Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National
Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 6
August 1999
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"I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."
First of all, I want to publicly accept the position of Executive Director of TSC Inc - National and its state affiliate, TSC Inc. of Ohio, for another year. I thank God for using me through this ministry opportunity in saving the lives of the preborn - His creation and masterpiece.
I thank both Boards of Trustees for their continued confidence in me in leading this organization. In addition, I appreciate each Board member's support and wisdom as decisions and strategies are made throughout the year as well as the prayers and support of each TSC member. Thank you!
Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National has been incorporated since October 1994. Some have questioned whether or not progress is being made with the issue regarding the pro-abortion position of the NEA. This past spring, Rob Weidenfeld, a teacher from Mount Healthy Ohio, shared his testimony with some of us. Recently I asked him if he would share what was happening in his life with all of you. I believe this testimony is a perfect example of the progress that is being made.
Connie asked me to write about what is happening in my life. It is not an idea that I would have initiated on my own, but I agreed because I can see some of the changes that are taking place and I honestly don't know where all of them will lead.
I have been a delegate to the Ohio Education Association (OEA) Representative Assembly for 25 years. Politically I have always considered myself a liberal, pro-choice, anti-voucher, anti-school prayer Democrat. Yet religiously, I was born Jewish and have never doubted the existence of God. But like my family before me, I rarely went to temple or observed Jewish holidays.
My wife, whom I married 8 years ago, and some of her friends were not pro-choice. We would invariably discuss these issues without rancor, but also without resolution. I remember that around that same time, some pro-life delegates from Ohio Life Issues Caucus, whom I did not know, were trying to make headway at the OEA Representative Assembly on the issue of "reproductive freedom." I was moved even then by the patience of people like Connie Bancroft and Ken Mazer, and the righteousness of their cause, even if my background was very different. I was also struck by the intolerance of the delegates, often not even allowing the discussion to move to the floor.
I decided to stand up and be counted as a pro-choice person who felt that any reference to "reproductive freedom" in our resolutions was unnecessary, because it wasn't education-based and because of its hurtful nature to those whose belief system was different from most of us at the Representative Assembly.
The members of Ohio Life Issues Caucus welcomed me into the group and involved me immediately in strategy sessions to help move our agenda. Though we have had ups and downs in terms of our success on the floor, as time went by I noticed a change occurring in me.
The birth of my only child three years ago affected my feelings. After my heart attack 2 1/2 years ago, my wife and I prayed together only for the 2nd time, and we were led to a Messianic Temple. We have been there ever since. Late last year, after some extraordinary circumstances, I asked the Lord Messiah into my life.
I don't know where I am being led, but I know I am changing. I don't know if I am ready to be called "pro-life" yet, but I do know that the term "pro-choice" now makes me very uncomfortable. I continue to pray for guidance.
Rome wasn't built in one day and neither will the battle over the abortion issue with the NEA be won quickly. We too often think in instant results and instant success, but Rob's testimony is the result of seeds being planted, watered, and then allowing God to grant the increase. God is working, lives are changing, and in His time God will and does make all things beautiful with victorious results.
Delegates lofted signs high into the air at the 1999 National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly, signs that read, "Put Children First." Pro-life members of the delegation questioned the truth behind the statement, however, when the opportunity came to vote down the NEA's support of partial birth abortion, and, instead, delegates refused to consider the proposal. The intention of pro-life educators was to amend Resolution I-13 by adding the phrase "except for those abortions defined by Congress as partial birth abortion."
One pro-life delegate asked if the words "reproductive freedom" in Resolution I-13 of the NEA's Resolutions document - interpreted at last year's NEA Representative Assembly as including abortion from conception through delivery - were in conflict with C-10, which addresses child abuse, or with I-11, which opposes discrimination on the basis of age. A third question was, "Is the NEA's support of 'reproductive freedom' in I-13 in conflict with the stand against sexual discrimination in I-11 in the cases of sex selection abortion?" The answer from NEA President Bob Chase was "no" for all three questions.
The trend over the past several years has been for NEA leadership and the NEA delegation to avoid confrontation on the abortion issue at all cost. They have done this through "object to consideration," through refusal of the Resolutions Committee to direct a proposed pro-life resolution to the full Representative Assembly for vote, and through censorship of any literature or medically documented photos that show what abortion is and does. (Interestingly, the NEA has opposed censorship of classroom materials, claiming censorship interferes with academic freedom.)
While pro-life delegates at the 1999 NEA Representative Assembly faced their share of obstacles, some positives were achieved. Some of the "pluses" include the following:
* A New Business Item regarding Cesarean deliveries was presented for consideration by the delegates. New Business Item 31 passed, showing delegate support of Cesarean deliveries being based on individual cases, not on numerical restrictions.
