're still reading, more about Don Wildmon and the AFA.
Don became famous for actively protesting television shows like `Three's Company', `Charlie's Angels', `Dallas', and anything with Morgan Fairchild in it with the National Federation for Decency -- which has since been renamed as the AFA. He's entitled to his own opinions as to the state of American decency and what should be in the public entertainment arena, as are you and I. The problem that I have with him is that he's an unabashed anti-Semite (denounced by the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish National Congress) and a homophobe.
And you can agree or disagree with him and/or me. I just thought we should have an honest, open discussion about it.
Paul
"P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!"
