Monday, July 24, 2006

The Wide Awakes � Rules of Engagement: "The Wide Awakes bloggers and defenders welcome opposing viewpoints in the comment section of this blog. These views, at times, can and do have a positive effect on what we�re ultimately trying to accomplish. A well-thought-out opposing comment can force the poster, through further reflection, research, and investigation, to pose an even stronger argument. It presses us to learn more and become better in areas that we�re not familiar with. These differences also bring to light the commenter�s position."

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

News from Agape Press: "labama Lawmaker: Teachers Should Divest From NEA's Liberal Agenda

By Jim Brown
June 30, 2006
(AgapePress) - An Alabama lawmaker is encouraging members of the National Education Association in his state to consider leaving the union because of its liberal political activism. Meanwhile, delegates at the NEA's 2006 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, are preparing to vote on a resolution endorsing same-sex 'marriage.'
Alabama State Representative Gerald Allen, who sponsored the state's constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage, is denouncing the NEA proposal to amend the organization's diversity policy to endorse homosexual marriage. He has urged Alabama's 300 NEA delegates to either boycott the convention or vote against the resolution.
Allen says education leaders, not only in Alabama but across the U.S., 'must take a stand and say [to the NEA leadership], 'If you're going to go in this direction and try to indoctrinate our children with this type of materials, then we're going to maybe form our own association.' That's one of the things I think needs to be looked at.'
In fact, the state lawmaker says conservative teachers who have or are considering NEA membership should start looking for alternatives to that powerful union. 'You've got this liberal agenda, with the NEA trying their very best to get the heart and souls and minds of our children and to indoctrinate them,' he states."
ADF: School�s stealth attempt to show sexually explicit film thwarted by ADF - Alliance Defense Fund - Defending Our First Liberty: "

Watch your schools....

School officials in Raleigh have refrained from showing a sexually explicit film to schoolchildren without the knowledge and permission of their parents after involvement from an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund. The film contains sexually explicit scenes, including ones that feature homosexual behavior.

�Schools should be required to follow the law. And the law says schools must notify parents and get their authorization before teaching sexually-oriented material,� said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson. �School officials may have tried to push this sexually explicit video onto these children without their parents� knowledge, but so far we�ve been able to hold them accountable to North Carolina statutes protecting families.�

Officials at the Governor�s School in Raleigh advertised the sexually explicit film American History X on its calendar, describing it as an installment of a �Race and Film� series. In spite of repeated assurances by school officials that parents would be notified regarding any sexually-oriented material presented to students, the school did not notify or get permission from parents before attempting to show American History X.

According to Johnson, the General Assembly has �deliberately and expressly placed an emphasis on the importance of parental involvement in curriculum related to human sexuality.� North Carolina statutes specify that parents must give approval for any sexually-oriented materials to be presented to their children in school, and the school must allow for parents to comment on the material before it is shown. Governor�s School officials were not responsive to requests for specific information about curricula and films that may be sh"