* More members of the Resolutions committee are open to dialog outside the confines of the assembly hall.
* No speaker rose in opposition to the pro-life speakers at this year's Resolutions hearings (Approximately 100-150 delegates attended the hearings).
* New information presented by pro-life delegates at the 1999 NEA Representative Assembly raised the eyebrows of even radical feminists.
* Pro-life delegates grow more politically smart and more determined each year.
* New voices spoke out on the abortion issue this year.
* Since this year's discussion of Resolutions ended in the midst of Section I (Promote and Protect Human and Civil Rights), next year's discussion of Resolutions will begin with the "I" section, which contains the abortion language, allowing the opportunity for debate once again.
Pro-life delegates are already putting strategy in place for next year. The 2000 NEA Representative Assembly is set for July 1-6 in Chicago, Illinois. It should prove to be quite interesting. Maybe you could consider becoming actively involved.
During the NEA Representative Assembly floor discussion of Bylaw Amendment 5, Christine Nowack of New York appealed the decision of the committee to rule the amendment out of order. She requested an opportunity to amend the main motion by substituting the word "activities" for "contributions." Her rationale was that "members' dues money is paying for the political activity of the NEA legal department, the legislative lobbying department and contributions to various outside organizations. Since 1978, the legal department has been providing time, money, and effort on briefs filed in the Supreme Court as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in cases that we find, by conscience, morally repugnant. Since 1978, the legislative lobbying department has been working in Congress on the same efforts. This, we feel, is inappropriate use of our dues money...."
Legal counsel responded to Christine's request to amend by stating that the amendment as printed presented a non-existent scenario and that the amendment request was out of order because it strengthened this amendment, which was not allowed by the NEA rules or by Roberts Rules of Order. The RA delegates voted to sustain the decision of the chair to rule both the bylaw amendment and the amendment request out of order.
Following this ruling, delegates were gathering signatures to put forth a new bylaw amendment next year regarding the same issue, but with the wording "political activities."
The name of the NEA's political action committee (PAC) was changed from "NEA-PAC" to "The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education." The change took effect on January 1, 1999. This change was a result of action taken in February 1998 by the NEA-PAC Council and then affirmed by the 1998 NEA Representative Assembly.
The reason for the name change, say NEA spokespersons, is to better reflect the goals and what NEA cares about. Members are more apt to contribute when they see that their contributions result in or improve specific programs for children. However, although the name is changing, the PAC itself is not. Its functions, governance structure, and administrative infrastructure will remain the same, as will its decision-making procedures. Only the name has changed. The NEA has filed an amended statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission to register the new name.
The following disclaimer was included in the material from which the above information was abstracted:
The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education collects voluntary contributions from Association members and uses those contributions for political purposes, including, but not limited to, making contributions to and expenditures on behalf of friends of education who are candidates for federal office. Contributions to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education are voluntary; making a contribution is neither a condition of employment nor membership in the Association, and members have the right to refuse to contribute without suffering any reprisal. Although the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education requests an annual contribution of $10, this is only a suggestion. A member may contribute more or less than the suggested amount, or may contribute nothing at all, without it affecting his or her membership status, rights or benefits in NEA or any of its affiliates.
Contributions or gifts to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Although nothing will change as to the function and procedures, it is interesting to note that the NEA-PAC Council and the NEA RA delegates have chosen to change the name to energize members to contribute to this fund. Please carefully read the information about this fund and, if necessary, seek additional information before making any personal decisions to contribute.
Editor's note: The information in this article was abstracted from the Ohio 1999 NEA Delegate Handbook, pages 24-26.
What can YOU do to help get the words "reproductive freedom" (interpreted as including abortion on demand) out of the NEA Resolutions document? What can YOU do to bring the NEA back in line with educators and their political convictions?
* Write members of your state resolutions committee and members of the NEA Resolutions Committee (names and addresses available from your NEA state affiliate office). Tell them you are pro-life and that you do not want the NEA and its affiliates supporting the "choice" to kill a baby from conception to delivery, as established with the words "reproductive freedom" in our resolutions document.
* Ask candidates who are running for NEA delegate and those who are running for state delegate exactly what their position on abortion is. Tell them your position and that you will only vote for them if they cooperate with the effort to extract the words "reproductive freedom" (abortion on demand) from the NEA Resolutions document. If the candidate says, "I'm pro-life myself, but I believe every woman has the right to choose," beware. The words are "slick" and often misunderstood. Believing in someone else's "right" to choose abortion means "Though I wouldn't kill my own child, I believe everyone should have the 'right' to decide whether or not to kill their child." In a sane world, who can possibly give anyone that "right?"
* Educate your state/national delegate(s) on the abortion issue. Give him/her informative literature. Ask your local Right to Life Chapter to drop off a pro-life videotape for your delegate's review.
* PRAY! Pray for the children being taken by abortion; pray for them by name (starting at the beginning of the alphabet, perhaps), a few each day. PRAY! Pray for women in distressed pregnancy situations that they make decisions both mother and child can live with. PRAY! Pray for those who oppose our position, including anti-life delegates and abortionists themselves, that they might experience a conversion. The most effective and influential people in the pro-life movement are "Roe" and "Doe" in the Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton cases that originally legalized abortion. Now "Roe" and "Doe" have admitted they lied in those cases and are, today, pro-life spokespersons. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who presided over 60,000 abortions, is another one of the many pro-life speakers who have come "full circle." PRAY! Pray for your pro-life delegates who speak out for life in the midst of pro-death advocates. It is not easy, but most importantly PRAY!
* [From your TSC Executive Director] Finally, if you have found yourself wondering if there is not more you can do in this monumental and sometimes frustrating battle for the lives of the unborn, consider fasting along with praying, along with speaking out, along with writing letters to the NEA. Perhaps the following prayer will help give voice to your own war-weary heart:
Lord, "we are not able in ourselves to win this battle. We are not able to change hearts or minds. We are not able to change worldviews and transform culture and save [annually] 1.6 million children. We are not able to reform the judiciary or embolden the legislature or mobilize the slumbering population. We are not able to heal the endless wounds of godless ideologies and their bloody deeds. But, O God, you are able! And we turn from reliance on ourselves to you. And we cry out to you and plead that for the sake of your name, and for the sake of your glory, and for the advancement of your saving purpose in the world, and for the demonstration of your wisdom and your power and your authority over all things, and for the sway of your Truth and the relief of the poor and the helpless, act, O God. This much we hunger for the revelation of your power. With all our thinking and all our writing and all our doing, we pray and we fast. Come. Manifest your glory." [From A Hunger for God by John Piper, Crossway Books, Wheaton IL, 1997, page 171]
On April 26, 1999, it was announced that the WEA had dropped the frivolous lawsuit it had brought against Cindy and Barbara in February 1998. The women believed the lawsuit was intended to punish, intimidate, and harass them into silence for informing teachers about their rights not to fund union politics with their mandatory dues.
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation (NRTWLDF) provided free legal aid to Omlin and Amidon. Stefan Gleason, Vice President of NRTWLDF, stated that "What started as a vindictive strike against these two teachers began to turn against the union and quickly turned into a situation where the union had much more to lose than gain from proceeding with its case."
Cindy and Barbara believe that this settlement completely vindicates them after more than a year of intimidation! They stood against a powerful union for truth and integrity. Even though they believe that the WEA would have lost this abusive suit, due to the costs of litigation and the desire to put the suit behind them, they chose to settle out of court. The settlement agreement that was signed forces WEA union officials to withdraw their frivolous lawsuit against the teachers in return for their promise to no longer use the letters "WEA" in the name of their teachers group (WEA Challengers Network) or newsletter name - a moot point since the teachers had not published their newsletter in over a year.
Teachers should be outraged that their hard-earned union dues are being spent to harass fellow teachers whose only desire is to steer the teachers' union into an accountable and honest relationship with its members.
Cindy and Barbara express their gratitude for the support, encouragement, and especially the prayers, they received during this past year.
Ohio: The 1999-2000 officers for the OH TSC Affiliate State Chapter are as follows: Connie Bancroft, Executive Director; Gary Winney, Assistant Executive Director; Lisa Rudloff, Secretary; David Kaiser, Treasurer. The next OH TSC Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 1999 in Columbus OH. (TSC Inc. of Ohio, PO Box 125, Damascus OH 44619-0125; tsc-life@juno.com).
Pennsylvania: The 1999-2000 officers for the PA TSC Affiliate State Chapter are as follows: Michael Grella, Executive Director; Scott Moyer, Assistant Executive Director; Barbara Purcell, Secretary; Linda Burroughs, Treasurer. The next PA TSC Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 2, 1999. (TSC of PA, Inc., PO Box 214, Pen Argyl PA 18072; tscofpa@usa.net)
Other State Affiliates: Although the time for formal application may not occur until later, there is definite potential for an affiliate state chapter within other states. As we continue to work with state leadership, we ask for your prayers and your patience. If you are interested in getting a TSC Affiliate State Chapter started in your state, please contact TSC for further information.
To access the Main Ohio Right to Life Website: www.ohiolife.org
To access the TSC brochure/membership form: www.ohiolife.org/people/tsc.htm
To access the ORTL Webpage of "Abortion: Youth and Education" which will include both access to the TSC brochure/membership form and articles: www.ohiolife.org/youth/youth.htm
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